NASA-UAP-VM006, Apollo 17, 1972
The released record says DOW has opened a case to investigate a NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission. File: NASA-UAP-VM006, Apollo 17, 1972. NASA-UAP-VM006, Apollo 17, 1972 combines an official, viewable image, 6 extracted claims, 2 evidence records, and 2 timeline entries, and file-level provenance that can be compared with related release records.
- File
- Image · Release 01
- Date
- 1972
- Location
- Moon
- Agency
- NASA
Probed Assessment
The released record says DOW has opened a case to investigate a NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission. File: NASA-UAP-VM006, Apollo 17, 1972.
Key takeaways
- The image contains three 'dots' in a triangular formation in the lower right quadrant of the lunar sky
- The released record says there is no consensus about the nature of the anomaly in the Apollo 17 photograph.
- The released record says new preliminary US government analysis suggests the image feature is potentially the result of a physical object in the scene.
Why it matters
NASA-UAP-VM006, Apollo 17, 1972 combines an official, viewable image, 6 extracted claims, 2 evidence records, and 2 timeline entries, and file-level provenance that can be compared with related release records.
Corroboration
For NASA-UAP-VM006, Apollo 17, 1972, the release establishes official provenance but does not independently verify the record's statement that DOW has opened a case to investigate a NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission.
Open questions
- • What chain-of-custody or companion records survive beyond the released artifact and its official metadata?
Probed separates this editorial assessment from the source claims below. It summarizes what the released artifact supports; it is not independent verification.
Official Description from War.gov
As part of the review of historical UAP materials under PURSUE, DOW has opened a case to investigate the accompanying NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission, taken December 1972. The image contains three “dots” in a triangular formation in the lower right quadrant of the lunar sky that is clearly visible upon magnification of the image. While this photo has been previously released and discussed by keen observers, there is no consensus about the nature of the anomaly. New preliminary US government analysis suggests the image feature is potentially the result of a physical object in the scene. Additionally, as part of this investigation, the government has obtained the original film from the Apollo 17 mission and the results of the full NASA and DOW analysis will be released when completed.
Preserved verbatim as source metadata. This wording is separate from Probed’s file-specific description and assessment.
File Context
Related entities
Tracker findings
Apollo 17 photo notes three-dot triangular formation
The linked release item states that the NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission contains three 'dots' in a triangular formation.
DOW has opened a case to investigate a NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission
The linked release item states that dOW has opened a case to investigate a NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission.
Apollo 17 photo anomaly remains unresolved
The linked release item states that there is no consensus about the nature of the anomaly in the NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission.
Apollo 17 photo: new preliminary US government analysis suggests the image
The linked release item states that new preliminary US government analysis suggests the image feature is potentially the result of a physical object in the scene.
Release provenance
- Release
- Release 01
- Official ID
- release-01-file-151-nasa-uap-vm006-apollo-17-1972
- Cleared
- May 8, 2026
Sighting Context
Stored occurrence and enrichment data for this released artifact. Missing or regional data stays explicit rather than being inferred.
Shape not classified
No grounded form data
Observation profile
Recorded occurrence details
- Occurrence
- Moon · 1972
- Location
- Moon
- Classification
- Not classified
Environmental, lunar, orbital, satellite, airport, and nearby-infrastructure context loads when this section approaches the viewport.
Referenced Timeline
Apollo 17 photograph taken
The NASA photograph containing three 'dots' was taken during the Apollo 17 mission.
Cleared for release
The document related to the Apollo 17 photograph is cleared for release.
LinkedApollo 17
Source Claims
Claims are attributed to the released source and remain distinct from Probed’s assessment and tracker findings.
DOW has opened a case to investigate a NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission.
DOW has opened a case to investigate the accompanying NASA photograph from the Apollo 17 mission.
The image contains three 'dots' in a triangular formation in the lower right quadrant of the lunar sky.
The image contains three 'dots' in a triangular formation in the lower right quadrant of the lunar sky.
There is no consensus about the nature of the anomaly in the Apollo 17 photograph.
While this photo has been previously released and discussed by keen observers, there is no consensus about the nature of the anomaly.
New preliminary US government analysis suggests the image feature is potentially the result of a physical object in the scene.
New preliminary US government analysis suggests the image feature is potentially the result of a physical object in the scene.
The government has obtained the original film from the Apollo 17 mission for investigation.
Additionally, as part of this investigation, the government has obtained the original film from the Apollo 17 mission.
The results of the full NASA and DOW analysis will be released when completed.
The results of the full NASA and DOW analysis will be released when completed.
Source Material & Evidence
Research Map
Lines appear only when two entities share a row-level source claim or dated timeline event. Unconnected nodes remain visible without implying a relationship.