Person
Max Derakhshani
Physicist who brings NASA archive frames to Reality Check; the Apollo 17 blue-lights image he supplied was later released by war.gov with a 'physical object' caption.
Theoretical physicist and philosopher of physics (PhD in the foundations of physics, Utrecht). He has done at least five Reality Check episodes with Ross Coulthart on lunar, Martian and orbital anomalies, presenting NASA archive frames, shadow measurements and his own Python versions of the Stein (1987) fractal and Carlotto texture detectors.
On the record
- Guest on Reality Check (NewsNation) for the Moon anomalies episode, the Aldrin episode, the Mars and Phobos episode, the Moon towers episode and the Apollo/shuttle episode (transcripts and write-ups in research/).
- Named frame AS14-66-9301 on air; the frame and its blue lights were then confirmed in NASA's full-resolution scan.
- Supplied the Apollo 17 'trio of blue lights' image that Mike Gold showed to members of Congress (per Max, Aldrin episode, 01:16:09); the same frame was later released by war.gov as NASA-UAP-VM006 with a 'physical object' caption.
Claims (3)
Puts the probability of artificial structures on the Moon above 50%, and the Face on Mars at 90% or more.Face on MarsanalysisSourced, unconfirmedMax Derakhshani
His fractal and texture algorithms reproduce Carlotto and Stein's published results (unpublished code).analysisSourced, unconfirmedMax Derakhshani
Predicts his detectors respond more strongly at low sun angles (testable; see the low-sun lead).analysisSourced, unconfirmedMax Derakhshani
What Max Derakhshani said (3 claims)
“NASA leaves anomalies in its archives undiscussed. Max and Coulthart argue NASA follows a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy on archive anomalies, and that Bill Nelson's 'no evidence' statement can't stand after the war.gov Apollo releases. The legal basis (Space Act) and the 1960 Brookings advice are o”analysisSourced, unconfirmedNASA, secrecy and the archive anomalies
“The Face on Mars is an eroded artificial monument (90%+). Max puts the odds at 90% or more, comparing it to what the Sphinx would look like after a billion years. Basis: Carlotto's 3D model, the fractal result, and the face persisting across sun angles (which Sagan accepted).”analysisSourced, unconfirmedFace on Mars
“Max's prediction: anomalies score higher at low sun. Max predicts his detectors respond more strongly at low sun angles. His exact Atlantis Chaos and Renaudot spots have no low-sun frames; nearby terrain does. Two routes: request reshoots through HiRISE HiWish, or compare low- and high-sun frames of”analysisLeadAtlantis Chaos right angles and grids
Cases (4)
- 1971Apollo 14 blue orbs
- 1972Apollo 17 three dots (war.gov VM006)
- 1976The Face on Mars
- 2025Carbon nanotubes in far-side soil
Connected
Ross Coulthart personCarlotto & Stein 1990: 'A method of searching for artificial objects on planetary surfaces' documentReality Check: 'Is Buzz Aldrin being forced into silence after witnessing a UFO?' documentReality Check: 'What did Apollo astronauts really see on the Moon?' documentReality Check: 'Is there a ruined civilization on Mars? A theoretical physicist runs the numbers' documentReality Check: 'Is NASA blurring their photos? What could be hiding on the Moon?' documentReality Check: 'Mysterious moon towers: Are there bases on the lunar surface?' document