The best place to spot a UFO in the US may be out west — sightings in the US between 2001 and 2020 seem to have mostly come from there, a study found. The west's big, open skies and low cloud cover offer the perfect viewing opportunity to spot any alien visitor dropping by. However, spots are likely marred by activity from nearby military sites and airports, the report found.
The U.S. government needs to understand what is in the operating domains to ensure the safety and security of the nation and its people. Scientists are trying to figure out what could help them filter out the truly groundbreaking spots from a sea of misinformation and confusion.
If you were in Los Angeles on Tuesday, you could be forgiven for thinking you saw an alien. An ethereal jellyfish-shaped blob streaked the sky as the sun was setting, traveling at an alarming speed. What many didn't know is that a SpaceX rocket had taken off nearby, leaving behind a vapor trail that seems quite bizarre to the untrained eye.
The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) takes unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) quite seriously. These reports could be crucial evidence to track enemy tech flying under the radar in US airspace. However, the overwhelming majority of the reports can be easily explained by something else, like a passing satellite or rocket, or clouds distorting the light.
In an effort to tackle the question of trustworthiness of sightings, a survey was carried out to determine where sightings are mostly coming from. Most reports are hyperlocalized in the West, with California having markedly fewer reports. The study found that regions with more cloud cover did not necessarily have hotspots of activity.
By examining the spatial distribution of reports and how they relate to the local environment, scientists hope to provide geographical context that may help resolve or understand reports by both the public and in military settings. Hotspots for alien reports are places where the skies are wide open and it's easy to see the stars, offering precious stargazing opportunities with the occasional alien thrill.
The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports in December 2023.
