Pentagon UFO files describe 'mother orb' releasing smaller objects in 2023 incident that remains unexplained

Newly released government UFO files describe a baffling 2023 incident in which witnesses reported that a larger "mother orb" in the sky appeared to release smaller objects, a phenomenon Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb says remains unexplained despite an official review of the event.

Loeb said the unsealed documents included a letter from the director of the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) that described a two-day period in October 2023 when law enforcement officials observed orbs in the sky behaving in ways that investigators could not fully explain.

A screenshot of video footage from an alleged unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP) sighting in the northeastern United States in July 2025, which was detailed in files released by the DOW and originally obtained by the FBI. (DOW/FBI)

Loeb framed the situation as both a national security concern and, if human-made explanations are ruled out, a possible scientific breakthrough.

"Now, there are two possibilities. If you are down to earth, and you say, 'I'm a realist...' you must admit that there are objects that are potentially produced by adversarial nations that we are not aware of," Loeb said during "Fox & Friends Weekend."

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David Grusch, a whistleblower and former National Reconnaissance Officer Representative of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force at the Department of Defense, speaks during a news conference on unidentified anomalous phenomena outside the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on June 9, 2026. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

"And they are near sensitive sites, strategic assets. So that's a major national security concern," he added. 

The AARO has reported that a significant portion of unidentified anomalous phenomena cases remain unresolved, with roughly 40% lacking a reasonable explanation.

Loeb called for more research and funding dedicated to studying these occurrences and whether they could be tied to foreign espionage.

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"Are there drones with very special technologies that we're not aware of?" he asked, describing the lack of intelligence on the subject as a "hole in our defense system."

If investigations fail to turn up an earthly explanation, however, other possibilities may need to be considered, Loeb said.

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"But, of course, the icing on the cake is, after looking into that, if we end up concluding it's not human-made — from some extraterrestrial origin — that will be the biggest discovery ever made by humanity."