UFO sightings
Thursday 17 September 2009
Ever wondered whether UFOs exist? Lots of people claim to spot them all over the world.
What is a UFO?
An unidentified flying object (UFO) is any object in the sky that cannot be identified as a normal airborne vehicle or object, like an airplane or helicopter.
The earliest sighting of a UFO dates back to 1305. Recent official records revealed that there were thousands of UFO sightings reported in the last 20 years.
Why are these so many sightings?
The reason why there has been such an increase in sightings is because there are now more digital video and still cameras available to capture the moment.
However, it’s also really easy to fake UFO pictures – there are loads of websites that tell you how to do it. Many digital cameras are capable of creating different picture settings which can make the photo look more genuine and harder to declare a hoax.
Around the world
Here's a selection of the strangest UFO sightings from all over the world.
Boston, England
The fifth instalment of UFO sightings in the UK, released by the Ministry of Defence and The National Archives, revealed a UFO sighted by Boston and Skegness police.
They notified the coastguard who alerted ships close by. Shortly afterwards crewmen on ships in the North Sea reported seeing more UFOs. At the same time, an unidentified blip was picked up on radar over Boston!
Staffordshire, England
Back in 1995, two teenagers in Staffordshire reported a UFO landing near their home.
The saucer-shaped object glowed red at the bottom of the craft, which could explain why the teens felt intense heat as it landed. They continued to watch the spacecraft until they saw what looked like a lemon-shaped head which said, "We want you, come with us."
Stirlingshire, Scotland
Many locals of Stirlingshire believe it is the UFO capital of the world and that the county is a dimension to another alien world. A recent study showed there are at least 300 sightings made every year.
One local claimed to be driving down the motorway when he suddenly noticed a 40ft triangular shaped spaceship hovering no more than a few hundred feet above him!
Mexico
Using a special infra-red camera, pilots from the Mexican air force were able to record 11 bright objects moving quickly in the sky.
At least one of the pilots believed they were real UFOs. "I believe they could feel we were pursuing them," he explained.
China
Scientists in China may soon release a recorded 40 minute tape of a UFO sighting. The spacecraft was caught on film during the longest eclipse of the 21st century. However, they won’t be sharing the footage for another year until they are able to study it more thoroughly.
Other videos include a film captured by students in Deqing. The film shows a blue-coloured sphere that looks like a spaceship that repeatedly changes shapes! Here's a video of another UFO sighting in China. Do you think it's a real UFO?
America
Two teenagers in Nevada reported seeing random lights in the sky, followed by three boomerang-shaped objects.
The teens decided to follow the objects in their car, and noticed that the front of the crafts appeared silver, whilst the back was completely invisible – they could even see the stars in the sky above it. They also reported that there was a broken mp3 player in their car which suddenly started playing tunes when the crafts approached them! Freaky.
