Vancouver Island: Hannah McRoberts Photographs Daylight Disc
Hannah McRoberts photographs a mountain peak near Kelsey Bay on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. A perfectly clear daylight disc appears in the photograph above the peak, though no one saw the object at the time. Richard F. Haines of the Journal of Scientific Exploration conducts detailed analysis using micro-densitometry and computer enhancements, finding no evidence of hoax, atmospheric disturbance, or photographic defects. Haines concludes the disc is 'an unidentified three dimensional object.' The object was apparently able to camouflage itself from unaided human eyes.
Background
1. On October 8, 1981, Hannah McRoberts photographed a mountain peak near Kelsey Bay on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The resulting photograph revealed a clear, disc-shaped object in the sky that was not visible to anyone at the time the picture was taken. The photograph was later analyzed by Richard F. Haines, who found no evidence of a hoax.
The Incident
Hannah McRoberts was on vacation with her family on Vancouver Island. At approximately 11:00 a.m., while at a rest area thirty miles north of Kelsey Bay on the east coast of the island, McRoberts photographed a nearby mountain peak. After the film was developed, a distinct disc-shaped object was visible in the photograph, positioned to the right of and above the mountain peak. No one in the McRoberts family recalled seeing the object when the photograph was taken.
Investigation
For nearly a year, the McRoberts family only showed the photograph to friends and relatives. In the summer of 1982, they visited the Vancouver Planetarium and were persuaded to lend their negative for analysis. Richard F. Haines of the Journal of Scientific Exploration eventually obtained the negative and conducted a detailed analysis. Haines used micro-densitometry and computer enhancements in his analysis.
Haines' investigation included:
* Analysis of the negative for evidence of a hoax.
* Examination for atmospheric disturbances.
* Inspection for photographic defects.
* A site survey of the location where the photograph was taken.
* Interviews with the McRoberts family.
Haines concluded that the object was an unidentified "three dimensional object" and found no evidence of a hoax, atmospheric disturbance, or photographic defects. He described the McRoberts family as "middle-class, hard-working people" who were genuinely puzzled by the photograph.
Significance
The McRoberts photograph is considered significant because it appears to depict a classic daylight disc. Haines' analysis suggested that the photograph provides clear evidence that some agency was flying perfect disc-shaped objects. The case is notable because of the detailed analysis performed by Haines, which ruled out several conventional explanations for the object's appearance in the photograph.