30+ Greatest UFO Sightings Of ALL Time

1. Rhode Island 1967

Image Source/ Yankee MagazineHarold Trudel managed to get some great pictures to back up his claims that he had seen flying saucers in the sky above Rhode Island. He was so determined to get proof that he set up camp with his camera to get seven pictures of the UFO. This sighting and these pictures are now some of the most iconic in history.

2. Washington DC 1952

Image Source/ Galaxy PressIn Washington D.C in 1952, what was described as "a number of bright lights" were seen in the skies over the Capitol building. They were seen by passers by but also seen on the radar screens of nearby airports and Airforce bases. They were investigated by the US Government but no further details have ever been released.

3. Pheonix Lights 1997

Image Source/ Pheonix New TimesIn 1997, a huge V-shaped object was seen in the skies over Pheonix, USA. This is one of the biggest sightings as it was reported by thousands of people. No one was able to say where it came from or what exactly it was. It certainly wasn't an aeroplane.

4. Unexplained Mars object 2017

Image Source/ The New York TimesThis image, captured by the Mars Curiosity Rover, appears to show an unidentified object on the surface of Mars. It was taken in 2017 and there is probably a reasonable explanation for what it is, but no one has offered us one yet. Obviously, no one has been able to visit the site to either confirm or deny extra-terrestrial involvement.

5. US Navy sightings

Image Source/ The New YorkerThere are a large number of reported UFO sightings by the US Navy. You would think these people would be very aware of what should and shouldn't be keeping them company in the skies. Videos were released in 2020 from the US Department of Defence showing some images and videos captured by its pilots.

6. McMinnville 1950

Image Source/ Encyclopedia BritannicaIn the early 1950s, Paul Trent took this photo from his farm in McMinnville, Oregon. The images show a flying object which he claims is an alien aircraft above his land. His wife also witnessed the event and they both stuck to their stories until they died.

7. Trindade Island 1958

Image Source/ WikipediaAlmiro Baraúna was sailing on the Almirante Saldanha in 1958 when he took these photos that he claims show a UFO off the coast of Brazil. Project Blue Book, which investigates these sort of claims, found that it was all a hoax. Almiro eventually admitted this but it took him until 2010 to own up!

8. Glasgow 2021

Image Source/ Glasgow LivePictures from a plane window emerged in 2021 which show a dark, large, oblong-shaped object flying above the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The object is thought to be a UFO but no authorities have made any comment, although that doesn't mean they aren't investigating.

9. The Hessdalen Lights 2007

Image Source/ Life in NorwayMoving on to Norway, back in 2007 some crazy and colourful lights were spotted in the skies of Hessdalen. Many thought the lights were extra-terrestrial visitors, although scientists did try to quash this theory and claim it was just chemical and electrical reactions in the atmosphere.

10. The battle of Los Angeles 1942

Image Source/ HistoryDuring the World War in 1942, a flying saucer like object was spotted in the sky over Los Angeles. Obviously, it was first mistaken for another enemy attack coming just after the attack on Pearl Harbour, but when missiles were fired into the sky they hit nothing...

11. Netherlands 2013

Image Source/ NBC NewsThis picture of a UFO with an S-shaped fin was captured above the Muiderslot Castle in the Netherlands. Taken in 2013, this very blurry image shows a different type of UFO to the normal flying saucer or floating lights type, but somehow seems to be more believable?

12. The Flying Acorn 2019

Image Source/ Popular MechanicsSpeaking of not your average looking UFO, this one looks like an acorn! In 2019 a pilot took pictures of this unidentified object flying over Oceania. Now surely it can be argued that this is a very credible witness. How do you explain this one away?

13. Nuremberg 1561

Image Source/ The Public Domain ReviewYou should never assume that UFO sightings are a modern occurrence. There are reports of unexplained events dating back to 1440 BC. In 1561, a mass sighting happened in Nuremberg when residents claim to have seen an aerial battle taking place in the sky, with a large, black, triangular object being at the forefront.

14. Morristown 2009

Image Source/ WikipediaA number of sightings of red lights in the sky were reported in Morristown, New Jersey in 2009. At the time many thought it was a real UFO sighting, but turned out to have been a very successful social experiment. Joe Rudy and Chris Russo wanted to show how easy it was to fool so-called UFO experts. They definitely succeeded!

15. Colorado 2014

Image Source/ CBS NewsBreckenridge, Colorado is another town to report a mass sighting. This time, it's of three mysterious white lights in the sky. Amongst the witnesses are police officers who saw the UFOs hovering in the sky above their town. Unfortunately, the pictures don't do the stories justice.

16. Newtown Lights 1987

Image Source/ CT InsiderIn May 1987, a UFO was seen flying over Interstate 84 in Newtown. It was spotted by a few hundred people who even reported it to the police. They say the UFO was huge, the size of a football field, and covered in multi-coloured lights. Randy Etting was the one to capture this picture.

17. Flying triangle 1990

Image Source/ HistoryIn Belgium, this flying triangle of lights was spotted in 1990. Military radar stations picked it up and sent out fighter jets to intercept it. The pilots never saw it, but their equipment did pick up the presence of an object. The object flew away so fast even the jets couldn't keep up with it.

18. Riverside 1951

Image Source/ The TelegraphGuy Marquand and his friends claim to have seen this 'flying saucer' in Riverside, California while hiking. They report the object flying past them at high speed, but they managed to get it on camera when it came back. They are the only witnesses of this particular sighting.

19. Salem 1952

Image Source/ TimeSalem isn't just full of witches. Apparently there are UFOs there too. A coastguard took this picture through the window of a laboratory back in 1952. You can see four brightly lit unidentified flying objects which are thought to belong to extra-terrestrial entities.

20. New Mexico 1957

Image Source/ NBC NewsThis light was photographed when it was hovering for around 15 minutes over Holloman Air Development Centre in New Mexico in 1957. This doesn't look like any normal light in the sky to me... It's oblong-like shape does give the impression it is some kind of aircraft.

21. Santa Ana 1965

Image Source/ The Washington PostTruck driver, Rex Heflin, took this picture of UFO after stopping in surprise and managing to capture it. He just saw it randomly flying through the sky in Santa Ana, California in 1965. There's a chance that the government looked into this one but no information was ever published.

22. Colorado 1966

Image Source/ The Leadville HeraldChalk Mountain in Colorado is another site that boasts a UFO spotting. Robert Rinker was a field technician working at the mountain's laboratory station when he discovered this object. He didn't speculate as to what it was when he released the image, so I will let you make your own mind up.

23. Edinburgh Castle 2021

Image Source/ Daily RecordA bright, white orb was spotted hovering above the famous Edinburgh Castle in Scotland last year. This isn't Scotland's first UFO sighting and I bet it won't be the last. Many people were witness to this event and, as you can imagine, have speculated as to where it came from.

24. Los Angeles 1963

Image Source/ TimeNow this picture is what you see you think of a UFO! The Amalgamated Flying Saucer Club of America (yes, this is a thing) was based in Los Angeles, and in 1963 they released this photograph which was reportedly taken by a member. It explicitly shows a flying saucer-like object in the sky.

25. Van Horn 1966

Image Source/ News Just AllThis photo was released in March 1966. It was taken by William Van Horn, who was the Civil Defence Director for Michigan at the time. He used this photo to challenge Air Force claims that 'swamp gas' was the cause of supposed UFO sightings in the area. Van Horn said that the setting was too windy for swamp gas to form.

26. New Mexico University 1967

Image Source/ WNYCWhile out on a field trip with geology class, a student at New Mexico State University took this picture of a supposed UFO. He was supposed to be photographing land formations, but got a little more than he bargained for. How does anyone explain this?

27. New Jersey Turnpike 2001

Image Source/ The Daily StarIt's very dangerous for motorists to stop in the middle of a highway, but in 2001, drivers all came to a halt and found themselves looking up into the sky. For around 15 minutes, there was strange orange and yellow lights in a V formation above the New Jersey Turnpike.

28. San Diego 2004

Image Source/ CNNIn 2004, a strike group flying off the coast of San Diego spotted an unknown craft on their radar. When the first two fighter jets arrived at the location, the object disappeared into the water and they could see churning water with an oval-shaped shadow underneath the water. There were no markers on the object and there was also no exhaust fumes.

29. O'Hare 2006

Image Source/ PinterestFlight 446 was getting ready to leave Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on November 7th 2006, when a United Airlines employee spotted a UFO flying above one of the gates. Quite a few witnesses saw the same thing, but the airport never gave any explanation as to what it was.

30. Stephensville 2008

Image Source/ KCBDStephensville in Texas is mostly known for its dairy farms. But not anymore. In 2008, lots of residents saw some unique lights in the sky. First in a horizontal arc and then in vertical parallel lines. There was no sounds, only lights, and no explanation was ever offered.

31. The Roswell Incident 1947

Image Source / Smithsonian MagazineIf there's ever talk of UFO sightings, you have to mention Roswell, of course. A 17-minute black and white film emerged in 1995 of a supposed alien autopsy, which of course turned out to be fake, but aside from this, there are many unexplained UFO occurrences where Roswell is concerned. And this UFO sighting in particular is more about a crashed flying object rather than one seen in the sky.

32. Texas 1897

Image Source / IMDb50 years before the Roswell incident, a UFO was sighted in Texas, over the city of Aurora. It flew over the farm of a man named J.S. Proctor, and only those awake early enough would have seen it in the sky. Apparently it wasn't just seen, either - it caught the edge of a windmill and crashed into Proctor's property. Rumours began that it was a hoax, but something definitely crashed into his farm.

33. The Romans 218 BCE

Image Source / Imperium RomanumOfficial documentation of unidentified things in the sky began in Roman times (even if things were seen before then, the Romans were the first to actually physically document it). The first written account came in 218 BCE when an historian noted "phantom ships seen gleaming in the sky". 42 years later, there was another report of a spark "falling from a star" and then returning to the sky.

34. Alabama 1948

Image Source / www.history.comWhile flying from Houston to Atlanta, two pilots spotted a large craft flying close to their plane, apparently 'cigar-shaped' and almost colliding with them. The object then seemed to vanish into thin air. Both pilots agreed they'd seen the same thing: a long, thin object, glowing blow, with an exhaust fume of orange and red.

35. Australia 1978

Image Source / ABCPilot Frederick Valentich reported seeing a strange aircraft flying above him, and appeared to be following. After making the report to Air Traffic Control, he later disappeared. The call from Valentich also said that his aircraft was behaving strangely and the lights of the other craft were extremely bright. Neither Valentich or his aircraft was ever found.

36. Texas 1951

Image Source / www.history.comA man was standing in the garden of his home - Dr Robinson, with two of his colleagues Professor Ducker and Dr Oberg - when all three of them saw several lights streak across the sky. This happened more than once, and some other colleagues of Robinson witnessed similar lights at different times. The lights would sometimes fly in a V shape, and then a U shape. They remain unexplained.

37. New Hampshire 1961

Image Source / Concord MonitorThe case of Betty and Barney Hill is one of the most famous in alien abduction cases in history. On a road in New Hampshire, the pair were driving during the night when a bright light appeared to be following them. They arrived home to see the sun rising and their clothes ripped and dirty. They couldn't remember what had happened, or how they got home. During hypnosis, they remembered being probed by aliens during an abduction.

38. California 2006

Image Source / Google PlayA psychotherapist named Barbara Lamb, who also studies crop circles, claimed to have been visited by a repetilian-like man in her house. She describes him as tall with yellow eyes, with a friendly disposition. When she reached out to touch his hand, the lizard man disappeared.

39. Zimbabwe 1994

Image Source / Mail & GuardianIn 1994, there were reports of several believed-to-be UFOs in Zimbabwe, hovering near a school. The schoolchildren who noticed them were apparently scared when asked to talk about it, and described 'beings' with big heads, no noses, no mouth and long black hair. They were also apparently dressed in suits.

40. Britain 1980

Image Source / BBCThe Rendlesham Forest Incident in Britain was actually witnessed by U.S. military personnel, who reported seeing an 'alien' aircraft fly through the forest. They went to check it out, and saw that some sort of strange hieroglyphics were written over it. It was rumoured that this was a prank played on the American soldiers by the British, but it wasn't proven either way.

41. Australia 1966

Image Source / Herald SunOver 300 people - students and teachers alike - from a school in Melbourne apparently witnessed five planes trying to capture a UFO in the sky. They watched as the UFO eventually managed to get away and disappeared. The students were then evidently told by staff - as well as men in black suits - to never speak of what they saw.

42. Massachusetts 1966

Image Source / TIMEA man named Robert Matthews saw strange lights when he was waiting for a truck to pick him up and take him to base to begin his first tour of duty. He called base from a payphone, afraid of the lights, thinking only 5 minutes had past, but was told that the truck had already tried to pick him up and couldn't find him. What had felt like 5 minutes had actually been an hour, and this sort of 'missing time' is often associated with alien abductions.

43. Wales 1977

Image Source / Four Corners BooksA group of school children from Broad Haven Primary School in Wales, UK, apparently spotted a UFO near the school's playground. The teachers didn't believe the kids, but when they were all asked to draw pictures of what they'd seen (separately) they all ended up with the same picture of a flying saucer.

44. Washington State 1947

Image Source / Smithsonian MagazineA man was out walking his dog with his son when he spotted six weird 'aircrafts' overhead. He then saw them fall around 1,500 feet and land in the water below. Tragically, the resultant metal debris injured his son, and killed his dog. Dahl told his supervisor at work what had happened, and not long after, a stranger in a black suit arrived to tell him - or rather, warn him - never to speak of it again. It's also said this incident inspired Men in Black.

45. Japan 1986

Image Source / YouTubeWhen Japan Airlines Flight 1628 was making its way from Paris to Tokyo, the aircraft crew apparently saw several UFOs. The crew said that the UFOs included one which was four times as big as the plane. They made an emergency landing in Alaska, where even the ground crew confirmed they'd seen it, too.

46. New Hampshire 1965

Image Source / FreepikA hitchhiker travelling in New Hampshire in 1965 noticed five flashing red lights in the woods, suddenly travelling towards him at high speed. The hitchhiker flung himself into a ditch in defence and then quickly flagged down a motorist. When the police investigated the area, they saw the same bright red lights speeding out of sight.

47. Newfoundland 1950s

Image Source / HuffPostLt. Col. French was a man who was supposed to explain away any UFO events as part of his job for the government - until he saw something with his own eyes. He revealed that in St John's, Newfoundland, he'd seen two UFOs which had crashed and landed in the water, with aliens trying to fix the ships. When they managed to fix them, they flew away.

48. Washington 1947

Image Source / NewsweekPilot Kenneth Arnold spotted nine circle-like objects in the sky - flying in formation - whilst he was flying north of Mount Rainier. His reports were actually dismissed by the Air Force investigation, but he still defended what he had saw until his dying day - that he had seen UFOs.

49. Texas 1957

Image Source / NewsweekMultiple people in Levelland, Texas, reported seeing round objects in the sky, as well as a flash of light. One witness told police the electronics in his car had even been affected by the phenomenon. The object had moved past with a loud sound and a rush of wind. It was later claimed it was really 'severe electrical storms and ball lightning'.

50. Washington, D.C. 1952

Image Source / Military.comThere were two separate occasions where UFOs were sighted at Andrews and Bolling Air Force base, and they were spotted on radar. The weird blips seen on the radar were seen by multiple air traffic controllers, and apparently moved at a speed of 100-130mph before fleeing at high speed.