During the total solar eclipse of July 11, 1991, numerous people in Mexico reportedly recorded a bright object in the darkened daytime sky. Several recordings appeared to show a stationary or slowly moving silvery, disc-like object, and the footage was subsequently publicized by Mexican journalist Jaime Maussan. The event became one of the most prominent UFO video cases in Mexico. Later astronomical analysis identified the principal object in the best-known footage as the planet Venus, with video-camera artifacts potentially accounting for its apparent disc or metallic appearance.
On July 11, 1991, a total solar eclipse passed over Mexico, including Mexico City and surrounding areas. The eclipse produced unusually dark daytime conditions, allowing bright planets and stars to become visible. Amateur and professional video operators were recording the eclipse when some reported seeing and filming an unusual bright object in the sky.
One of the best-known recordings was attributed to Mexican television professional Guillermo Arreola/Arreguín. The footage showed a small bright object that appeared somewhat disc-shaped, with a brighter upper portion and a darker lower edge. Journalist Jaime Maussan subsequently broadcast the footage and received additional recordings from people who said they had independently filmed the same object during the eclipse.
Accounts of the event eventually described numerous separate recordings from Mexico City and other locations in central Mexico. Some sources have claimed approximately 15 to 17 independent recordings, although the exact number and independence of every recording are not firmly established by primary documentation.
The case became particularly notable because the apparent object seemed stationary and was reportedly recorded from widely separated locations. UFO proponents interpreted this as evidence that a physical craft had been visible over a large area.
A major conventional explanation emerged from astronomical analysis. Venus was exceptionally bright and visible during the eclipse, and later analysis of the available footage matched the apparent object's position with Venus. The dark or flattened portion of the apparent disc has also been attributed to the way bright point sources were rendered by contemporary video cameras and recording systems.
The multiple-camera aspect does not necessarily argue against Venus. An astronomical object at planetary distance would appear in essentially the same celestial position to observers separated by distances comparable to those involved in the Mexican recordings, whereas a nearby airborne object would exhibit measurable parallax.
There is no known Mexican government or military investigation establishing that the object was an unidentified aircraft, and no publicly available radar track, recovered object, or other physical evidence has established that the recordings depict a structured craft.
The case therefore remains classified as Disputed in the archive. The existence of the recordings and the people who made them is well documented, but the extraordinary interpretation of the principal object is strongly challenged by the Venus explanation.
| Date: | 1991-07-11 |
| Location: | Mexico City and central Mexico, Mexico |
| Country: | Mexico |
| Category: | Civilian |
| Credibility: | Disputed |