Captain José Teobaldo Viegas

Brazilian Air Force Officer

On January 16, 1958, Captain José Teobaldo Viegas, a retired captain of the Brazilian Air Force, was aboard the naval training ship Almirante Saldanha when he first sighted a UFO off the coast of Trindade Island. He alerted the approximately 50 witnesses on deck, including photographer Almiro Baraúna, who captured four images of the object.

The object was described as a silver, plate-shaped disc with a ring around its equator, resembling the planet Saturn. It moved silently at high speed (estimated at 600–700 mph), leaving a phosphorescent white trail, and performed erratic maneuvers including hovering and rapid acceleration. The incident received official verification from the Brazilian Navy and was confirmed by then-President Juscelino Kubitschek, though some critics later questioned the authenticity of the photographs.