The “Eye of Sauron” label is a nickname used in commentary about a September 2023 sighting. The official PURSUE catalog instead identifies FBI interview records and a composite sketch. Those materials preserve witness accounts and an illustration; they do not establish the object’s origin.
The original FBI records
Open the official PURSUE database and search the exact asset names below. The catalog checked on 7 October 2026 identifies these entries as Release 01, published 8 May 2026.
| Asset | Identifier | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|
| FBI September 2023 Sighting - Serial 003 | VIRIN 260508-O-D0360-1054 | FBI FD-302 interview with a US citizen describing a first-hand encounter at a US test site. |
| FBI September 2023 Sighting - Serial 004 and Serial 005 | Search the full asset names. | Separate cataloged records; read each before combining witness accounts. |
| FBI September 2023 Sighting - Composite Sketch | VIRIN 260508-O-D0360-1053 | Site photograph with an FBI Lab graphic overlay illustrating eyewitness descriptions. |
What the size and appearance descriptions mean
The composite-sketch description reports an apparent bronze metallic ellipsoid, estimated at 130–195 feet long, associated with a bright light and abrupt disappearance. These are reported descriptions and estimates, not independently established dimensions or a demonstrated physical mechanism.
An FBI interview records what a witness told investigators. The documenting agency and the witness are different: an FBI file does not make every observer an FBI agent. A rendered overlay likewise should not be captioned as a direct photograph of the object.
How to assess the case
- Download each original record from its catalog entry and note the asset name, release date and relevant PDF page.
- Separate the interview date, incident date and 2026 publication date.
- Identify whether a statement comes from a witness, the catalog description or a later analyst.
- Check what measurements and independent sensor data are actually available before calculating speed, distance or physical size.
Multiple accounts can be relevant without resolving identification. A nickname, an unusual appearance or an agency’s publication of a report does not by itself establish an exotic explanation.
Correction, 7 October 2026: The earlier wording treated the witnesses as federal agents and did not adequately distinguish the composite illustration from direct imagery. This version identifies the records and separates witness reporting from verified conclusions.
Some images are illustrative and AI-generated; they are not archival government photographs.
Insider Release — Declassified. Analyzed. Explained.

