Breathtaking 'Chandelier UFO' Video Goes Viral - But Is There a Simple Explanation?
One of the most interesting of the videos that was released in yesterday’s (Friday) UFO file dump is the video revisiting claims made by UFO filmmaker and commentator Jeremy Corbell, who first popularized the “Chandelier” image in early 2024.
In a NewsNation interview Corbell described the object as a genuine unidentified aerial phenomenon detected by U.S. military systems. According to his statements, the object was classified as a UAP due to its unusual appearance and unclear propulsion characteristics.
The footage on the U.S. Department of War website appears highly unusual at first glance.
DOW-UAP-PR38, Unresolved UAP Report, Middle East, 2013 pic.twitter.com/F7KIJabNmO
— nickh (@nickhhh) May 8, 2026
Rather than displaying the conventional shape of an aircraft or drone, the object resembles a symmetrical glowing star with protruding spikes.
In a video by Mike West on his Youtube channel, he explains that this bizarre geometry is what helped fuel public fascination, especially among UFO enthusiasts who interpreted the image as evidence of advanced or non-human technology.
However, much of the video is dedicated not to proving extraterrestrial origins, but to examining whether the object can be explained through conventional optics and infrared imaging artifacts.
The central argument presented throughout the analysis is that the “Chandelier UFO” may not actually possess that strange shape in reality at all.
West argues that the “Chandelier” object likely represents a diffraction artifact produced by a very bright heat source interacting with military infrared camera systems.
He suggested that the glowing spikes are consistent with optical diffraction patterns commonly seen when imaging intense light or heat sources through complex sensor assemblies.
According to the explanation provided, infrared targeting systems aboard military aircraft are designed primarily for tracking heat signatures and when an extremely bright infrared source enters the camera’s field of view, the sensor can become saturated, causing light to spread into symmetrical spike-like patterns. This effect can create geometric shapes that do not resemble the object’s true appearance.
The video demonstrates how diffraction spikes frequently occur in both astronomy and military optics. Bright stars photographed through telescopes often display cross-shaped or symmetrical flares caused by camera apertures and lens structures. West argues that the “Chandelier” shape fits this optical behavior remarkably well.
Throughout the presentation, West repeatedly emphasizes the distinction between an “unidentified” object and an “extraterrestrial” one. The video argues that military systems routinely capture ambiguous imagery that cannot immediately be identified, but that uncertainty alone does not confirm alien origins.
At the same time, West acknowledges that public fascination with UFO footage has intensified in recent years due to congressional hearings, military pilot testimony, and growing government transparency surrounding UAP investigations.
This broader cultural context has amplified interest in clips like the “Chandelier UFO,” even when plausible technical explanations exist.
Examples shown in West’s video reportedly display similar diffraction effects when tracking rockets, engines, or intense heat sources.
In this interpretation, the unusual geometry of the observed object could originate from the sensor system itself rather than from the object being observed.
Yet the geometry of the image in the “Chandelier” video might not be the most important evidence surrounding the technology demonstrated in this video.
The streaking effects seen in the “Chandelier” video appear similar to other potential FLIR footage supposedly captured of three orbs circling the MH370 airliner, which produced these same streak patterns.
One possibility for the streaking effects generated by the object could indicate known propulsion technology found in air-breathing magnetohydrodynamic units which ionize the air around them to utilize as a fuel source.
Another possibility for the streaks captured in the “Chandelier” video are X-ray emissions or the demonstration of the well known Meissner effect in which superconductors expel magnetic fields.
Rather than presenting definitive proof of alien spacecraft, the footage may instead reveal advanced propulsion technologies with optical systems which create striking visual distortions that appear mysterious but actually have larger implications for understanding quantum fields.
Even so, the debate surrounding the footage remains unresolved in the public sphere.
As interest in unidentified aerial phenomena continues to grow, the “Chandelier UFO” stands as another example of how modern military technology and public curiosity can combine to transform a single ambiguous image into an internet sensation.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
