The Mexico City UFO Eclipse Sightings

On July 11, 1991, millions of people across Mexico turned their eyes skyward to witness a total solar eclipse—one of the longest visible from a major metropolitan area in modern history. As cameras recorded the celestial event, numerous witnesses captured something else: a metallic, disc-shaped object hovering near the sun. The eclipse UFO became one of the most witnessed and documented UFO events in history, sparking intense debate and launching a wave of UFO interest in Mexico.

The Eclipse

The total solar eclipse of July 11, 1991, was a spectacular event. Totality lasted nearly seven minutes—an exceptionally long duration—and the eclipse path crossed directly over Mexico City, one of the world’s largest cities. The event drew international attention, and millions of people gathered outdoors to watch.

Many witnesses had cameras ready to capture the eclipse. Video cameras were becoming common in Mexican households, and the event prompted many to record the darkening sky. This technological circumstance would prove crucial for what followed.

The Sightings

As the eclipse reached totality, witnesses began noticing something unusual. Multiple observers reported a bright, metallic object visible near the obscured sun. The object appeared disc-shaped and seemed to be hovering or moving slowly.

What distinguished this sighting from typical UFO reports was the documentation. Numerous witnesses captured the object on video, independently and from different locations across the metropolitan area. When these videos were compared, they showed the same object from different angles.

One of the most detailed videos was captured by Guillermo Arragin from the Zona Rosa area of Mexico City. His footage shows a clearly defined disc-shaped object, metallic in appearance, visible near the solar corona. The object remains visible for several minutes before the tape ends.

Television Coverage

Mexican television journalist Jaime Maussan obtained multiple videos of the eclipse UFO and broadcast them on his program “60 Minutos.” The footage created a sensation. Within days, Maussan received hundreds of additional videos from witnesses who had captured the same or similar objects.

The coverage transformed Maussan into one of Mexico’s most prominent UFO investigators. It also sparked a wave of UFO interest in Mexico that continues to this day.

Analysis of the Footage

The eclipse videos have been analyzed extensively. Several characteristics stand out:

Multiple angles: Videos taken from different locations show the same object, ruling out lens artifacts or camera-specific anomalies.

Duration: The object remains visible for extended periods, inconsistent with brief optical phenomena or meteors.

Apparent structure: Many videos show a disc with apparent solidity and dimension, not merely a point of light.

Movement: Some videos capture apparent movement, though others show the object relatively stationary.

Critics have proposed various explanations. Venus was near the sun during the eclipse and might have been visible during totality in ways unfamiliar to observers. High-altitude balloons were sometimes launched to photograph eclipses and could appear unusual in certain lighting conditions. Some analysts have suggested reflections or optical effects within camera systems.

Other Eclipse Sightings

The Mexico City UFO was not an isolated incident. Reports of UFO sightings during solar eclipses date back centuries. The unusual lighting conditions, the tendency to look skyward, and the psychological impact of totality might contribute to increased UFO reports during eclipses.

However, the 1991 Mexico City sighting stands out for its documentation. Never before had so many people with cameras been in position to capture such an object during such an event.

Impact on Mexican Ufology

The eclipse sighting launched what became known as the Mexican UFO wave of the 1990s. In the years following the eclipse, UFO reports from Mexico increased dramatically. Witnesses captured numerous videos of unusual objects over Mexico City and other areas.

Some of these subsequent videos have been exposed as hoaxes or misidentifications. The UFO-conscious atmosphere created fertile ground for both genuine reports and deliberate deception. Distinguishing between them became increasingly difficult.

Skeptical Assessment

Skeptics have raised several objections to the eclipse UFO claims:

The object’s proximity to the sun made accurate observation difficult. Human vision during an eclipse is compromised, and cameras can produce artifacts when pointed near intense light sources.

Venus’s unusual visibility during totality provides a conventional explanation that fits the observations.

The subsequent wave of Mexican UFO videos included demonstrated hoaxes, casting doubt on the reliability of Mexican UFO claims generally.

Jaime Maussan’s promotional activities created commercial incentives that may have influenced reporting.

Legacy

Regardless of the object’s true nature, the 1991 eclipse sighting remains historically significant. It demonstrated how mass events could generate multiple independent recordings of anomalous phenomena. It showed how media coverage could amplify UFO interest. And it established Mexico as a major center of UFO activity and research.

The eclipse UFO videos continue to be studied and debated. They represent some of the best-documented UFO footage from the pre-digital era, captured by numerous witnesses with no connection to each other.

Whatever hovered near the sun on July 11, 1991—extraterrestrial craft, planetary body, optical artifact, or something else—it earned its place among the most significant UFO events in modern history, witnessed by millions and captured on cameras that happened to be pointed at exactly the right place at exactly the right time.