Pre-Sputnik High-Orbit Glints

Digitized plates from the 1949–58 First Palomar Sky Survey contain over 100,000 brief transients that cluster where objects would be sunlit at geosynchronous-like distances, not in Earth’s shadow. Using the VASCO catalog, the shadow test shows a 21.9-sigma deficit (expected 1223 vs. seen 349 at ~42,000 km), consistent with sunlight glinting off flat, reflective surfaces. The implied rate is ~340 glints per hour per sky before any human satellites existed. — If verified, this suggests non-human orbital hardware before 1957, forcing a re-evaluation of SETI, space surveillance, and defense policy.