Bonilla Observation (1883)

The Bonilla observation was an astronomical event in 1883 in which hundreds of unidentified flying objects were observed and photographed by Mexican astronomer José Bonilla. The photographs taken during the Bonilla observation are generally regarded as one of the first known examples of photographs of "unidentified flying objects". Though the objects were assumed to be flocks of high-flying geese, astronomers have suggested more recently that Bonilla was observing a nearby comet breaking apart. This case remains a notable entry in historical unexplained-event archives and is included here as a curated historical report.

Source Title

Wikipedia: Bonilla observation

Source URL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonilla_observation

Source Notes

Imported from Wikipedia REST, MediaWiki, and Wikidata sources on 2026-07-06. Review article citations and edit details before saving. Coordinates inferred from location context using OpenStreetMap Nominatim query: Mexico.

1. Occurred Aug 12, 1883 12:00 AM America/Mexico_City
2. Submitted Jul 6, 2026 9:02 AM Historical Archive created
3. Approved Jul 6, 2026 9:02 AM Moderator reviewed
4. Media Uploaded Jul 6, 2026 9:04 AM 2 media files