12 Mysterious Photos That Cannot be Explained

You’ve probably seen a number of fake or questionable photographs in your lifetime. Photo manipulation is a sophisticated art form, and anyone with a bit of experience and a few hours to kill can create images that defy imagination in programs like Photoshop.

There are dozens of examples of fake photos that have captured the world’s attention before being debunked by experts, including the infamous “Tourist Guy” 9/11 shot, and many more examples that continue to be debated. Just Google Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, for example.

Still, there are photos that defy our collective doubt; shots that haven’t been staged or faked that are capable of running a chill down your spine.

Here are 12 mysterious photos that still can’t be explained. #4 is the creepiest thing I have ever seen!

12. The 13,000-year-old “Black Knight” Satellite

Black Knight

This mystery photo shows what some claim is an ancient satellite of alien origin orbiting the Earth and broadcasting a strange, foreign signal. Conspiracy theorists claim that the infamous “Black Knight” satellite is a known quantity to NASA, and entirely top secret. The official story is that it’s merely a thermal blanket that was lost in space during a space mission, or just a random piece of junk. But some believe the object is 13,000 years old, and with man only being a space-faring species for the last 60 years, there’s no way it came from us if it indeed is that old.

11. The Ted Danson Ghost

The Ted Danson Ghost

This photo is a still taken from the 1987 comedy 3 Men and a Baby starring Ted Danson. The scene occurs a little over an hour into the film, and features this … cameo … from a little boy watching the scene from the curtains. Problem is, that’s not an actor. Urban legend holds that it’s a ghost of a boy who was killed in the house the film was shot in.

The official explanation is that the “ghost” is a cardboard cutout of Danson’s character. Seems like a “flimsy” (pun intended) explanation at face value since the cardboard cutout doesn’t appear elsewhere in the film. However, a scene cut from the final film establishes that the cutout is a prop used by the character in a commercial. Still, an actual photo of the cutout shows it’s wearing a top hat, which is mysteriously absent in this photo …

10. The Phoenix Lights

The Phoenix Lights

The Phoenix Lights are the subject of a famous photo in ufologist circles. The photo shows lights from a stationary UFO in the sky over Nevada. The official story is that the lights are flares dropped by passing A-10 fighter jets, but numerous eyewitnesses claim otherwise, and the photo is still popular and controversial to this day.