Within NASA Image
Did the Remote Display Distort the Cigar Shape?
McKinnon's four-bit remote display may have smoothed edges, hidden structure and made an ordinary object appear unusually seamless.
On this page
- What four bit colour and low resolution remove
- How banding and edge simplification alter silhouettes
- Which visual details could not survive the connection
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
Gary McKinnon’s description of a smooth, cigar-shaped object is inseparable from the way he said he viewed it. By his own account, he did not examine the original high-resolution NASA image directly. Instead, he watched only part of it appear over a slow 56-kilobit-per-second dial-up connection while using a remote desktop configured to four-bit colour and a very low screen resolution. Those display limitations are not a minor detail: they are a plausible mechanism by which an ordinary object could appear unusually simple, seamless and elongated.[SecLists]seclists.orgSec Lists Information Security News: 'UFO Hacker' Tells What He FoundInformation Security News: 'UFO Hacker' Tells What He FoundJune 21, 2006…
This does not prove that the object was conventional, nor does it prove McKinnon’s interpretation was wrong. It does, however, mean that any assessment of the alleged image has to account for how aggressive image simplification can change the appearance of shape, texture and edges before the viewer ever interprets what they are seeing.
What Four-Bit Colour and Low Resolution Remove
A four-bit display is limited to just 16 colours on screen. Combined with reduced screen resolution, this dramatically lowers the amount of visual information that can be presented at any one time. Fine tonal transitions become bands, subtle shadows disappear and small surface details merge into larger blocks of colour.
For someone remotely viewing an enormous image over an extremely slow connection, the losses would have extended beyond colour alone:
- Small panel lines could disappear.
- Rivets or fasteners could merge into surrounding surfaces.
- Thin protrusions such as antennas, booms or trusses might never become distinguishable.
- Gentle curves could become simplified into smooth, uninterrupted outlines.
- Variations in brightness that normally define three-dimensional structure could be flattened into broad regions.
McKinnon himself emphasised that he deliberately reduced both colour depth and display resolution to make the remote session usable over dial-up. That means the simplified appearance of the object was an expected consequence of the viewing conditions rather than an independent characteristic of the original image.[SecLists]seclists.orgSec Lists Information Security News: 'UFO Hacker' Tells What He FoundInformation Security News: 'UFO Hacker' Tells What He FoundJune 21, 2006…
How Banding and Edge Simplification Alter Silhouettes
Human vision identifies objects largely from their outlines. When image quality deteriorates, internal detail is lost before the overall silhouette disappears.
This creates several effects that can exaggerate the impression of a perfectly streamlined object.
First, edge smoothing causes neighbouring pixels to merge. Instead of seeing multiple structural components, the viewer may perceive one continuous body.
Second, colour banding reduces gradual lighting differences. Cylindrical spacecraft modules, solar-array supports or payload structures that would normally be distinguished by changing highlights can visually merge into a single elongated form.
Third, incomplete image rendering may leave only the most prominent portions visible. McKinnon stated that he saw only part of a very large image before the session ended. If only the central section had fully rendered, attached structures might have been absent or only partially displayed, further reinforcing the impression of a simple cigar-like shape.[SecLists]seclists.orgSec Lists Information Security News: 'UFO Hacker' Tells What He FoundInformation Security News: 'UFO Hacker' Tells What He FoundJune 21, 2006…
These effects are well understood in digital imaging and remote display systems. Reduced graphical fidelity routinely sacrifices detail in favour of transmitting only coarse visual information, especially over low-bandwidth connections.
Which Visual Details Could Not Survive the Connection
One of McKinnon’s most frequently quoted observations was that the object showed “no visible seams or riveting.” That statement is often treated as evidence that the object differed from conventional spacecraft.
From an imaging perspective, however, the absence of visible seams is exactly what would be expected if the original photograph contained much than the remote display could reproduce.
Features especially vulnerable to disappearing include:
- narrow seams between structural panels;
- rows of rivets or bolts;
- thermal blanket wrinkles;
- small inspection hatches;
- cable runs and attachment points;
- surface weathering or subtle texture;
- minor shadows cast by projecting equipment.
The inability to see these features therefore cannot distinguish between an advanced seamless craft and a conventional spacecraft viewed under severe display constraints. It only establishes that the transmitted image lacked sufficient detail to resolve them.
Why Partial Rendering Matters
Remote desktop software of the early 2000s was designed to minimise bandwidth by updating only the portions of the screen that had changed. Large images could appear progressively, often refreshing block by block rather than arriving as a complete frame.
McKinnon described watching a huge image slowly emerge before the connection ended. Under those circumstances, several distortions become possible:
- the image may have been incomplete;
- some regions may have remained at lower quality than others;
- sections could have refreshed at different times;
- the visible portion may not have represented the final rendered image.
This is important because human perception naturally fills missing information. Once the brain recognises an elongated outline, it tends to interpret incomplete visual data as belonging to a single coherent object rather than a partially rendered collection of structures.
Why the Shape Alone Cannot Identify the Object
“Cigar-shaped” is a descriptive impression rather than a technical classification. Many ordinary aerospace objects—including satellites, payload modules, rocket stages and spacecraft components—can appear elongated depending on viewing angle, lighting, cropping and image quality.
When severe display limitations remove fine structural information, different objects become more visually similar. Distinctive engineering features that normally allow identification disappear first, leaving only the broad silhouette.
Consequently, the reported shape provides relatively weak evidence about the object’s true identity. It is consistent with McKinnon faithfully describing what he saw on his screen, while remaining insufficient to determine whether the original high-resolution image depicted an unconventional craft, a conventional spacecraft or another object entirely. The technical limitations of the viewing conditions mean that the apparent seamless, cigar-like appearance cannot be separated from the way the image was transmitted and displayed.[seclists.org]seclists.orgSec Lists Information Security News: 'UFO Hacker' Tells What He FoundInformation Security News: 'UFO Hacker' Tells What He FoundJune 21, 2006…
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Did the Remote Display Distort the Cigar Shape?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
Digital Image Processing
This is the eBook of the printed book and may not include any media, website access codes, or print supplements that may come packaged wi...
The Image Processing Handbook
Whether obtained by microscopes, space probes, or the human eye, the same basic tools can be applied to acquire, process, and analyze the...
Packing for Mars
Rating: 3.9/5 from 19 Google Books ratings
What happens to you when you can't walk for a year? When you can't have sex? Or smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet d...
Bad Astronomy
A clever, thought-provoking guide that attacks common astronomical misconceptions What is Bad Astronomy? Anything that accidentally or in...
eBay marketplace picks
Marketplace Samples
Live-tested eBay searches with available results related to this page.
Selected fromNASA mission patch oneBay.co.uk.
Endnotes
1.
Source: seclists.org
Title: Sec Lists Information Security News: ‘UFO Hacker’ Tells What He Found
Link:https://seclists.org/isn/2006/Jun/105
Source snippet
Information Security News: 'UFO Hacker' Tells What He FoundJune 21, 2006...
Published: June 21, 2006
2.
Source: spectrum.ieee.org
Title: Spectrum Gary Mc Kinnon: The Autistic Hacker
Link:https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-autistic-hacker
Source snippet
After dropping out of secondary school, he floated between jobs in computer technical support. The childhood fea...
3.
Source: nasa.gov
Title: Cockpit Display Design/Intelligent Spacecraft Interface Systems
Link:https://www.nasa.gov/human-systems-integration-division/cockpit-display-design-intelligent-spacecraft-interface-systems/
Source snippet
March 3, 2026 — COCKPIT DISPLAY DESIGN/INTELLIGENT SPACECRAFT INTERFACE SYSTEMS NASA Human Factors researchers played an integral rol...
Published: March 3, 2026
4.
Source: ntrs.nasa.gov
Link:https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20100019618
5.
Source: ntrs.nasa.gov
Link:https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20110013047
6.
Source: gcn.nasa.gov
Link:https://gcn.nasa.gov/circulars/5362
7.
Source: ntrs.nasa.gov
Link:https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19720000646
8.
Source: image.gsfc.nasa.gov
Link:https://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Additional References
9.
Source: linkedin.com
Title: GAR Y MAC KINNON.TH E WHISTLE BLOWER
Link:https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gary-mac-kinnonthe-whistle-blower-didier-hanson
Source snippet
Didier H. DIDIER H. Published Dec 17, 2015 + Follow Scottish computer hacker Gary McKinnon is accused of gaining access to nearly a hundr...
10.
Source: boingboing.net
Title: Boing Boing Interview with “UFO Hacker” Gary Mc Kinnon: why’d he do it?
Link:https://boingboing.net/2006/06/21/interview-with-ufo-h.html
Source snippet
Boing BoingInterview with "UFO Hacker" Gary McKinnon: why'd he do it? - Boing Boing...
11.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Hacking for UFOs and fighting for his life. Who is Gary Mc Kinnon? | Nord VPN
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OImdnvQx7sQ
Source snippet
Ancient Aliens: Hacking NASA Secrets (Season 12, Episode 9) | History...
12.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ka4l7jdeQw
Source snippet
Hacking for UFOs and fighting for his life. Who is Gary McKinnon? | NordVPN...
13.
Source: thegalacticmind.com
Title: Gary Mc Kinnon and the Search Inside the Machine
Link:https://www.thegalacticmind.com/the-ufo-hacker-gary-mckinnon/
Source snippet
THE NASA AND PENTAGON INTRUSIONS Between 2001 and 2002, U.S. authorities accused McKinnon of accessing numero...
14.
Source: wanttoknow.info
Title: * * * Wired,
Link:https://www.wanttoknow.info/a-ufo-hacker-tells-what-he-found
Source snippet
'UFO Hacker' Tells What He FoundFebruary 19, 2024 — 'UFO HACKER' TELLS WHAT HE FOUND Key Excerpts from Article on Website of Wired Image...
Published: February 19, 2024
15.
Source: youtube.com
Title: UK hacker’s extradition to US blocked
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Js8DF80HY
Source snippet
Dan Bull - Free Gary [an open letter to the Home Secretary]...
16.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Ancient Aliens: Hacking NASA Secrets (Season 12, Episode 9) | History
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20rWFDfh68Y
Source snippet
UK hacker's extradition to US blocked...