Summary
In January 1989, a witness near Kulnura, New South Wales, reported seeing a circular opening in storm clouds filled with short, crossing electrical discharges unlike ordinary lightning. After retrieving a camera, the witness photographed the stormy landscape as two dark, disc-shaped objects appeared nearby. Decades later, the image was submitted to MUFON for investigation. A forensic photographic review reported two structured objects and found no evidence of digital manipulation, leading MUFON to classify the case as Unknown.
Additional Notes
According to the witness, the event began during an approaching electrical storm near Kulnura. A large circular opening reportedly formed in the clouds, containing short electrical discharges that crossed one another. The witness considered the phenomenon unusual because of both the appearance of the discharges and the accompanying sound. He went inside to retrieve a camera, but the electrical activity had stopped by the time he returned. The witness later clarified that the two dark grey or black disc-shaped objects did not emerge from the opening. Instead, they appeared rapidly from his right as he took the photograph. He also described an unusual sound at that moment, comparing its closest physical equivalent to the sound of tearing sheet metal. The photograph remained largely private for approximately 36 years before the case gained wider attention in 2025. MUFON investigator Elaine Wartha Motta examined a scan of the original film photograph using image-processing techniques including ImageJ, histogram analysis and contour analysis. MUFON reported sharp-edged, apparently structured objects partly obscured by foreground branches and stated that no digital manipulation was detected. Its analysis rejected several conventional possibilities, including birds, insects, balloons, reflections and aircraft. Weather records were also reported to confirm electrical storms in New South Wales around the stated date. Because the original negative was unavailable, however, some forms of photographic analysis could not be performed. MUFON ultimately recorded the case with a disposition of Unknown.
The Location Today
Kulnura remains a rural locality on the Central Coast of New South Wales. The reported objects were observed in the sky; no dedicated site or public access to the original observation point has been established.
- Environment
- Village / Rural Area
- Time of Day
- Evening
- Evidence Level
- Investigated Case
- Visiting the Location
- Unknown
- Ownership of the Location
- Unknown