UFO Sightings

Why sightings matter

Sightings are the front door of UFO/UAP research. They're messy, human, and full of confounders—but they also contain patterns: recurring shapes, flight behaviors, geographic clusters, and seasonal rhythms. When sightings are documented well, cross‑checked, and compared against known aerospace and atmospheric phenomena, they can point us toward the small subset that's truly anomalous.

What counts as a "good" sighting?

• Multiple independent witnesses seeing the same thing
• Multi-sensor corroboration (visual + radar/IR/FLIR, or visual + EM effects)
• Detailed, time-stamped documentation with location, duration, angular size, and motion
• Controlled elimination of conventional explanations (astronomy, aircraft, drones, balloons, re‑entries, satellites, atmospheric optics)

📊 Data Highlights: NUFORC Statistics

The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) maintains the largest independent database of UFO/UAP reports, with over 100,000 sightings documented since the 1940s. Below are key patterns drawn from their data.

Key insight: Report volume exploded in the 2000s and 2010s, driven by internet access, smartphone cameras, and online reporting forms. The 1990s marked the beginning of the digital surge, while earlier decades reflect pre-internet, mail-and-phone-based reporting.

Key insight: Lights and orbs dominate at 42% of all reports, while the "classic flying saucer" accounts for only 11%. Triangles and boomerang shapes are the second most common at 17%, often associated with silent, low-altitude craft reported since the 1980s.

Key insight: Reports peak in summer months (June–August), when people spend more time outdoors during warm evenings. Winter months see the fewest reports, likely due to weather and reduced outdoor activity.

Data sources:

• NUFORC Data Bank
• NUFORC Sightings Map
• Public snapshot via Timothy Renner's NUFORC dataset

Famous, Well-Documented Sightings:

Kenneth Arnold, Washington (1947)

The "flying saucer" origin. Nine objects moving in formation near Mt. Rainier at extraordinary speed; report triggered a wave of postwar sightings and the modern era of UFOs.

Rendlesham Forest, UK (1980)

Multi‑night events near RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge with multiple USAF witnesses, radiation readings, and a recorded audio log by Lt. Col. Halt. One of the most documented military sightings in Europe.

Tehran Intercept, Iran (1976)

Iranian F‑4s attempted interception; pilots reported instrumentation failures when approaching the object, with ground radar corroboration. Case file includes pilot testimony and declassified documents.

Phoenix Lights, Arizona (1997)

Massive V‑shaped formation witnessed by thousands across Arizona; sustained duration, multiple angles, and long‑lived debate about flares vs. a structured craft.

USS Nimitz "Tic Tac," off California (2004)

AAV/UAP tracked by Aegis radar and IR (FLIR1 video), with visual confirmation by Cdr. Fravor. Multi‑sensor case widely discussed in recent UAP hearings and reports.

Obscure (but Striking) Cases

Delphos, Kansas (1971)

Teen witness observed a glowing object near the ground; a ring of soil was left hydrophobic and luminescent. Soil effects and photography have made this a classic trace case, often overlooked by newcomers.

Levelland, Texas (1957)

Multiple motorists on different roads reported their vehicles stalling as a bright object approached, then restarting as it left. A textbook cluster of EM interference reports across locations.

Trancas, Argentina (1963)

Family observed multiple luminous objects close to the ground with reported heat and odor; notable for close‑range observation and detailed witness accounts.

Yukon "Giant UFO," Canada (1996)

Remote witnesses described a vast, silent craft crossing over highway and forest; the scale estimates and consistency across independent reports are unusual.

Tinley Park Lights, Illinois (2004)

Large red/orange lights in triangular arrangements over multiple nights, recorded by many residents; interesting mix of formation flying and ambiguity.

How to Report a Sighting

• Write down the basics immediately: date/time (UTC preferred), exact location (GPS), direction of travel, altitude/azimuth estimates, duration, weather, and any sounds or EM effects.
• Capture raw media: photos/video without filters; don't edit originals. Preserve EXIF metadata.
• Compare against knowns: planets, Moon, satellites (Heavens‑Above), Starlink trains, aircraft tracks (FlightRadar24), re‑entries, and balloons.

• Submit to reputable repositories:

  • Report a UFO on our site (link to your form)
  • NUFORC
  • MUFON

Methods and Caveats

• Observer effects: Distance and angular size are notoriously misjudged at night. Use reference objects when possible.
• Camera artifacts: Rolling shutter, long exposure trails, lens flares, and pixel binning can mimic "orbs" and zig‑zags.
• Social amplification: Clusters can reflect copycat reporting after media events; treat time‑linked spikes with caution.

Call to Action

• Share your sighting with us: We'll help you document, compare against known phenomena, and—if it survives the gauntlet—feature it in the Timeline.
• Investigators: Adopt our Protocols and Field Kit to raise the signal‑to‑noise of your reports.

Further reading:

• NUFORC Data Bank
• SCMP UFO Sightings Infographic
• GitHub: NUFORC Sightings Data