Apollo 17: three dots in triangular formation, lunar sky, 1972

A NASA still from Apollo 17 — released for the first time as part of PURSUE Release 01 — shows three small dots in a tight triangular formation in the lunar sky. Released alongside Apollo 17 crew transcripts and technical debriefings.

What we know

Record type: Sighting
Primary source: linked
Named witnesses: 3
Media: 32

Released for the first time as part of PURSUE Release 01, the photograph NASA-UAP-VM6 shows three small dots in a tight triangular formation in the lunar sky during Apollo 17. The image is paired with NASA-UAP-D2 (the December 1972 Apollo 17 mission transcript) and NASA-UAP-D6 (the technical crew debriefing held in 1973).

The Apollo 17 image is the most-circulated still from PURSUE Release 01. The five additional Apollo 12 images (NASA-UAP-VM1 through NASA-UAP-VM5) released in this tranche are accompanied by the Apollo 12 transcript NASA-UAP-D1, with additional context in the Apollo 11 technical crew debriefing (NASA-UAP-D4) and Skylab transcripts (NASA-UAP-D7).

Published May 11, 2026

Imagery & video

NASA-UAP-VM6 — Apollo 17, 1972. Three dots in triangular formation in the lunar sky. NASA / Public Domain

NASA-UAP-VM1 — Apollo 12, 1969 (lunar still). NASA / Public Domain

NASA-UAP-VM2 — Apollo 12, 1969 (lunar still). NASA / Public Domain

Source documents

NASA-UAP-D2 — Apollo 17 Transcript, 1972

NASA

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NASA-UAP-D6 — Apollo 17 Technical Crew Debriefing, 1973

NASA