The Belgian UFO triangle photo

The claim

"The famous photo of a black triangle with three lights proves the Belgian UFO wave."

Where the idea comes from

During the 1989 to 1990 Belgian wave, F-16s were scrambled after radar returns and the Petit-Rechain photo became world famous.

What the evidence shows

1. In 2011 the man who took the photo admitted he had made the "craft" from painted polystyrene and lit it with spotlights.
2. The F-16 radar locks were later attributed by the Belgian Air Force and analysts to weather effects and radar artefacts.
3. Many sightings were bright planes or stars, though not all the reports from that period were explained.

What is still open

Some individual sightings from the wave were never fully explained, but the iconic evidence is fake.

Our verdict

Debunked The photographer confessed.

Sources

• Belgian UFO wave (Wikipedia)

Checked 31 October 2026. Spotted a newer source? Tell us.