Apollo 12 Crew Sees “Streaks of Light” During Mission

The crew of Apollo 12 reported experiencing a “streak of light” as they were settling down to sleep, far away from Earth. However, scientists later concluded that this flash resulted from inside their eyes.

In a medical report detailing the 1969 flight, Captain Charles “Pete” Conrad, Command Module Pilot Richard “Dick” F. Gordon, and Lunar Module Pilot Alan L. Bean shared their observations of this phenomenon. A file released by the Department of the Army noted that the hallucinations occurred as they attempted to sleep in total darkness.

“What Pete described is the exact phenomenon that all three of us saw,” a speaker mentioned in a video associated with the file. The description went on to indicate that the light was perceived as short flashes or streaks, visible in both eyes. There was some uncertainty about which eye was more sensitive, but the speaker agreed with Conrad that this was not an external sighting, rather something intrinsic to their perception.

This audio was part of the second wave of declassified materials shared by the Pentagon recently, which included over 60 items such as documents, military videos, and recordings. The release stemmed from a directive by President Donald Trump aimed at disclosing government records concerning what are referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). The Department of the Army has been instrumental in this task, supported by the Director of National Intelligence.

Apollo 12 wasn’t an isolated case; Buzz Aldrin, after his Apollo 11 mission, reported seeing “small flashes of light” several minutes apart while trying to rest, as reported by NBC News. The mission’s medical team considered whether cosmic rays might have impacted Aldrin’s retina but ultimately concluded that the flash experienced by the Apollo 12 crew originated from within their own visual system.

This conclusion is linked to findings from more recent investigations. The flashes and streaks have been connected to high-energy cosmic particles passing through the eye, yet scientists are still exploring the specific causes. A 2006 survey indicated that around 80% of astronauts at NASA and the European Space Agency reported similar experiences. Research continues as NASA plans for further missions to Mars and the Moon.