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UFOs and alien sightings have long been part of debates, with one side claiming they are fake and the other stating they might be real. However, UFOs and aliens have also been part of science fiction in pop culture. They have ruled the entertainment industry from Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) to Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), while pulling in huge numbers.
Leaving aside science fiction, sometimes there are incidents of UFOs and alien sightings that make us wonder if we are alone in the universe. From the USA to Brazil, there have been multiple reports of UFOs and alien sightings. So here is a list of the five most prominent alien sightings around the world.
Popular alien sightings around the world
Belgium UFO
In November 1989, over 13,000 people in Belgium witnessed a large triangular object flying in the sky. Later, in the spring of 1990, the investigation regarding the unidentifiable objects was also carried out by the military fighter pilots who claimed to have pursued some objects.
However, as per reports, as the pilots approached to observe the object, it flew out of range. This remains a mystery to this date, and some also report that this is the largest UFO sighting in history. These reported UFO sightings occurred from November 1989 to April 1990. At that time, this added to the growing speculation of alien sightings.
Flying Saucers
When it comes to the term ‘flying saucers,' we often wonder who came up with the idea to name it. The press that first coined this phrase in 1947 when pilot Kenneth Arnold reported a sighting. This incident happened to Arnold during his business trip.
As Arnold was traveling to Yakima, Wash., he witnessed a bright light reflecting off the side of the plane. There are reports that he also said he spotted a ‘V’ formation formed in the sky by nine aircraft flying at around 1,700 miles per hour heading towards Mount Rainer. Arnold described the movement of aircraft as “a saucer if you skip it over water.”
However, his description was misinterpreted by newspapers, who understood it as ‘the objects were shaped like saucers.’ This led to the formation of the term ‘flying saucers.’
Brazilian Island Mystery
This mystery is the latest incident of a reported alien sighting, which occurred around January 11, 2024. Two colossal, humanoid figures strolling on the base of the mountains of a small Brazilian island, Ilha do Mel, were captured in a video. As the video clip surfaced online, this sparked speculations regarding the alien sighting.
The two mysterious beings are seen standing on the hills in the video. There are reports that they are 10 feet tall. They can be seen traveling on the hills of Ilha do Mel Island, with their movements appearing similar to those of humans.
However, in the clip, one noticeable part is that the shrubbery barely reaches their knees. Some locals have claimed they might be aliens, adding to the speculations of alien sightings. This incident occurred just after a similar encounter in Florida, where there are reports of residents witnessing similar 10-foot-tall aliens in a Miami mall.
Washington, DC, UFO sighting
On July 19, 1952, citizens and travelers reported that they had witnessed unexpected and strange activities at Ronald Reagan National Airport. Air traffic controllers at the airport reported detecting movements on their radar. They claim that those movements were from an aircraft that wasn’t scheduled to arrive in the area but arrived at such a speed that the radar screens couldn’t be detected.
After this incident, another strange thing happened at the airport the following weekend. Airline crew members, including citizens and military personnel, have reported that they have witnessed flashes of light zooming into the sky and other occurrences. The Air Force held the largest press conference at the time, which is often described as the largest since World War II.
The press conference was held to calm the national anxiety and slow the reports of UFO sightings that were interfering with emergency calls. At the press conference, the Air Force linked the odd activity to meteors, stars, and metrological events such as temperature inversion, which resulted in the generation of energy detected by radar systems.
Los Angeles UFO sighting
This incident occurred in February 1942, during World War II, when US military personnel reported a strange occurrence linked to UFO sightings. On the morning of February 25, reports were that an unidentified aircraft 120 miles west of Los Angeles was detected on the radar and later disappeared.
Following that, a citywide blackout was declared, anti-aircraft searchlights were installed to locate the aircraft, and a defense air raid was launched. There were also reports of unidentified objects and foreign objects flying in the sky. Subsequently, it was found that the unidentified object was not from an enemy.
Following that, several reports came out where newspapers and the government added that they saw balloons, aircraft, hovering objects, and many other strange things in the night sky. These sightings added to nationwide confusion at that time.
UFOs and alien sightings have remained a topic of discussion. The mentioned sightings on the list, even today, remain a mystery, and the story behind them sounds as enigmatic as it was when they were first heard.
If you know of other popular UFO and alien sightings, mention them in the comments below.
