Puerto Rico Objects — original infrared sequence
Official DVIDS recording from April 26, 2013
- Recorded
- Apr 26, 2013
- Duration
- 234 seconds
- Rights
- DVIDS public domain
Published by Vastward
Official record / Source-led archive
Did one object split in two and dive into the Atlantic?
Watch the famous infrared sequence, then compare its apparent path with AARO’s three-dimensional reconstruction.
Editorial disclosure
This Vastward case is an independent editorial reading of the linked first-party records. The narrative may explain and connect evidence, but it does not upgrade an official assessment, testimony, or unresolved status into a stronger claim.
01
30-second briefing
Start with what the primary record actually says.
The raw sequence is a perfect mystery-machine: a dark target seems to race across Puerto Rico, become two, vanish against the ocean, and perhaps reappear. AARO’s reconstruction changes every part of that first impression. It places two small objects over land, drifting in a straight line near wind speed while a fast aircraft circles them. AARO has high confidence the motion was not anomalous and moderate confidence the objects were sky lanterns.
Reading rule
An official record establishes what was documented. It does not automatically validate every interpretation or claim contained around it.
02
Official media
Observe first. Interpret second.
These images and players come from the cited source records. Observe what they show before reading an explanation.
2013 Puerto Rico Object Reconstruction
Official flight path and sensor line-of-sight reconstruction
- Duration
- 212 seconds
- Rights
- DVIDS public domain
03
Evidence ledger
Trace every finding back to the record.
F-01Supported in source
The footage genuinely creates a transmedium illusion
Changing background, thermal contrast, distance, and viewing angle make the targets appear to accelerate, merge, divide, and disappear near the ocean.
F-02Supported in source
The reconstruction keeps both objects over land
Aircraft telemetry and sensor angles place the objects on a straight southwest track at roughly 8 mph; motion parallax supplies the apparent speed.
F-03Supported in source
“Not anomalous” is firmer than “sky lanterns”
AARO assigns high confidence to the non-anomalous motion but only moderate confidence to the sky-lantern attribution because the imagery remains indistinct.
04
Conclusion boundary
Know exactly where the evidence stops.
What the primary record establishes
- The video depicts two nearby objects rather than one object dividing.
- The reconstructed path remains over land at about 8 mph, close to recorded wind speed.
- AARO assesses with moderate confidence that the objects were sky lanterns.
What it does not establish
- The recording shows a craft entering and leaving the ocean.
- Poor image quality permits a categorical identification beyond the stated confidence.
05
Method and limits
How this case was assembled.
The 2013 CBP infrared recording, AARO’s seven-page case resolution, and the official reconstruction published in 2025.
- 01
Start with the primary official record before reading commentary about it
- 02
Reconstruct the aircraft path, sensor line of sight, wind, zoom, and changing viewing angle
- 03
Separate what the sensor or witness recorded from the interpretation attached to it
- 04
Check confidence language, missing data, and alternative explanations
- 05
Preserve links to the original record so readers can audit the story themselves
Methodological caution
Official records preserve provenance, observations, assessments, and testimony at different evidence levels. Later data may revise how the same record is understood.
06
Historical thread
Follow the record as it changes.
- 2013
A CBP aircraft records the encounter
An infrared sensor captures the targets while the aircraft circles Rafael Hernández Airport.
Official source ↗ - 2024
The official video reaches DVIDS
The government publishes an authorized copy of the sequence that had circulated for years.
Official source ↗ - 2025
AARO releases the reconstruction
Geometry and sensor behavior replace the apparent ocean dive with a wind-driven path over land.
Source p.1 ↗Official source ↗
07
Vastward interpretation
Stay curious without outrunning the evidence.
Independent editorial layer
The notes below are Vastward’s interpretation. They are not statements written by the source agency or witnesses.
This is an ideal first investigation because the astonishing interpretation is visible before any narrator tells us what to believe.
The real plot twist is not “mystery solved.” It is that aircraft motion, line of sight, and thermal contrast can manufacture an entire transmedium story.
Preserving two different confidence levels teaches a crucial habit: accept the strong geometric conclusion without pretending the weaker identity claim is certain.
- Motion parallax
- Observer motion makes a slow or distant object appear to cross the background rapidly.
- Thermal crossover
- A target temporarily loses infrared contrast against its background and appears to vanish.
- Assessment
- An evidence-weighted judgment with an expressed confidence level; it is not the same as mathematical proof.
- Unresolved
- The available evidence does not support a reliable attribution. It is a data-status label, not evidence of extraterrestrial origin.
08
Source index
Open the record yourself.
Source p.1AARO Puerto Rico UAP Case ResolutionAssessment, reconstruction, and sensor limitationsOfficial sourcePuerto Rico Objects — original infrared sequenceOfficial DVIDS recording from April 26, 2013Official source2013 Puerto Rico Object ReconstructionOfficial flight path and sensor line-of-sight reconstruction