Luna 9: a panorama intercepted by an observatory on Earth
The first soft landing produced surface photographs; independent reception in Britain made it a story of radio tracking and newspaper technology.
An explanation existsOceanus Procellarum
Atlas of mysteries
Items: 143All material
Exeter: red lights, police officers and the aircraft dispute
Norman Muscarello brought a police officer to a roadside field, where both reported bright lights. Statements and correspondence about military aircraft survive.
Under reviewKensington, south of Exeter, New Hampshire
Valensole: a farmer's account and marks in a lavender field
A farmer reported an unfamiliar craft and two figures in a field. Gendarmes documented his account and ground marks; GEIPAN later clarified how its archive was assembled.
Under reviewValensole, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Ranger 7: the final minutes that brought the Moon close
On July 31, 1964 Ranger 7 transmitted thousands of images before its planned impact. The sequence revealed lunar terrain in detail beyond the reach of contemporary ground telescopes.
An explanation existsMare Cognitum, lunar near side
Socorro, 1964: police officer Lonnie Zamora’s report
Early reports and a site examination preserved an alleged landing account without identifying the object.
Insufficient evidenceNear Socorro, New Mexico
Aristarchus, 1963: reports of red patches on the Moon
Two lunar cartographers reported temporary coloured areas. Their observations attracted detailed discussion, but the reported glow’s origin remains unresolved.
Insufficient evidenceAristarchus crater and Vallis Schröteri region
Luna 3: how the first photograph of the far side appeared
Grainy pictures from October 1959 revealed an unseen hemisphere, traveling from film inside a spacecraft to retouched newspaper prints.
An explanation existsFlyby and far-side imaging
Luna 2: the impact that completed the first journey to another world
In September 1959 a Soviet probe's radio signal ended at the Moon: a planned collision rather than a mysterious disappearance.
An explanation existsBetween Mare Imbrium and Mare Serenitatis
Alphonsus, 1958: the spectrum linked to lunar activity
Nikolai Kozyrev reported a changing central peak and an unusual spectrum. The historical interpretation remains open to scrutiny.
Insufficient evidenceAlphonsus crater; its centre is marked as a reference
Levelland: night lights and stalled vehicles
On November 2–3, 1957 police received reports of lights and vehicle trouble. The Air Force offered an atmospheric explanation, while the investigation's completeness remained disputed.
Under reviewRoads around Levelland, Texas