José Bonilla (astronomer)

José Bonilla (1844-1920) was a Mexican astronomer who is best known for photographing what he believed to be unidentified objects crossing the Sun on August 12, 1883, while observing at the Zacatecas Observatory. Bonilla was preparing to study sunspots when he observed the objects passing in front of the solar disc. He captured several photographs of these objects, leading him to initially propose that they were passing birds, insects, or dust particles. However, he later speculated, and it was eventually interpreted by some, that these objects could have been a large swarm of asteroids or even spacecraft.

The event garnered significant attention in scientific circles and contributed to discussions surrounding the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the nature of near-Earth objects. Subsequent analysis of Bonilla's photographs and observations suggested that the objects were likely high-flying geese or other birds, clouds of insects, or even dust clouds close to the Earth's atmosphere. Despite the likely mundane explanation, Bonilla's observations remain a notable historical anecdote in the context of early observations of possible unidentified aerial phenomena and underscore the challenges of identifying and interpreting unusual celestial events. He continued to work at the Zacatecas Observatory for many years, contributing to various astronomical observations and research.