"Mysteries at the Museum" Close Encounters: Mysteries at the Museum Special

1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,800 A worldly image ignites an alien conspiracy... 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,200 This might be technology that's even beyond the earth itself. 3 00:00:12,070 --> 00:00:14,940 WILDMAN: An extraterrestrial create on the streets of Atlanta. 4 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:18,280 This was one of the strangest things the police had ever seen. 5 00:00:20,180 --> 00:00:22,080 And a mysterious signal from outer space. 6 00:00:24,650 --> 00:00:27,490 You're talking about the biggest discovery in the history of the world. 7 00:00:29,930 --> 00:00:31,630 These are the Mysteries at the Museum. 8 00:00:38,170 --> 00:00:42,770 Florence, Italy--the birthplace of the renaissance. 9 00:00:42,770 --> 00:00:46,970 This Tuscan city attracts over 16 million visitors each year 10 00:00:47,110 --> 00:00:49,280 with its stunning cultural treasures 11 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:50,640 and architecture. 12 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,250 But tucked down a quiet side street 13 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,050 is a museum that has nothing to do with the arts. 14 00:00:56,050 --> 00:00:59,120 The Science & Technology Foundation. 15 00:00:59,190 --> 00:01:02,790 Its charming collection includes delicate glass models 16 00:01:02,930 --> 00:01:05,990 of jellyfish from the 1800s, 17 00:01:06,060 --> 00:01:09,800 an array of perfectly preserved fossils 18 00:01:09,900 --> 00:01:11,500 and a 19th century machine 19 00:01:11,570 --> 00:01:14,030 that produces static electricity. 20 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,740 But among these elegant relics 21 00:01:18,740 --> 00:01:22,940 is one display that seems straight out of a horror movie. 22 00:01:23,010 --> 00:01:25,910 PIRRO: This artifact is made up of 10 cylinders. 23 00:01:25,980 --> 00:01:29,850 They are about 4 to 5 inches tall. 24 00:01:29,890 --> 00:01:33,150 Inside, there is organic material. 25 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,090 If you look very closely, 26 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,660 you'll see that there are legs and a body. 27 00:01:41,700 --> 00:01:43,560 WILDMAN: These creatures are linked to a dramatic event 28 00:01:43,670 --> 00:01:46,300 that some say is out of this world. 29 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,000 PIRRO: The contents of these vials 30 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:50,840 have an unlikely connection 31 00:01:50,870 --> 00:01:52,710 to an extraterrestrial phenomenon. 32 00:01:58,510 --> 00:02:02,120 WILDMAN: October 27, 1954 -- Florence, Italy. 33 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:03,420 [ Crowd cheering ] 34 00:02:03,550 --> 00:02:04,990 Around 10,000 soccer fans 35 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:06,520 are gathered at the local stadium 36 00:02:06,590 --> 00:02:09,720 to cheer on their hometown club. 37 00:02:09,790 --> 00:02:11,830 But in the second half of the game, 38 00:02:11,930 --> 00:02:14,460 something extraordinary happens. 39 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:21,000 Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light... 40 00:02:21,140 --> 00:02:24,540 [ Eerie whirring ] 41 00:02:24,540 --> 00:02:27,740 ...and everybody started looking up towards the sky. 42 00:02:33,420 --> 00:02:36,020 There were about 20 floating objects 43 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,150 of different shapes, some like eggs, 44 00:02:39,290 --> 00:02:42,160 some like cigars. 45 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,590 It wasn't something that people recognized. 46 00:02:45,660 --> 00:02:48,230 WILDMAN: The orbs appear to hover 47 00:02:48,260 --> 00:02:52,200 mere feet above the stadium. 48 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:56,370 The players and the crowd are mesmerized. 49 00:02:56,410 --> 00:03:00,240 And then something even stranger happens. 50 00:03:00,340 --> 00:03:04,980 A strange, silky material begins to fall into the crowd. 51 00:03:05,050 --> 00:03:07,450 PIRRO: People tried to catch it, 52 00:03:07,550 --> 00:03:12,290 and when they did, it appeared sticky in their fingers. 53 00:03:12,420 --> 00:03:15,920 WILDMAN: The spectators can hardly believe their eyes. 54 00:03:16,060 --> 00:03:19,730 Then, as suddenly as they appeared, 55 00:03:19,830 --> 00:03:22,460 the strange orbs float away, 56 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,270 leaving the pitch speckled with the delicate material. 57 00:03:26,370 --> 00:03:28,740 [ Phones ringing, excited shouting ] 58 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,600 News of the bizarre incident spreads across the city. 59 00:03:31,610 --> 00:03:33,840 PIRRO: The switchboard of the local newspaper 60 00:03:33,940 --> 00:03:36,780 was blocked with calls from people 61 00:03:36,850 --> 00:03:40,050 asking what had happened. 62 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,150 WILDMAN: With authorities baffled by the event, 63 00:03:42,220 --> 00:03:45,250 speculation runs wild. 64 00:03:45,350 --> 00:03:48,620 It was a complete mystery, uh, to everybody. 65 00:03:50,930 --> 00:03:53,830 WILDMAN: Some argue the flash of light was a meteor 66 00:03:53,860 --> 00:03:58,570 and that the strange material was some kind of debris. 67 00:03:58,570 --> 00:04:01,700 Others suggest a more mundane explanation. 68 00:04:01,700 --> 00:04:03,770 That the wispy substance was blown over 69 00:04:03,810 --> 00:04:05,870 from a nearby textile factory. 70 00:04:09,310 --> 00:04:11,680 But neither of these theories account for the glistening orbs 71 00:04:11,750 --> 00:04:14,380 that were seen hovering above the stadium. 72 00:04:14,450 --> 00:04:17,180 So with no earthly explanation, 73 00:04:17,190 --> 00:04:21,190 some locals jumped to an otherworldly conclusion. 74 00:04:21,290 --> 00:04:24,520 Many Florentines believe Florence 75 00:04:24,660 --> 00:04:29,130 and its stadium were visited by UFOs. 76 00:04:36,370 --> 00:04:39,540 WILDMAN: For years, UFOlogists celebrate the incident 77 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:43,010 as one of Europe's most credible sightings. 78 00:04:43,150 --> 00:04:44,880 The 1950s was a period 79 00:04:44,980 --> 00:04:49,180 in which people were fascinated by aliens. 80 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:53,290 A lot of people loved the idea of UFOs, 81 00:04:53,420 --> 00:04:54,620 and the idea 82 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,160 that they might have come to visit Florence was -- 83 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,260 it was big news. 84 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,360 WILDMAN: But for scientists, it becomes one 85 00:05:03,430 --> 00:05:05,630 of the greatest unsolved mysteries 86 00:05:05,700 --> 00:05:07,530 of the modern era. 87 00:05:09,870 --> 00:05:11,770 That is, until 50 years later, 88 00:05:11,870 --> 00:05:15,910 when the case is reopened. 89 00:05:15,980 --> 00:05:19,650 In 2003, a team of biologists looking into the event 90 00:05:19,780 --> 00:05:22,780 makes a curious observation. 91 00:05:22,820 --> 00:05:25,720 To them, the descriptions of the orbs 92 00:05:25,850 --> 00:05:28,390 and the strange substance that fell to the ground 93 00:05:28,420 --> 00:05:30,590 don't sound like an alien encounter, 94 00:05:30,660 --> 00:05:34,590 but more like a phenomenon found on Earth. 95 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,000 PIRRO: These scientists believed that what was seen that day 96 00:05:38,030 --> 00:05:41,000 was in fact caused by... 97 00:05:41,070 --> 00:05:43,570 spiders. 98 00:05:43,610 --> 00:05:47,210 WILDMAN: Some spider species use their webs 99 00:05:47,340 --> 00:05:50,410 to migrate in an extraordinary way. 100 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,810 They're called migrating or ballooning spiders, 101 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:55,850 and they're really quite incredible. 102 00:05:58,020 --> 00:06:00,490 WILDMAN: Ballooning spiders, like these samples 103 00:06:00,590 --> 00:06:03,290 at the Science & Technology Foundation, 104 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:05,830 create a sail from their silk 105 00:06:05,830 --> 00:06:08,430 and use it to travel on the wind. 106 00:06:08,460 --> 00:06:09,960 During peak season, 107 00:06:10,030 --> 00:06:13,830 migrating spiders can number in the millions. 108 00:06:13,900 --> 00:06:16,440 And as they float through the sky, 109 00:06:16,570 --> 00:06:18,700 their webs often cling together, 110 00:06:18,740 --> 00:06:21,780 creating even larger, egg-shaped webs. 111 00:06:21,910 --> 00:06:25,040 PIRRO: So it's very probable 112 00:06:25,110 --> 00:06:28,520 that people saw a very wide carpet 113 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,450 of spiderweb 114 00:06:31,450 --> 00:06:34,250 floating through the air. 115 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,190 WILDMAN: Scientists argue 116 00:06:36,260 --> 00:06:38,260 that the orbs' erratic flight pattern 117 00:06:38,330 --> 00:06:40,460 was caused by winds 118 00:06:40,530 --> 00:06:43,200 swirling around Florence's bowl-shaped stadium. 119 00:06:43,230 --> 00:06:46,330 And they suggest the material collected on the ground 120 00:06:46,370 --> 00:06:50,470 was simply pieces of these silky balloons. 121 00:06:50,570 --> 00:06:53,270 In the absence of any more credible theories, 122 00:06:53,380 --> 00:06:57,780 most scientists now accept that this is likely what happened. 123 00:06:59,550 --> 00:07:01,750 Today, these spider specimens 124 00:07:01,820 --> 00:07:03,880 at the Science & Technology Foundation 125 00:07:03,990 --> 00:07:06,050 recall the tangled tale 126 00:07:06,090 --> 00:07:08,920 that had all of Italy looking to the skies. 127 00:07:14,530 --> 00:07:17,360 WILDMAN: From magnificent bronze-aged chalk carvings, 128 00:07:17,470 --> 00:07:22,270 to the iconic 4,600 year old sight of Stonehenge, 129 00:07:22,340 --> 00:07:24,700 the rolling green hills of Southwest England 130 00:07:24,770 --> 00:07:28,580 are steeped in ancient myth and legend. 131 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:30,840 and celebrating this rich history 132 00:07:30,950 --> 00:07:31,880 is the Wiltshire Museum. 133 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,720 The vast collection of antique relics includes 134 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,250 a tribal chieftain's dagger, 135 00:07:41,260 --> 00:07:45,060 aged inc cups, 136 00:07:45,090 --> 00:07:46,860 and a needle used for tattooing, 137 00:07:46,860 --> 00:07:48,530 and ceremonial gold jewelry 138 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:53,130 that was discovered in an ancient burial site. 139 00:07:53,270 --> 00:07:57,070 But one mysterious item speaks to the region's storied 140 00:07:57,210 --> 00:07:59,770 past more than any other. 141 00:07:59,910 --> 00:08:02,040 HULLAND: This artifact is made of oak. 142 00:08:02,110 --> 00:08:05,080 It's 3 1/2 feet long by 9 inches. 143 00:08:05,210 --> 00:08:09,150 It has a carving of two men cutting crops with scythes. 144 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:11,280 It really speaks to the importance of crops 145 00:08:11,290 --> 00:08:14,220 and harvesting in the farming community of the U.K. 146 00:08:16,690 --> 00:08:20,230 WILDMAN: This carving is linked to a mesmerizing phenomenon 147 00:08:20,300 --> 00:08:24,200 that left the people of England reeling. 148 00:08:24,300 --> 00:08:27,030 This is a story about a series of occurrences 149 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,970 that fascinated and intrigued the entire nation. 150 00:08:34,140 --> 00:08:35,640 WILDMAN: It's the 1990s in 151 00:08:35,780 --> 00:08:37,980 the Southern English county of Wiltshire. 152 00:08:38,050 --> 00:08:42,250 The area is at the center of a bizarre mystery 153 00:08:42,250 --> 00:08:45,050 that has left locals in a state of utter befuddlement. 154 00:08:46,590 --> 00:08:50,520 The cause of all the fuss -- strange geometric patterns 155 00:08:50,530 --> 00:08:54,060 that seem to appear overnight known as crop circles. 156 00:08:54,130 --> 00:08:55,800 The crop circles started to appear 157 00:08:55,930 --> 00:08:57,330 frequently across Wiltshire, 158 00:08:57,330 --> 00:09:01,730 and people were so intrigued. 159 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,200 WILDMAN: With its rich soil and fertile plains, 160 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:06,340 the area is known as the heartland 161 00:09:06,380 --> 00:09:08,010 of English agriculture, 162 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,280 going back to the earliest times as shown in this ancient 163 00:09:11,310 --> 00:09:14,750 carving now on display at the Wiltshire Museum, 164 00:09:14,780 --> 00:09:16,720 and it's upon this fabled land 165 00:09:16,750 --> 00:09:21,090 that geometric designs have started to appear. 166 00:09:21,090 --> 00:09:25,030 HULLAND: No one ever sees where they came from. 167 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,030 One morning, it's a perfectly normal field. 168 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:30,030 The next morning, there's a huge pattern. 169 00:09:30,100 --> 00:09:32,830 WILDMAN: But while they look as if they've been created 170 00:09:32,900 --> 00:09:36,300 by a giant mower, upon closer examination, 171 00:09:36,370 --> 00:09:38,040 it's clear that these strange, 172 00:09:38,110 --> 00:09:40,510 intricate shapes haven't been made 173 00:09:40,580 --> 00:09:42,980 by cutting the crops at all. 174 00:09:43,050 --> 00:09:46,310 The fields have been transformed in a far more mysterious way. 175 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:49,720 They've been pressed down as if something very heavy 176 00:09:49,850 --> 00:09:50,950 has landed on it. 177 00:09:51,090 --> 00:09:53,190 WILDMAN: It's not the first time that this land has been 178 00:09:53,220 --> 00:09:55,320 connected to a mystery. 179 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:58,060 It's really fitting that they appeared in Wiltshire 180 00:09:58,090 --> 00:09:59,860 because, as many people know, 181 00:09:59,900 --> 00:10:01,130 Wiltshire is also home 182 00:10:01,130 --> 00:10:04,300 to the rock circles of Stonehenge. 183 00:10:04,370 --> 00:10:07,730 WILDMAN: Not only does the area have records of Druid ceremonies 184 00:10:07,870 --> 00:10:10,070 dating back to 2000 B.C, 185 00:10:10,140 --> 00:10:13,270 but it's also said to have been the location of Camelot, 186 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,670 the legendary home of King Arthur 187 00:10:15,710 --> 00:10:17,780 and his magician, Merlin. 188 00:10:20,820 --> 00:10:22,950 Already, people are drawn to the county 189 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:25,850 because of its mysticism and its spirituality. 190 00:10:25,890 --> 00:10:30,760 So the fact that the crop circles were appearing here 191 00:10:30,830 --> 00:10:34,660 only added to the county's mysterious attraction. 192 00:10:34,730 --> 00:10:36,560 WILDMAN: As the mystery intensifies, 193 00:10:36,630 --> 00:10:38,300 locals come up with a host of theories 194 00:10:38,330 --> 00:10:40,630 to explain the phenomena. 195 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,370 Wherever there's a mystery, there's always an expert. 196 00:10:43,410 --> 00:10:46,970 Everybody wanted to head out to see these crop circles, 197 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,380 to see if they could see them for themselves 198 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:52,080 and figure out what had been causing these amazing patterns. 199 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:56,720 WILDMAN: Some speculate that the stalks have been flattened 200 00:10:56,850 --> 00:10:58,850 by unusual wind patterns. 201 00:10:58,890 --> 00:11:02,590 Others propose that some kind of weird magnetic force 202 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:04,660 is pulling the crops flat, 203 00:11:04,660 --> 00:11:06,530 but one widespread idea 204 00:11:06,530 --> 00:11:08,530 seems to grip the public's imagination 205 00:11:08,630 --> 00:11:10,200 more than any other. 206 00:11:10,230 --> 00:11:13,530 The most popular theory at that time was that these crop circles 207 00:11:13,540 --> 00:11:14,900 were UFO landings. 208 00:11:18,740 --> 00:11:22,070 WILDMAN: But despite the rampant speculation, a definitive answer 209 00:11:22,110 --> 00:11:24,740 remains elusive. 210 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:27,450 Because there was no logical explanation as to what 211 00:11:27,450 --> 00:11:29,580 was causing these crop circles 212 00:11:29,650 --> 00:11:32,350 People's imaginations and theories went wild. 213 00:11:32,420 --> 00:11:36,420 It really was open season on any kind of idea 214 00:11:36,490 --> 00:11:40,890 that was causing these crop circles. 215 00:11:41,030 --> 00:11:42,760 and as the years go by, 216 00:11:42,900 --> 00:11:45,170 more and more of these sinister circles appear 217 00:11:45,170 --> 00:11:47,500 in the English countryside. 218 00:11:47,500 --> 00:11:50,700 Not only that, the designs grow increasingly elaborate. 219 00:11:50,770 --> 00:11:57,110 Between 1978 and 1991, over 600 circles were created. 220 00:11:57,180 --> 00:11:59,580 WILDMAN: But then, in 1991, 221 00:11:59,650 --> 00:12:03,380 two men offer up a story that stuns the world. 222 00:12:03,490 --> 00:12:07,390 So what's the truth behind these mystifying patterns? 223 00:12:14,180 --> 00:12:15,610 It's the 1990s. 224 00:12:15,650 --> 00:12:18,920 For over a decade, farmers in Southern England 225 00:12:19,050 --> 00:12:22,690 have been baffled by a series of bizarre events -- 226 00:12:22,690 --> 00:12:24,620 giant geometric shapes 227 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:26,560 that mysteriously appear overnight 228 00:12:26,630 --> 00:12:28,090 in the middle of their fields. 229 00:12:28,230 --> 00:12:30,830 They're called crop circles. 230 00:12:30,860 --> 00:12:34,430 The question is, who or what made them and why? 231 00:12:36,770 --> 00:12:41,640 In 1991, two men, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley come forward 232 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:43,770 with a stunning announcement. 233 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:48,380 Doug Bower and Dave Chorley were two local artists, 234 00:12:48,450 --> 00:12:50,250 middle-aged men, great friends, 235 00:12:50,350 --> 00:12:55,390 liked to make art and also liked to joke. 236 00:12:55,490 --> 00:12:58,450 WILDMAN: The duo insists that they have been responsible 237 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:00,260 for the whole Wiltshire phenomenon 238 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:04,590 from the very beginning. 239 00:13:04,660 --> 00:13:06,860 Doug Bower and Dave Chorley 240 00:13:06,870 --> 00:13:12,070 confessed to creating crop circles since 1978. 241 00:13:12,140 --> 00:13:14,670 WILDMAN: They reveal that, like many English ideas, 242 00:13:14,770 --> 00:13:17,340 theirs began over a beer in a local pub. 243 00:13:17,410 --> 00:13:21,080 One of the blokes had been informing 244 00:13:21,110 --> 00:13:23,010 the other about crop circles. 245 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:26,220 So he thought, after a couple of pints, it would be great 246 00:13:26,220 --> 00:13:30,450 to cause some trouble in Wiltshire. 247 00:13:30,490 --> 00:13:32,820 WILDMAN: So the pair ventured into a field, 248 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:34,560 carrying nothing more than a wooden plank 249 00:13:34,660 --> 00:13:35,960 and a length of rope. 250 00:13:36,060 --> 00:13:38,960 Then they got to work. 251 00:13:39,030 --> 00:13:40,360 One guy would stand in the middle, 252 00:13:40,430 --> 00:13:42,100 and the other would go around, 253 00:13:42,170 --> 00:13:44,030 literally drawing the circle. 254 00:13:44,140 --> 00:13:45,800 WILDMAN: Using these simple tools, 255 00:13:45,870 --> 00:13:47,400 the men worked through the night, 256 00:13:47,470 --> 00:13:49,770 pressing the crops flat. 257 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,880 And much to their surprise, what started as a prank 258 00:13:52,940 --> 00:13:55,240 became international news. 259 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,520 I would love to have been there to see the reaction 260 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:02,180 of these people who had just gone out 261 00:14:02,220 --> 00:14:04,190 for a leisurely stroll or a drive 262 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:05,590 that summer's morning 263 00:14:05,590 --> 00:14:07,760 to then find themselves by the side of this field, 264 00:14:07,830 --> 00:14:11,330 looking at what was this huge, huge crop circle. 265 00:14:11,430 --> 00:14:14,200 WILDMAN: But despite Bower and Chorley's claims, 266 00:14:14,330 --> 00:14:17,300 many locals insist that not every crop circle 267 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:19,400 was formed by human hands. 268 00:14:22,410 --> 00:14:24,070 We contribute probably around 200 269 00:14:24,210 --> 00:14:25,810 crop circles to Doug and Dave, 270 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:30,210 which leaves 400 crop circles unaccounted for. 271 00:14:30,250 --> 00:14:31,610 WILDMAN: To this day, 272 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:34,480 unexplained formations still crop up 273 00:14:34,550 --> 00:14:36,350 in fields around the world. 274 00:14:39,930 --> 00:14:42,760 And this artifact depicting early farmers working 275 00:14:42,790 --> 00:14:46,430 in the countryside can be seen in the Wiltshire Museum. 276 00:14:46,430 --> 00:14:49,130 It represents an iconic part of English life 277 00:14:49,270 --> 00:14:53,240 that became a prankster's backdrop for a global mystery. 278 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:01,340 A helmet worn by the legendary aviator Amelia Earhart, 279 00:15:01,350 --> 00:15:04,510 an antique bottle of smelling salts, 280 00:15:04,550 --> 00:15:09,120 and a collection of rare books on mind-altering drugs 281 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:10,790 are just some of the objects 282 00:15:10,820 --> 00:15:13,660 on display in the Purdue University Archives 283 00:15:13,690 --> 00:15:15,490 and Special Collections. 284 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:22,600 And among these varied artifacts is one that played a part 285 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,800 in an altogether out-of-this-world mystery. 286 00:15:25,870 --> 00:15:28,270 CARLSON: It's about six feet long. 287 00:15:28,340 --> 00:15:32,010 It's blue, covered in pockets 288 00:15:32,140 --> 00:15:35,680 and zippers and Velcro. 289 00:15:35,750 --> 00:15:38,010 There are a few patches on it. 290 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,220 One is an American flag, 291 00:15:40,290 --> 00:15:42,220 another, a red circle 292 00:15:42,290 --> 00:15:45,890 with a design in the middle of it. 293 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,360 WILDMAN: This jumpsuit is linked to one of the most 294 00:15:48,430 --> 00:15:51,690 baffling conspiracy theories of the modern era. 295 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:56,230 CARLSON: This is a story about an object that created a worldwide frenzy. 296 00:16:01,410 --> 00:16:05,170 WILDMAN: 1899 -- Colorado Springs. 297 00:16:05,180 --> 00:16:08,040 Famed inventor and pioneer Nikola Tesla 298 00:16:08,180 --> 00:16:10,750 is working late at night in his laboratory. 299 00:16:10,780 --> 00:16:13,750 The scientist is monitoring electrical activity 300 00:16:13,750 --> 00:16:15,180 in the Earth's atmosphere 301 00:16:15,250 --> 00:16:18,890 when his equipment picks up a series of unusual signals, 302 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,590 the likes of which he's never heard before. 303 00:16:21,730 --> 00:16:23,760 [ Pulsing signal ] 304 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:28,860 The signals pulsate at a steady rhythmic beat. 305 00:16:28,930 --> 00:16:32,270 Intrigued, Tesla considers a range of possibilities 306 00:16:32,340 --> 00:16:36,210 to explain the strange phenomenon. 307 00:16:36,340 --> 00:16:38,940 He theorizes that they could be an electrical current 308 00:16:38,940 --> 00:16:41,440 produced by the sun or a disturbance 309 00:16:41,450 --> 00:16:43,350 caused by the Northern Lights. 310 00:16:43,420 --> 00:16:45,150 But neither of these things would produce 311 00:16:45,180 --> 00:16:47,680 such a steady, rhythmic signal. 312 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,150 In fact, he can't find any naturally 313 00:16:50,220 --> 00:16:54,290 occurring event on Earth that does. 314 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:58,090 Tesla is left with a seemingly incredible possibility. 315 00:16:58,200 --> 00:16:59,760 This signal isn't coming from 316 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:02,700 within the Earth's atmosphere at all. 317 00:17:02,770 --> 00:17:06,140 It's coming from outer space. 318 00:17:06,170 --> 00:17:07,370 CARLSON: This might be technology 319 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:11,810 that's even beyond the Earth itself. 320 00:17:11,940 --> 00:17:14,580 WILDMAN: Tesla even posits that the strange signal 321 00:17:14,650 --> 00:17:17,280 may be an attempt by an alien intelligence 322 00:17:17,350 --> 00:17:19,850 to communicate with Earth. 323 00:17:19,980 --> 00:17:23,590 While many doubt the veracity of Tesla's findings, 324 00:17:23,620 --> 00:17:26,120 the theory is hotly debated by space buffs 325 00:17:26,260 --> 00:17:28,520 for decades after his death, 326 00:17:28,660 --> 00:17:33,060 with the most ardent supporters committed to proving him right. 327 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:37,400 And almost 100 years after his initial findings were made, 328 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:40,570 it seems an answer may finally be at hand. 329 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:46,810 1998. 330 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:48,080 Stargazers around the world 331 00:17:48,150 --> 00:17:51,680 are captivated with NASA's latest mission, 332 00:17:51,750 --> 00:17:54,050 the space shuttle Endeavor's groundbreaking journey 333 00:17:54,090 --> 00:17:56,490 to the International Space Station. 334 00:17:56,490 --> 00:17:57,850 CARLSON: The new and exciting thing is that 335 00:17:57,990 --> 00:18:01,020 we will have humans living in space long-term. 336 00:18:01,090 --> 00:18:03,730 So this is a very big deal. 337 00:18:03,730 --> 00:18:05,230 WILDMAN: Astronauts send pictures 338 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:09,600 and video from the mission back to Earth on a regular basis. 339 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,930 And for the first time in its history, 340 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,470 NASA can share the images with the public instantly 341 00:18:15,540 --> 00:18:17,970 thanks to the growing use of the Internet. 342 00:18:17,980 --> 00:18:20,380 CARLSON: NASA, being a public organization, 343 00:18:20,450 --> 00:18:21,980 posts a lot of this stuff 344 00:18:21,980 --> 00:18:24,510 on the Internet for the public to view. 345 00:18:24,580 --> 00:18:25,850 So there's a lot of attention 346 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:28,280 surrounding the release of these photos and videos. 347 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,990 WILDMAN: Some of the photos depict daily life in orbit 348 00:18:32,060 --> 00:18:36,860 while others offer stunning views of Earth from space. 349 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,330 But one set of astonishing images 350 00:18:39,430 --> 00:18:41,530 truly catches the public's attention. 351 00:18:41,570 --> 00:18:44,730 In a series of six photographs, 352 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,670 an unidentified black object can be seen floating in space. 353 00:18:48,670 --> 00:18:51,340 It's just very strange looking. 354 00:18:51,340 --> 00:18:53,480 It has protrusions on it. 355 00:18:53,550 --> 00:18:55,410 Parts of it are shiny. 356 00:18:55,450 --> 00:18:57,210 It's very mysterious looking. 357 00:18:59,980 --> 00:19:01,820 WILDMAN: The pictures have no captions 358 00:19:01,950 --> 00:19:04,020 and NASA offers no explanation 359 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:06,760 as to what the unnamed object might be. 360 00:19:06,790 --> 00:19:09,230 CARLSON: Questions arise. What is it? 361 00:19:09,290 --> 00:19:12,030 Why is this object not labeled? 362 00:19:12,030 --> 00:19:16,000 What does the government know about it? 363 00:19:16,030 --> 00:19:18,570 WILDMAN: Then, as the debate intensifies, 364 00:19:18,570 --> 00:19:21,670 NASA dumbfounds everyone by removing the pictures 365 00:19:21,740 --> 00:19:24,440 from their website without warning. 366 00:19:24,510 --> 00:19:26,910 The sudden removal of the images ignites 367 00:19:26,950 --> 00:19:28,910 a firestorm of speculation. 368 00:19:28,910 --> 00:19:32,780 CARLSON: When the photos disappeared from NASA's website, 369 00:19:32,820 --> 00:19:34,480 it just stirred the controversy. 370 00:19:34,490 --> 00:19:36,720 Why did they take these photos down? 371 00:19:36,850 --> 00:19:39,150 WILDMAN: NASA refuses to comment. 372 00:19:39,290 --> 00:19:41,390 And in the absence of further evidence, 373 00:19:41,490 --> 00:19:43,860 a stunning theory emerges. 374 00:19:43,930 --> 00:19:46,700 Some say the mysterious black object 375 00:19:46,830 --> 00:19:51,870 is the source of the radio signal Tesla detected in 1899. 376 00:19:51,940 --> 00:19:54,400 So what's the truth behind these startling images? 377 00:19:59,110 --> 00:20:01,910 It's 1998. 378 00:20:01,980 --> 00:20:04,580 NASA has just released a series 379 00:20:04,620 --> 00:20:07,750 of puzzling photographs to the public. 380 00:20:07,750 --> 00:20:10,720 Several pictures from their latest mission 381 00:20:10,860 --> 00:20:12,720 reveal bizarre images 382 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:16,060 that some believe are proof of an alien spacecraft 383 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,290 hovering just above the Earth's atmosphere. 384 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:24,630 So what's the truth behind this otherworldly phenomenon? 385 00:20:24,770 --> 00:20:26,900 With speculation running wild, 386 00:20:26,940 --> 00:20:29,510 one man vows to settle the debate 387 00:20:29,510 --> 00:20:32,780 once and for all -- a former NASA employee 388 00:20:32,780 --> 00:20:34,480 named James Oberg. 389 00:20:34,550 --> 00:20:38,310 CARLSON: James Oberg is a retired NASA scientist. 390 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:40,520 And he decides to prove to people 391 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:42,590 what the object really is. 392 00:20:42,590 --> 00:20:46,160 WILDMAN: Oberg's 22 years of experience at the space agency 393 00:20:46,220 --> 00:20:49,390 make him ideally suited to solve the mystery. 394 00:20:49,460 --> 00:20:51,430 CARLSON: Oberg goes back to the original photos 395 00:20:51,530 --> 00:20:54,460 and the original videos from this mission. 396 00:20:54,530 --> 00:20:57,500 And he even goes so far as to interview 397 00:20:57,640 --> 00:20:59,700 some of the astronauts himself. 398 00:20:59,700 --> 00:21:03,110 What Oberg is able to conclusively show 399 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:05,110 is that this strange object 400 00:21:05,140 --> 00:21:07,780 is actually just... 401 00:21:07,810 --> 00:21:10,310 a thermal blanket. 402 00:21:10,350 --> 00:21:13,250 WILDMAN: Oberg publishes his findings online. 403 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:14,650 According to his report, 404 00:21:14,650 --> 00:21:17,190 one of the Endeavor astronauts was attempting 405 00:21:17,190 --> 00:21:20,460 to attach a large cover called a thermal blanket 406 00:21:20,460 --> 00:21:22,490 to the exterior of the space station 407 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:24,860 when it accidentally slipped away. 408 00:21:24,860 --> 00:21:27,860 CARLSON: Oberg's explanation is very detailed. 409 00:21:27,870 --> 00:21:32,200 He shows quite conclusively that this mysterious object 410 00:21:32,270 --> 00:21:34,440 really is just a lost thermal blanket. 411 00:21:39,010 --> 00:21:41,180 WILDMAN: Most accept that the odd object 412 00:21:41,180 --> 00:21:45,410 seen in the photos was little more than space junk, 413 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,020 leaving the question of what Tesla detected 414 00:21:48,020 --> 00:21:51,620 over a century ago an ongoing topic of debate. 415 00:21:54,260 --> 00:21:57,760 Today, this flight suit worn by an astronaut aboard 416 00:21:57,760 --> 00:21:59,460 the Space Shuttle Endeavor 417 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:02,830 is on display at the Purdue University Library. 418 00:22:02,900 --> 00:22:04,600 It's a reminder of an unsolved mystery 419 00:22:04,740 --> 00:22:07,100 and the truth that is still out there. 420 00:22:11,510 --> 00:22:14,840 A machine that measures the brightness of stars, 421 00:22:14,850 --> 00:22:17,650 a 150-year-old globe 422 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,650 and a 17-foot-long telescope 423 00:22:20,690 --> 00:22:23,550 are just some of the astronomy-related artifacts 424 00:22:23,620 --> 00:22:26,060 on display at the Perkins Observatory 425 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:29,720 in Delaware, Ohio. 426 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:31,390 Many of these items have 427 00:22:31,530 --> 00:22:34,200 helped unlock the secrets of the universe. 428 00:22:34,300 --> 00:22:35,730 But there's one object here 429 00:22:35,770 --> 00:22:37,600 that some say hold the answer 430 00:22:37,740 --> 00:22:40,540 to the greatest mystery of all time. 431 00:22:40,570 --> 00:22:43,870 MAN: The artifact is 8 inches wide by 8 inches tall. 432 00:22:44,010 --> 00:22:45,940 It's lined with metal rods. 433 00:22:45,940 --> 00:22:49,280 It's over 50 years old and was once used 434 00:22:49,350 --> 00:22:53,020 in a one-of-a-kind experiment. 435 00:22:53,020 --> 00:22:56,150 WILDMAN: Some believe this strange assemblage of wires 436 00:22:56,290 --> 00:23:00,560 once picked up proof that we are not alone. 437 00:23:00,630 --> 00:23:03,230 This story is about the biggest discovery 438 00:23:03,260 --> 00:23:05,430 in the history of humanity. 439 00:23:11,770 --> 00:23:15,140 WILDMAN: It's 1977 in Delaware, Ohio. 440 00:23:15,140 --> 00:23:17,170 37-year-old Jerry Ehman 441 00:23:17,310 --> 00:23:20,710 is an astronomer working at the Perkins Observatory. 442 00:23:20,850 --> 00:23:25,580 His job is to monitor radio waves coming from outer space. 443 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:26,980 Everything in the universe, 444 00:23:27,090 --> 00:23:29,850 from the tiniest atom to massive stars, 445 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:31,790 creates radio waves. 446 00:23:31,860 --> 00:23:35,120 Analyzing these signals allows scientists to study 447 00:23:35,190 --> 00:23:36,530 black holes, 448 00:23:36,590 --> 00:23:38,190 the movement of planets, 449 00:23:38,330 --> 00:23:41,560 the formation of new stars and more. 450 00:23:41,630 --> 00:23:45,230 Ehman keeps a watchful eye on these radio waves 451 00:23:45,270 --> 00:23:46,600 using a giant radio 452 00:23:46,740 --> 00:23:49,970 telescope nicknamed the Big Ear. 453 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:57,310 PATEL: Its job was simply to listen in on outer space, 454 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,450 collect as much radio wave data as possible. 455 00:24:00,580 --> 00:24:02,890 WILDMAN: Every day, the Big Ear prints out 456 00:24:02,890 --> 00:24:05,350 hundreds of pages of data. 457 00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:08,890 And Ehman carefully goes through it line by line. 458 00:24:08,990 --> 00:24:10,290 PATEL: This data was translated 459 00:24:10,330 --> 00:24:12,630 into a system of numbers and letters 460 00:24:12,730 --> 00:24:16,170 illustrating the intensity of the radio signals. 461 00:24:16,170 --> 00:24:19,030 So low power signals would be designated 462 00:24:19,100 --> 00:24:21,200 with a zero through nine label. 463 00:24:21,270 --> 00:24:23,840 Higher powers, A-Z. 464 00:24:26,140 --> 00:24:28,580 WILDMAN: Most of the time, all the Big Ear picks up 465 00:24:28,650 --> 00:24:31,980 is weak signals from planets, stars or asteroids. 466 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:34,050 PATEL: Ehman was poring over this data 467 00:24:34,120 --> 00:24:35,380 at all hours of the day. 468 00:24:35,390 --> 00:24:37,090 WILDMAN: But something is about to happen 469 00:24:37,150 --> 00:24:39,620 that will change Ehman's life forever. 470 00:24:41,930 --> 00:24:45,130 On August 15, 1977, 471 00:24:45,130 --> 00:24:47,730 the astronomer is combing through the data. 472 00:24:47,870 --> 00:24:49,470 At first, all he sees are 473 00:24:49,470 --> 00:24:52,670 the same old patterns of low numbers. 474 00:24:52,700 --> 00:24:56,070 But then, he spots something very different. 475 00:24:56,070 --> 00:24:59,410 It was a radio signal 30 times the intensity 476 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,510 of what is normally produced through outer space. 477 00:25:04,580 --> 00:25:07,720 WILDMAN: It's the strongest signal Ehman has ever seen. 478 00:25:07,820 --> 00:25:11,290 The powerful radio waves appear to originate 479 00:25:11,390 --> 00:25:13,490 from a single fixed point 480 00:25:13,490 --> 00:25:16,690 and are at a frequency unlike any naturally occurring event 481 00:25:16,830 --> 00:25:18,690 or object in the cosmos. 482 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:20,960 PATEL: He was speechless. 483 00:25:21,030 --> 00:25:23,900 This was beyond anything he could have ever imagined. 484 00:25:23,940 --> 00:25:27,970 He picked up a red pen and wrote in the margins, 485 00:25:28,070 --> 00:25:30,170 "Wow" with an exclamation mark. 486 00:25:34,510 --> 00:25:36,510 WILDMAN: So, what has Ehman discovered? 487 00:25:36,650 --> 00:25:38,310 You're talking about potentially 488 00:25:38,450 --> 00:25:41,320 the biggest discovery in the history of the world. 489 00:25:41,390 --> 00:25:44,490 No one had ever found anything like this ever. 490 00:25:50,900 --> 00:25:53,730 It's 1977 in Ohio. 491 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:56,330 Astronomer Jerry Ehman discovers 492 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:58,900 a strange signal from outer space 493 00:25:58,940 --> 00:26:02,070 that's been picked up by a radio telescope called the Big Ear. 494 00:26:02,140 --> 00:26:05,470 Nothing like this has ever been detected before. 495 00:26:05,540 --> 00:26:07,810 And Ehman's findings could potentially solve 496 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:10,080 the biggest mystery in the universe. 497 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:14,850 So what's the truth behind this astronomical anomaly? 498 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:17,690 Ehman takes the data to his colleagues. 499 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,490 And thanks to the scrawlings he's made on the page, 500 00:26:20,490 --> 00:26:22,690 they dub it the Wow! signal. 501 00:26:25,300 --> 00:26:26,500 They point the Big Ear 502 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:29,130 telescope back to the exact same spot 503 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,030 and search for a similar signal 504 00:26:32,100 --> 00:26:35,170 but are unable to detect anything. 505 00:26:35,170 --> 00:26:39,040 Whatever was generating the mysterious signal is gone. 506 00:26:39,140 --> 00:26:44,080 Speculation about what caused the anomaly runs wild. 507 00:26:44,150 --> 00:26:46,850 PATEL: The entire community of astronomers 508 00:26:46,980 --> 00:26:48,580 came together and started poring 509 00:26:48,650 --> 00:26:52,450 over what might explain this new signal. 510 00:26:52,490 --> 00:26:54,660 WILDMAN: Some believe the Big Ear simply picked up 511 00:26:54,690 --> 00:26:58,060 an airplane's radar transmission. 512 00:26:58,100 --> 00:27:00,460 But the idea is dismissed. 513 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,070 If the signal was from an airplane, 514 00:27:03,130 --> 00:27:05,070 it would have moved across the night sky. 515 00:27:05,140 --> 00:27:09,270 The Wow! signal came from one fixed point. 516 00:27:09,370 --> 00:27:11,540 Others speculate it's from a top-secret 517 00:27:11,610 --> 00:27:13,880 military satellite. 518 00:27:13,980 --> 00:27:16,280 But that theory is also ruled out. 519 00:27:16,350 --> 00:27:19,550 A satellite's signal would be detected over 520 00:27:19,580 --> 00:27:21,620 and over again as it orbits the Earth. 521 00:27:21,690 --> 00:27:23,550 All of those original theories 522 00:27:23,620 --> 00:27:27,960 just kept getting knocked down one by one by one. 523 00:27:28,060 --> 00:27:31,230 WILDMAN: With all practical explanations ruled out, 524 00:27:31,260 --> 00:27:34,100 many come to an Earth-shattering conclusion. 525 00:27:34,130 --> 00:27:35,830 PATEL: The only explanation was the Wow! 526 00:27:35,900 --> 00:27:38,900 signal was produced by extraterrestrials. 527 00:27:41,910 --> 00:27:44,240 WILDMAN: Proponents of this theory point out that 528 00:27:44,310 --> 00:27:46,040 the Wow! signal follows a pattern 529 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:48,110 that perfectly matches how astronomers 530 00:27:48,210 --> 00:27:50,710 predicted aliens would communicate. 531 00:27:50,750 --> 00:27:52,650 PATEL: Astronomers had earlier predicted 532 00:27:52,750 --> 00:27:54,850 if aliens had wanted to say hello to us, 533 00:27:54,850 --> 00:27:56,990 this is exactly the kind of signal 534 00:27:57,120 --> 00:27:59,820 they would have sent out to communicate with us. 535 00:28:02,660 --> 00:28:04,390 WILDMAN: But if this was a message 536 00:28:04,530 --> 00:28:05,760 from an alien civilization, 537 00:28:05,860 --> 00:28:09,400 it seems the conversation was brief. 538 00:28:09,470 --> 00:28:14,200 To this day, a similar signal has yet to be detected. 539 00:28:14,270 --> 00:28:17,710 Whether the Wow! signal was an extraterrestrial transmission 540 00:28:17,780 --> 00:28:20,210 or just an unexplained anomaly remains 541 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:24,050 one of astronomy's most hotly debated topics. 542 00:28:24,180 --> 00:28:27,550 PATEL: There was no way to know what the signal was. 543 00:28:27,620 --> 00:28:31,050 But this was certainly the closest any of us 544 00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:34,160 would ever get to proving that aliens exist. 545 00:28:36,030 --> 00:28:37,430 WILDMAN: And at the Perkins Observatory, 546 00:28:37,500 --> 00:28:40,660 this wire grid from the Big Ear telescope serves 547 00:28:40,660 --> 00:28:43,570 as a reminder that when it comes to life beyond our world, 548 00:28:43,600 --> 00:28:46,570 the universe may not be such a lonely place. 549 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,640 Dayton, Ohio founded in 1796, 550 00:28:53,710 --> 00:28:56,580 and home to the world famous Wright brothers. 551 00:28:56,580 --> 00:28:59,980 This city is known as the "Birthplace of Aviation." 552 00:29:00,050 --> 00:29:02,750 Fittingly, it is also the home of 553 00:29:02,890 --> 00:29:05,550 the National Museum of the United States Air Force. 554 00:29:07,260 --> 00:29:09,860 On display are decommissioned thermonuclear bombs, 555 00:29:09,860 --> 00:29:12,530 aircrafts from both world wars, 556 00:29:12,530 --> 00:29:15,960 sophisticated unmanned drones and other weapons 557 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,000 used to protect the nation from any earthly threat. 558 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,070 But one artifact in this collection is linked to 559 00:29:23,070 --> 00:29:26,710 an infamous engagement with something out of this world. 560 00:29:26,710 --> 00:29:28,610 DUFORD: It's about 40 feet long 561 00:29:28,650 --> 00:29:30,610 and has a wingspan of about 40 feet, 562 00:29:30,610 --> 00:29:32,210 about 12 feet high. 563 00:29:32,250 --> 00:29:33,280 It weighs about 8 tons, 564 00:29:33,420 --> 00:29:36,490 and it has four 50-caliber machine guns. 565 00:29:36,620 --> 00:29:39,950 WILDMAN: According to museum curator Jeff Duford, 566 00:29:39,990 --> 00:29:42,090 this jet is connected to an event 567 00:29:42,130 --> 00:29:45,030 that some believe defies all rational explanation. 568 00:29:45,100 --> 00:29:47,030 I think there were a lot of question marks, 569 00:29:47,030 --> 00:29:48,160 a lot of unknowns. 570 00:29:48,170 --> 00:29:52,600 WILDMAN: What role did an F-94 Starfire play 571 00:29:52,740 --> 00:29:54,070 in a terrifying encounter 572 00:29:54,100 --> 00:29:58,810 that sent a shockwave of panic through our nation's capital? 573 00:29:58,810 --> 00:30:04,450 July 19, 1952 -- Washington, D.C. 574 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,450 An air-traffic controller is monitoring flights 575 00:30:07,580 --> 00:30:09,850 in and out of Washington National Airport, 576 00:30:09,990 --> 00:30:12,520 when he spots something unusual -- 577 00:30:12,660 --> 00:30:15,190 seven blips on his radar screen, 578 00:30:15,230 --> 00:30:17,660 streaking directly towards the city. 579 00:30:17,730 --> 00:30:19,830 The controller is mystified. 580 00:30:19,930 --> 00:30:23,000 There are no flights scheduled to the area, 581 00:30:23,070 --> 00:30:26,900 and these objects are behaving unlike any known aircraft. 582 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:31,010 These radar blips started going at 100 to 130 miles an hour, 583 00:30:31,010 --> 00:30:32,340 kind of slow 584 00:30:32,340 --> 00:30:34,940 and then they would just zip off at unbelievable speeds. 585 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:37,350 WILDMAN: In fact, they're reportedly clocked 586 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:40,750 at over 7,000 miles per hour. 587 00:30:40,850 --> 00:30:43,620 Then they vanish. 588 00:30:43,690 --> 00:30:45,920 The stunned operator contacts officials 589 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:47,760 at nearby Andrews Air Force Base, 590 00:30:47,860 --> 00:30:49,290 who tell him 591 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,900 that they, too, had witnessed something strange in the skies. 592 00:30:54,030 --> 00:30:57,370 They said that they saw a huge, fiery, orange sphere. 593 00:30:57,500 --> 00:31:00,300 WILDMAN: Then the following weekend, 594 00:31:00,340 --> 00:31:03,410 a pilot aboard a commercial flight into Washington 595 00:31:03,470 --> 00:31:06,940 faces his own spine-chilling incident. 596 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:10,280 He reported seeing a light that was following him... 597 00:31:12,380 --> 00:31:14,880 ...and then the light zoomed off. 598 00:31:15,020 --> 00:31:18,990 WILDMAN: When this stunning report reaches the Air Force, 599 00:31:19,020 --> 00:31:21,860 they scramble two F-94 Starfire jets, 600 00:31:21,930 --> 00:31:23,530 like this one on display 601 00:31:23,590 --> 00:31:26,660 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. 602 00:31:26,730 --> 00:31:29,670 And soon, two fighters take to the sky 603 00:31:29,670 --> 00:31:33,970 with authorization to shoot down any strange aircraft. 604 00:31:34,070 --> 00:31:36,940 The flight leader is sent toward one set of blips. 605 00:31:37,070 --> 00:31:39,610 WILDMAN: But when he reaches the area, 606 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:41,010 the skies are clear. 607 00:31:41,010 --> 00:31:43,710 He reports that he sees no lights, and he never does. 608 00:31:43,780 --> 00:31:47,050 WILDMAN: But the second pilot, Lieutenant William Patterson, 609 00:31:47,150 --> 00:31:50,320 has a much more harrowing experience. 610 00:31:53,490 --> 00:31:55,120 He sees the lights, 611 00:31:55,190 --> 00:31:57,930 and then the lights actually come around him. 612 00:31:58,000 --> 00:31:59,490 They'd surrounded him. 613 00:31:59,630 --> 00:32:02,630 WILDMAN: Lieutenant Patterson acts decisively 614 00:32:02,700 --> 00:32:04,870 and chases after them. 615 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:07,640 As he tries to chase them, they're just too fast. 616 00:32:07,710 --> 00:32:11,070 He tried to chase them as fast as he could go, 617 00:32:11,140 --> 00:32:13,740 well over 600 miles per hour. 618 00:32:13,810 --> 00:32:16,510 WILDMAN: But as he pushes his jet to maximum speed, 619 00:32:16,580 --> 00:32:20,580 the bizarre object suddenly disappears. 620 00:32:20,650 --> 00:32:21,920 The next day, 621 00:32:21,950 --> 00:32:25,790 the stunning event makes headlines across the country. 622 00:32:25,890 --> 00:32:28,260 DUFORD: The story of unidentified flying objects 623 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:29,390 over the capital 624 00:32:29,460 --> 00:32:32,190 and Air Force jets trying to chase them 625 00:32:32,300 --> 00:32:34,530 pushed any other stories off the front page. 626 00:32:34,670 --> 00:32:36,060 It was the story in the U.S. 627 00:32:36,070 --> 00:32:38,870 WILDMAN: The panicked public wants to know -- 628 00:32:38,870 --> 00:32:41,400 What are these bizarre flying objects 629 00:32:41,410 --> 00:32:44,640 that have descended upon the nation's capital? 630 00:32:47,900 --> 00:32:50,400 It's July 1952. 631 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:53,100 Air Force jets are investigating 632 00:32:53,170 --> 00:32:55,200 a series of unidentified aircraft 633 00:32:55,270 --> 00:32:58,140 in the skies over Washington, D.C. 634 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,270 But as the fighter planes get closer, 635 00:33:00,340 --> 00:33:02,710 the UFOs suddenly vanish. 636 00:33:02,710 --> 00:33:07,950 So, what's going on over our nation's capital? 637 00:33:08,020 --> 00:33:09,810 In the wake of these strange sightings, 638 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:12,820 some speculate that the bizarre flying objects 639 00:33:12,820 --> 00:33:15,020 could be alien spacecraft. 640 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:17,420 DUFORD: The public was disturbed and upset, 641 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:18,960 so the Air Force understood 642 00:33:19,030 --> 00:33:20,830 that "no comment" was not going to work. 643 00:33:20,890 --> 00:33:23,160 WILDMAN: Facing mounting public pressure, 644 00:33:23,230 --> 00:33:25,830 the Air Force holds a history-making press conference 645 00:33:25,970 --> 00:33:27,230 at the Pentagon. 646 00:33:27,230 --> 00:33:31,440 This was the largest and longest Air Force news conference 647 00:33:31,510 --> 00:33:33,110 since the end of the World War II. 648 00:33:33,210 --> 00:33:35,640 WILDMAN: Air Force authorities explain 649 00:33:35,710 --> 00:33:37,580 that the lights were likely caused 650 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:41,910 by a rather common phenomenon known as temperature inversion. 651 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:45,320 This atmospheric condition causes a layer of warm air 652 00:33:45,450 --> 00:33:47,390 to cover a layer of cool air. 653 00:33:47,450 --> 00:33:49,860 The resulting air can be so thick 654 00:33:49,990 --> 00:33:52,860 it reflects light and radar waves. 655 00:33:52,930 --> 00:33:54,730 The radar beams bounce, 656 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:56,530 so objects that are on the ground 657 00:33:56,660 --> 00:33:59,600 might appear to be 3,000 or 4,000 or 5,000 feet in the air. 658 00:33:59,630 --> 00:34:01,400 WILDMAN: While this explanation 659 00:34:01,470 --> 00:34:04,140 seems to calm the jittery nerves of the press, 660 00:34:04,270 --> 00:34:07,540 some find the theory of temperature inversion lacking. 661 00:34:07,540 --> 00:34:09,410 DUFORD: Just about every day that month in July, 662 00:34:09,410 --> 00:34:11,440 there were temperature inversions 663 00:34:11,580 --> 00:34:13,210 in the area of Washington, D.C., 664 00:34:13,210 --> 00:34:15,210 and yet these lights and the blips 665 00:34:15,220 --> 00:34:17,220 were reported only on these nights. 666 00:34:17,250 --> 00:34:20,490 WILDMAN: Even the radar operators at National Airport 667 00:34:20,590 --> 00:34:22,520 question the explanation. 668 00:34:22,590 --> 00:34:24,760 DUFORD: The radar operators were all pretty adamant 669 00:34:24,860 --> 00:34:27,490 about the blips that they were seeing, 670 00:34:27,530 --> 00:34:29,230 based on their experience, 671 00:34:29,260 --> 00:34:31,360 were coming off of solid objects. 672 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:33,630 WILDMAN: In the following months, 673 00:34:33,670 --> 00:34:35,500 still more questions are raised 674 00:34:35,570 --> 00:34:37,340 when the staff at Andrews Air Force Base 675 00:34:37,370 --> 00:34:40,640 provides a new explanation of what they witnessed. 676 00:34:40,710 --> 00:34:42,570 DUFORD: The folks that were in the tower at Andrews 677 00:34:42,710 --> 00:34:44,740 that had reported this fiery ball 678 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:46,040 changed their story, 679 00:34:46,180 --> 00:34:47,910 and they said that it was a star. 680 00:34:48,050 --> 00:34:49,650 WILDMAN: With the Air Force 681 00:34:49,780 --> 00:34:52,820 giving unsatisfying and conflicting explanations, 682 00:34:52,850 --> 00:34:55,650 people question if the United States government 683 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:57,660 is willfully withholding the truth 684 00:34:57,790 --> 00:35:00,990 in order to maintain calm among the public. 685 00:35:01,060 --> 00:35:03,930 There were lots of different explanations about 686 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:07,000 what actually happened and what those lights were, 687 00:35:07,030 --> 00:35:09,940 but in the end there really was no good explanation 688 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:14,010 for what was seen in the sky over D.C. 689 00:35:14,110 --> 00:35:16,340 While the truth may never be known, 690 00:35:16,380 --> 00:35:19,310 some still point to the events in Washington, D.C., 691 00:35:19,310 --> 00:35:21,680 as evidence that we have been visited 692 00:35:21,780 --> 00:35:23,480 by beings from another world. 693 00:35:23,620 --> 00:35:27,690 And this F-94 Starfire jet, 694 00:35:27,720 --> 00:35:31,260 on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, 695 00:35:31,330 --> 00:35:35,690 reminds us of the mysterious unidentified objects 696 00:35:35,830 --> 00:35:38,300 that once descended upon the nation's capital. 697 00:35:43,540 --> 00:35:47,270 Nestled just 8 miles of Atlanta is the city of Decatur, Georgia. 698 00:35:47,370 --> 00:35:52,410 This small, tight-knit community is also home to a state agency 699 00:35:52,410 --> 00:35:54,480 that delves into the dark side -- 700 00:35:54,610 --> 00:35:57,150 the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. 701 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:03,320 Here visitors can explore a small crime museum 702 00:36:03,460 --> 00:36:05,660 that features a hazmat suit 703 00:36:05,730 --> 00:36:09,330 used to investigate clandestine meth labs, 704 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:14,800 an illegal moonshine still, and fingerprinting tools. 705 00:36:14,870 --> 00:36:18,200 But there's one item on display that appears to have 706 00:36:18,270 --> 00:36:21,210 nothing to do with the world of fighting crime. 707 00:36:21,340 --> 00:36:25,540 LANG: It's white. It has a head and a body. 708 00:36:25,610 --> 00:36:29,150 Its mouth is slightly opened. And it's kind of curled around. 709 00:36:32,090 --> 00:36:34,090 WILDMAN: When this creature was discovered by the authorities, 710 00:36:34,150 --> 00:36:36,950 it caused a phenomenal reaction in the community. 711 00:36:36,990 --> 00:36:39,360 LANG: This was one of the strangest things 712 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:40,430 the police had ever seen. 713 00:36:40,430 --> 00:36:41,960 A lot of people were convinced 714 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:43,960 that this was something otherworldly. 715 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:46,800 WILDMAN: What is this strange being? 716 00:36:46,830 --> 00:36:49,400 And where did it come from? 717 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:53,170 Georgia. 1953. 718 00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:57,340 In the early hours of July 8th, officer Sherley Brown 719 00:36:57,340 --> 00:36:59,640 is patrolling an isolated stretch of road 720 00:36:59,780 --> 00:37:01,250 on the outskirts of Atlanta 721 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:04,250 when something in the distance catches his attention. 722 00:37:04,250 --> 00:37:07,320 LANG: When Officer Brown came around the curve, 723 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:08,620 he saw three men standing in the road. 724 00:37:08,690 --> 00:37:11,590 WILDMAN: When Brown approaches them, 725 00:37:11,730 --> 00:37:14,530 he's struck by their odd behavior. 726 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:18,230 When he saw the three men, they seemed to be stunned. 727 00:37:18,300 --> 00:37:22,470 WILDMAN: As Brown gets closer, he discovers why. 728 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,600 Lying next to their feet is an odd-looking beast 729 00:37:25,670 --> 00:37:28,340 unlike anything he's seen before. 730 00:37:28,380 --> 00:37:30,540 LANG: The creature they were standing over 731 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:31,880 was green in color. 732 00:37:31,950 --> 00:37:35,080 It was about two feet long. It did not have any hair. 733 00:37:35,150 --> 00:37:38,280 WILDMAN: The men -- Edward Watters, Tom Wilson, 734 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:40,020 and Arnold Payne -- explain 735 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:42,150 that they'd been driving home from a bar 736 00:37:42,260 --> 00:37:44,690 when they saw something in the middle of the road. 737 00:37:44,790 --> 00:37:47,560 They said they saw three creatures 738 00:37:47,590 --> 00:37:50,230 and that two of them ran away. 739 00:37:50,260 --> 00:37:52,230 WILDMAN: The men were so stunned 740 00:37:52,230 --> 00:37:54,570 that they accidentally hit the third one, 741 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:56,230 which now appears to be dead. 742 00:37:56,270 --> 00:37:58,770 What they tell Officer Brown next 743 00:37:58,810 --> 00:38:00,770 is nothing short of shocking. 744 00:38:00,870 --> 00:38:03,310 LANG: They said that the two creatures that were running away 745 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:06,310 actually ran towards a red object 746 00:38:06,310 --> 00:38:08,580 that was shaped like a saucer. 747 00:38:08,580 --> 00:38:12,920 Once the two creatures raced the spaceship-looking object, 748 00:38:12,950 --> 00:38:16,990 it took off into the sky. 749 00:38:17,060 --> 00:38:19,020 WILDMAN: Then they point 750 00:38:19,090 --> 00:38:22,390 to more evidence of their unearthly sighting. 751 00:38:22,430 --> 00:38:24,460 The man then showed Officer Brown 752 00:38:24,460 --> 00:38:26,660 an area on the road that was scorched, 753 00:38:26,730 --> 00:38:28,130 and they said, 754 00:38:28,170 --> 00:38:29,730 "That's where the saucer-like object had taken off from." 755 00:38:29,870 --> 00:38:31,870 WILDMAN: After relaying their story, 756 00:38:32,010 --> 00:38:34,470 the men head home with the creature 757 00:38:34,540 --> 00:38:36,270 and Officer Brown heads back 758 00:38:36,410 --> 00:38:38,740 to DeKalb County police headquarters 759 00:38:38,750 --> 00:38:40,080 to file a report. 760 00:38:40,150 --> 00:38:45,220 Soon word of this close encounter begins to spread. 761 00:38:45,250 --> 00:38:46,180 LANG: DeKalb County Police Department 762 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:47,550 and the Atlanta Police Department 763 00:38:47,620 --> 00:38:50,350 started getting a lot of media calls regarding this. 764 00:38:50,420 --> 00:38:52,160 WILDMAN: In the morning, 765 00:38:52,190 --> 00:38:54,830 the men have the strange green being 766 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:56,630 examined by a veterinarian. 767 00:38:56,630 --> 00:38:58,030 LANG: He was baffled. 768 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,770 The veterinarian had never seen anything like this before. 769 00:39:00,830 --> 00:39:04,770 He actually called the creature, "Something out of this world." 770 00:39:07,170 --> 00:39:09,070 The police were determined to get to the bottom of this. 771 00:39:09,210 --> 00:39:12,110 WILDMAN: What is this bizarre beast? 772 00:39:12,110 --> 00:39:14,510 Could it really be from a distant land? 773 00:39:20,350 --> 00:39:22,420 It's the 1950s in Atlanta, Georgia. 774 00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:24,820 A group of three local men 775 00:39:24,830 --> 00:39:27,690 claim to have come across a strange creature. 776 00:39:27,690 --> 00:39:31,960 A bizarre humanoid figure that stands 2 feet tall, 777 00:39:31,970 --> 00:39:35,570 has green skin and is totally hairless. 778 00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:40,810 So, is this weird specimen proof of extraterrestrial life? 779 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:47,410 A host of experts are brought in to examine the creature 780 00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:52,350 now on display at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Museum. 781 00:39:52,490 --> 00:39:55,690 And what they discover is alarming. 782 00:39:55,690 --> 00:39:59,090 The director of the state crime lab and an Emory University professor were called in. 783 00:39:59,090 --> 00:40:03,590 They began to examine it to see if they could determine what it was. 784 00:40:03,660 --> 00:40:06,830 The creature was determined to be a monkey. 785 00:40:06,830 --> 00:40:09,770 WILDMAN: Investigators are stunned. 786 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:12,900 With the truth finally uncovered, 787 00:40:12,940 --> 00:40:14,840 they turn to the three young men 788 00:40:14,910 --> 00:40:17,410 who discovered the monkey for answers. 789 00:40:17,410 --> 00:40:20,210 They stuck to their story for several hours. 790 00:40:20,210 --> 00:40:23,350 WILDMAN: But under intense questioning, 791 00:40:23,380 --> 00:40:25,220 the men eventually cave. 792 00:40:25,350 --> 00:40:27,950 LANG: The whole bit was a hoax. 793 00:40:27,950 --> 00:40:30,590 Their account of the spaceship was completely fiction. 794 00:40:30,690 --> 00:40:32,820 WILDMAN: Edward Waters tells police 795 00:40:32,890 --> 00:40:35,830 that they purchased the monkey at a pet shop. 796 00:40:35,900 --> 00:40:40,100 They killed the monkey, chemically removed its hair, 797 00:40:40,170 --> 00:40:44,100 cut its tail off, and painted it green. 798 00:40:44,100 --> 00:40:48,370 WILDMAN: To create evidence of the alleged spaceship launch, 799 00:40:48,380 --> 00:40:52,440 they burnt a mark into the road with a blowtorch. 800 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:57,380 But what drove the men to kill and mutilate a monkey? 801 00:40:57,480 --> 00:40:59,180 One of the men bet the other two men 802 00:40:59,190 --> 00:41:01,650 that he can make the front page of the Atlanta newspapers. 803 00:41:01,790 --> 00:41:03,590 And the bet was for $50. 804 00:41:03,720 --> 00:41:06,560 WILDMAN: Following the confession, 805 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:10,290 authorities deliberate over the perpetrators' punishment. 806 00:41:10,330 --> 00:41:12,000 LANG: The only charge that they could find 807 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:14,530 was an obstruction of the roadway, 808 00:41:14,530 --> 00:41:16,470 which only brought a $40 fine. 809 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:19,470 WILDMAN: And as if to make up for the penalty, 810 00:41:19,470 --> 00:41:21,970 the three men are subjected to ridicule 811 00:41:21,980 --> 00:41:23,340 by the local community 812 00:41:23,410 --> 00:41:27,150 for going to such great lengths to carry out a hoax. 813 00:41:27,250 --> 00:41:29,680 The three men became laughingstocks in Atlanta, 814 00:41:29,720 --> 00:41:33,680 and one actually left the city and vowed never to return. 815 00:41:33,720 --> 00:41:35,620 WILDMAN: And this monkey, 816 00:41:35,620 --> 00:41:38,790 which resides at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, 817 00:41:38,790 --> 00:41:41,430 serves as a reminder of a cruel prank 818 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:44,500 that almost fooled an entire nation. 819 00:41:46,770 --> 00:41:48,700 From a martian monkey, 820 00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:51,740 to an extraterrestrial transmission. 821 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:54,170 A crop circle conspiracy, 822 00:41:54,270 --> 00:41:56,440 to a flying blanket from outer space. 823 00:41:56,540 --> 00:41:58,710 I'm Don Wildman, and these are the Mysteries at the Museum.