Can You Spot the Nine Fighter Jets in This Photo?

Sep 02, 2025

Matt Growcoot

Aerial view of a city with a stadium, river, and urban areas surrounded by greenery and roads under a clear blue sky. — Nine fighter jets are seen here flying over the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

If you’ve ever wondered why fighter jets come in muted, camouflage colors, then this photo explains why.

There are nine FAB F-5M jets flying over the Guaíba River, somehow hidden in this photo that was captured by the Brazilian Air Force.

The brainbusting photo was taken a few years ago and has appeared on the internet before, but it was shared this past weekend by the popular Instagram account Inside History.

“Modern warfare isn’t just about firepower — it’s about disappearing! Fighter jets use advanced camouflage to avoid detection not just from the ground, but also from the air,” explains Inside History.

“Instead of bright, eye-catching colors, they’re painted in muted shades of gray, blue, or green — tones that blend seamlessly with the sky, clouds, or terrain below. This makes them harder to spot for enemy pilots, anti-aircraft systems, and surveillance technologies.”

But even though there are nine jets in the photo, it is still exceptionally difficult to make them out. An edited version of the photo with boosted saturation and contrast makes them a little easier to pick out. Hint: They are right in the middle of the foreground.

Aerial view of a cityscape featuring a large stadium, winding river, bridge, and dense urban area under a clear blue sky. Green spaces and buildings are visible throughout the landscape. — This enhanced-color version of the image make the jets, which are right in the middle of the frame, a little easier to spot.

Getting a mind-bending optical illusion photo can sometimes be about luck, but it can also be well-planned. Dutch iPhone photographer Rob Hoeijmakers searched for the right angle to get a photo of a canal that looks like its two different worlds spliced together.

“There are lots of straight lines [in the Netherlands] and almost artificial landscapes. Roads, canals, all going straight forever, no mountains,” Hoeijmakers told PetaPixel. “Next to that, the Dutch light is famous and for a reason. Next to the sea, you can see majestic clouds riding the sky, affecting the light.”