Orbs

An Orb is a spherical, translucent, or illuminated circular anomaly captured on photographic film, digital sensors, or infrared video surveillance. Throughout early digital paranormal investigation, orbs were widely theorized to be the simplest visible manifestation of a spirit or consciousness moving through space in a low-energy state.

However, modern photographic analysis has established that the overwhelming majority (over 99%) of orb captures are the result of retroreflective backscatter. Backscatter occurs when airborne particulates—such as dust motes, aerosol water droplets, pollen, or tiny gnats—drift within inches of a camera lens into the out-of-focus “orb zone.” When a built-in flash or infrared illuminator fires, light strikes the particle and scatters back directly into the lens aperture, expanding into a defocused, translucent disc that appears to hover across the room.

To differentiate mundane particulate scatter from a genuine anomalous luminous phenomenon, researchers apply strict criteria: the light source must generate its own self-illumination (casting visible light or shadows onto adjacent physical surfaces), demonstrate deliberate intelligent velocity vectors counter to ambient air currents, and remain in focus across calibrated multiple camera angles.