UFO sightings in the United Kingdom

Last updated

This is a list of notable alleged sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the United Kingdom. Many more sightings have become known since the gradual release, between 2008 and 2013, of the Ministry of Defence's UFO sighting reports by the National Archives. In recent years, there have been many sightings of groups of slowly moving lights in the night sky, which can be easily explained as Chinese lanterns. Undertaken between 1997 and 2000, Project Condign concluded that all the investigated sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena in the UK could be attributed to misidentified but explicable objects, or poorly understood natural phenomena. [1] London is the city with the most UFO sightings in the UK, followed by Manchester and Birmingham. [2]

Contents

12th century

13th century

20th century

1900s

1910s

1940s

1950s

National Archives sketch of a UFO seen near Birmingham on 18 January 1975, later identified as satellites Zond 4 and Kosmos 460 Close encounter.jpg
National Archives sketch of a UFO seen near Birmingham on 18 January 1975, later identified as satellites Zond 4 and Kosmos 460
F-86 Sabre of the 406th Fighter Bomber Group F 86d 512fis 52 4063 phal 1958.jpg
F-86 Sabre of the 406th Fighter Bomber Group

1960s

Worldwide sightings of unidentified craft, including some from the UK (from the UK National Archives) UFO Sightings Chart.jpg
Worldwide sightings of unidentified craft, including some from the UK (from the UK National Archives)

1970s

National Archives sketch in 1998 of a UFO over a field, sent to sent to Kerry Philpott at Secretariat (Air Staff) 2A Colour sketch of a spaceship creating crop circles.jpg
National Archives sketch in 1998 of a UFO over a field, sent to sent to Kerry Philpott at Secretariat (Air Staff) 2A
Rendlesham Forest site of UFO landing Supposed UFO landing site - Rendlesham Forest - geograph.org.uk - 263104.jpg
Rendlesham Forest site of UFO landing

1980s

National Archives sketch of an alien planet landscape in January 2004 Sketch of alien planet landscape.jpg
National Archives sketch of an alien planet landscape in January 2004

1990s–2000

National Archives sketch of a UFO seen over Woolwich in September 2003 Sketch of 'spacecraft' seen near Woolwich.jpg
National Archives sketch of a UFO seen over Woolwich in September 2003
Castlecary Viaduct on the A80 in Scotland Castlecary Viaduct - geograph.org.uk - 1742750.jpg
Castlecary Viaduct on the A80 in Scotland

21st century

Still from video footage on 27 December 2000 sent to the UK National Archives Still from VHS footage of UFO sent to the British Ministry of Defence.jpg
Still from video footage on 27 December 2000 sent to the UK National Archives

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unidentified flying object</span> Airborne, submerged, and transmedium phenomena considered unusual and unidentified

An unidentified flying object (UFO), or unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAP), is any perceived airborne, submerged or transmedium phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. Upon investigation, most UFOs are identified as known objects or atmospheric phenomena, while a small number remain unexplained.

The term foo fighters was used by Allied aircraft pilots during World War II to describe various unidentified flying objects or mysterious aerial phenomena seen in the skies over both the European and Pacific theaters of operations.

The extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH) proposes that some unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are best explained as being physical spacecraft occupied by extraterrestrial intelligence or non-human aliens, or non-occupied alien probes from other planets visiting Earth. In spite of ardent believers that various UFO sightings are verifiable evidence for the hypothesis, no rigorous analysis has ever concluded as much.

In ufology, the psychosocial hypothesis, abbreviated PSH, argues that at least some UFO reports are best explained by psychological or social means. It is often contrasted with the better-known extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH), and is particularly popular among UFO researchers in the United Kingdom, such as David Clarke, Hilary Evans, the editors of Magonia magazine, and many of the contributors to Fortean Times magazine. It has also been popular in France since the publication in 1977 of a book written by Michel Monnerie, Et si les ovnis n'existaient pas?.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black triangle (UFO)</span> UFOs with triangular shape and dark color

Black triangles are UFOs reported as having a triangular shape and dark color, typically observed at night, described as large, silent, hovering, moving slowly, and displaying pulsating, colored lights which they can turn off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mystery airship</span> Wave of UFO sightings in the USA in 1896/97

The mystery airship or phantom airship was a phenomenon that thousands of people across the United States claimed to have observed from late 1896 through mid 1897. Typical airship reports involved nighttime sightings of unidentified flying lights, but more detailed accounts reported actual airborne craft similar to an airship or dirigible. Mystery airship reports are seen as a cultural predecessor to modern claims of extraterrestrial-piloted UFO's or flying saucers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoenix Lights</span> 1997 light phenomenon over Arizona, US

The Phoenix Lights were a series of widely sighted unidentified flying objects observed in the skies over the southwestern U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada on March 13, 1997.

The Chiles-Whitted UFO encounter occurred at approximately 2:45 AM on July 24, 1948, in the skies near Montgomery, Alabama, United States. Two commercial pilots, Clarence S. Chiles and John B. Whitted, claimed to have observed a "glowing object" pass by their plane before it appeared to pull up into a cloud and travel out of sight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westall UFO</span> 1966 UFO incident in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The Westall UFO was a reported UFO sighting in Australia that occurred on 6 April 1966 in Melbourne, Victoria. The object was observed by multiple individuals, including students at Westall High School. Specific details vary between accounts, which increases the difficulty of identification. The sighting has been commemorated with documentaries, reunions, and a local UFO playground.

The Chicago O'Hare UFO sighting occurred on November 7, 2006, around 4:15 p.m. when 12 United Airlines employees and a few witnesses outside O'Hare International Airport reported a sudden UFO sighting. The Federal Aviation Administration refused to investigate the matter because this unidentified flying object (UFO) was not seen on radar, instead calling it a "weather phenomenon".

This is a list of alleged sightings of unidentified flying objects or UFOs in Brazil.

This is a list of sightings of alleged UFOs in Australia.

Below is a partial list of alleged sightings of unidentified flying objects or UFOs in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1952 Washington, D.C. UFO incident</span>

From July 12 to 29, 1952, a series of unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings were reported in Washington, D.C., and later became known as the Washington flap, the Washington National Airport Sightings, or the Invasion of Washington. The most publicized sightings took place on consecutive weekends, July 19–20 and July 26–27. UFO historian Curtis Peebles called the incident "the climax of the 1952 (UFO) flap"—"Never before or after did Project Blue Book and the Air Force undergo such a tidal wave of (UFO) reports." this went on to become one of the most known UFO sightings ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying saucer</span> Purported disk-shaped aircraft

A flying saucer, or flying disc, is a purported disc-shaped UFO. The term was coined in 1947 by the U.S. news media for the objects pilot Kenneth Arnold claimed flew alongside his airplane above Washington State. Newspapers reported Arnold's story with speed estimates implausible for aircraft of the period. The story preceded a wave of hundreds of sightings across the United States, including the Roswell incident and the Flight 105 UFO sighting. The concept quickly spread to other countries. Early reports speculated about secret military technology, but flying saucers became synonymous with aliens by 1950. The more general military terms unidentified flying object (UFO) and unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) have gradually replaced the term over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting</span> Alleged 1947 sighting in Washington, US

On June 24, 1947, private pilot Kenneth Arnold claimed that he saw a string of nine, shiny unidentified flying objects flying past Mount Rainier at speeds that he estimated to be at least 1,200 miles per hour (1,900 km/h).

The most widely reported UFO incident in New Zealand, and the only one investigated, involved the Kaikoura lights encountered by aircraft, filmed and tracked by radar in December 1978. The New Zealand Defence Force does not take an official interest in UFO reports, but in December 2010 it released files on hundreds of purported UFO reports. New Zealand's then-Minister of Defence, Wayne Mapp said at the time people could "make what they will" of the reports, and said "a quick scan of the files indicates that virtually everything has a natural explanation".

The Little Rissington UFO incident was an encounter in October 1952 between a Gloster Meteor and three unidentified saucer-shaped objects over Gloucestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flight 105 UFO sighting</span> UFO sighting in 1947

The Flight 105 UFO sighting occurred on July 4, 1947, when three crew members aboard a United Airlines flight reported seeing multiple unidentified flying objects in the skies over the Pacific Northwest. The incident was among at least 800 similar sightings in the United States within a few weeks in the summer of 1947, but the first report by professional pilots. The U.S. military ultimately attributed what the crew members saw to "ordinary aircraft, balloons, birds, or pure illusion".

This is a list of alleged sightings of unidentified flying objects or UFOs in Greece.

References

  1. "UK skies 'UFO free for the past 30 years'". Independent Online . 15 May 2006. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  2. "Out of This World: What are the UK's Biggest Hotspots For UFO Sightings?".
  3. 1 2 3 Marrs, Jim (1997). Alien Agenda . HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. p.  61. ISBN   0-06-018642-9.
  4. "The Byland Abbey UFO Sighting: Anatomy of a Hoax".
  5. "Condon Report, Sec 5, Chapter 1: UFOs in History".
  6. Western Mail Wednesday 10 May 1909, page 6
  7. Eastern Evening News Thursday 20 May 1909, page 3
  8. Scareships in 1912
  9. Parliament 27 November 1912
  10. 1 2 "Early 20th UFO encounters". wunderkabinett.co.uk. 7 September 2009. Archived from the original on 17 September 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  11. "Churchill 'banned UFO report to avoid mass panic'". AFP . 5 August 2010. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014 via google.com.
  12. "Churchill Ordered UFO Coverup, Documents Suggest". Fox News. 5 August 2010. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012.
  13. "Churchill ordered UFO cover-up, National Archives show". BBC News. 5 August 2010.
  14. "Newly released UFO files from the UK government (inc. link to previously released files)". The National Archives. June 2013. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  15. Shough, Martin. "Archive Index". martinshough.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  16. Daily Herald Wednesday 7 June 1950, page 1
  17. Western Mail Wednesday 7 June 1950, page 1
  18. Sunday Mirror Sunday 21 September 1952, page 7
  19. Daily Herald Thursday 19 November 1953, page 1
  20. Weekly Dispatch (London) Sunday 18 October 1953, page 6
  21. Daily Express Saturday 10 October 1953, page 1
  22. NICAP 1953
  23. BBC Rewind November 1953
  24. G-ALSC
  25. BBC Genome
  26. NICAP BOAC June 1954
  27. BOAC Stratocruiser 1954
  28. The Scotsman Thursday 9 May 1968, page 21
  29. Hansard 1979
  30. James Salandin 1954
  31. "UFO investigator - meet granny Margaret Fry". Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) BBC, 20 May 2008
  32. Booth, B. J. "The 1955 Bexleyheath UFO Encounter, UFO Casebook Files". www.ufocasebook.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  33. "Bexleyheath UFO". ufocasebook.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  34. "Bexleyheath 1955". ufoevidence.org. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  35. Louth Standard Saturday 29 September 1956, page 16
  36. Liverpool Echo Saturday 6 April 1957, page 23
  37. Birmingham Daily Post Monday 8 April 1957, page 1
  38. Times Wednesday May 1 1957, page 10
  39. Parliament 15 May 1957
  40. Thanet Times Tuesday 17 May 1988, page 9
  41. Longbottom, P. (1957). "The Silpho Moor Mystery" (PDF). IVLIVS. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  42. Branagan, M. (11 February 2018). "Lost 'UFO' crash mystery solved after 60 years as 'Silpho saucer' found". Express Newspapers. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  43. Rogers, J. (13 February 2018). "Lost 'miniature UFO' wreckage discovered in museum". FOX News Network. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  44. Bedfordshire Chronicle Thursday 15 February 1962
  45. Daily Express Saturday 10 February 1962, page 1
  46. West London Times Friday 1 May 1964, page 4
  47. Belfast News-Letter Saturday 10 February 1962, page 5
  48. Grimsby Evening Telegraph Friday 10 September 1965, page 4
  49. RTE 1962 Aer Lingus
  50. West London Times Friday 8 May 1964, page 4
  51. Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser Saturday 26 May 1962, page 1
  52. "UFO Warminster". ufo-warminster.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  53. Nationwide: UFOs in Wiltshire Tuesday, 28 August 1973 with Arthur Shuttlewood BBC Rewind
  54. Walker, Charles (6 August 2008). "Black Magic in Clapham and Sussex". MysteriousBritain.co.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  55. Stoke
  56. Western Daily Press Wednesday 25 October 1967, page 1
  57. Ridpath, Ian. "Devon Flying Cross UFO of 1967 – Ian Ridpath". www.ianridpath.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  58. Ridpath, Ian. "The 1967 October UFO flap – Ian Ridpath's UFO skeptic pages". www.ianridpath.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  59. Spotlight South West Saturday, 27 October 1962 BBC Rewind
  60. Aberdeen Evening Express Tuesday 24 October 1967, page 1
  61. Daily Mirror Thursday 26 October 1967, page 32
  62. Daily Mirror Friday 27 October 1967, page 28
  63. Parliament 8 November 1967
  64. Daily Mirror Thursday 26 October 1967, page 32
  65. Wales Today: UFO Sightings Tuesday, 31 October 1967 BBC Rewind
  66. "Moigns Down UFO". darkdorset.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  67. Grimsby Evening Telegraph Saturday 6 August 1994, page 9
  68. Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph Monday 15 August 1994, page 4
  69. Moir, T. J. "Muchalls UFOs". Archived from the original on 25 March 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
  70. Leicester Mercury, Wednesday 26 May 1971, page 19
  71. Hinckley Times Friday 30 May 1986, page 20
  72. Times Tuesday August 24 1971, page 2
  73. Wolverhampton Express and Star Tuesday 24 August 1971, page 28
  74. "Langford Budville Abduction (1973)". MysteriousBritain.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  75. Western Daily Press Wednesday 1 May 1996, page 16
  76. Booth, Billy. "1974-Wales UFO Crash". About.com. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  77. Bourton, Tom (5 July 2007). "New details on UFO case released". BBC News. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  78. Birmingham Daily Post Tuesday 8 February 1977, page 5
  79. Daily Mirror Tuesday 8 February 1977, page 5
  80. Daily Mirror Friday 11 February 1977, page 11
  81. South Wales Argus June 2022
  82. "HAUNTED WIRRAL: The Silver Man of Barnston". 16 July 2023.
  83. B. J. Booth. "Elsie's UFO Encounter on the A45". UFOcasebook.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008.
  84. "Elsie's UFO encounter on the A45 in south Northants". Northampton Chronicle & Echo . 4 February 2008. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014.
  85. "Opinions: Is there life on other planets?". The Independent. 10 October 1992.
  86. "Bob Taylor". The Daily Telegraph. London. 23 March 2007. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  87. Campbell, Steuart (1994). The UFO Mystery Solved. Edinburgh: Explicit Books. pp. 150–158. ISBN   978-0-9521512-0-3.
  88. Sunday Mirror Sunday 29 November 1981, page 10
  89. Daily Mirror Monday 30 November 1981, page 15
  90. South Wales Echo Friday 21 January 1983, page 7
  91. South Wales Echo Thursday 20 January 1983, page 1
  92. Booth, Billy. "1983-Alfred Burtoo Abduction". Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  93. Brett Birks (21 March 2007). "Black Country - Features - UFO over Brierley Hill". BBC.
  94. B. J. Booth. "1987 - The Ilkley Moor Alien". UFO Casebook Files.
  95. "The Calvine UFO photograph – revealed" . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  96. "Revealed after 32 years, the top secret picture one MOD insider calls 'the most spectacular UFO photo ever captured'" . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  97. "'Best' UFO Picture Ever, the Calvine Photo, Found After 30 Years Missing". Newsweek . 15 August 2022.
  98. Western Daily Press Wednesday 7 November 1990, page 3
  99. Parliament 24 July 1996
  100. Moray Express Friday 26 September 1997, page 6
  101. "Captain Achille Zaghetti's Close Encounter". ufocasebook.com. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  102. Nick Squires (21 October 2008). "UFO encounter described by Italian pilot". Telegraph.co.uk.
  103. Nottingham 1991
  104. Liverpool Daily Post Tuesday 28 April 1992, page 5
  105. Crawley and District Observer Wednesday 29 April 1992, page 2
  106. Geraghty, Paul. "The Falkirk Triangle". UFOencounters. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
  107. Paranormal Encounters on Britain's Roads: Phantom Figures, UFOs and Missing Time, page 36, 2018
  108. RTE 1993
  109. David Clarke (27 March 2011). "The Cosford Incident". Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  110. The Scotsman Thursday 15 September 1994, page 13
  111. The Scotsman Thursday 15 September 1994, page 13
  112. "Astronomical causes of UFOs".
  113. David Clarke (3 April 2011). "The Boston Stump Incident".
  114. Lincolnshire Echo Wednesday 9 October 1996, page 3
  115. Aberdeen Press and Journal Monday 28 October 1996, page 1
  116. Herald Scotland 1998
  117. West Sussex County Times Friday 2 October 1998, page 2
  118. Aberdeen Press and Journal Monday 3 January 2000, page 15
  119. Brighton 2000 Police helicopter
  120. "'UFO' video goes to Hollywood". BBC News. 1 June 2001. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  121. "Vapour trails, bright lights and a mysterious balloon". Torquay Herald. 1 June 2001. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  122. "Moonraking: Spooky Stuff: UFOs". BBC. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  123. "Readers call in on Dorito UFO". Express & Star . Archived from the original on 28 February 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  124. "UFO spotted by police helicopter". BBC News. 20 June 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  125. Savage, Mark (22 March 2018). "Kim Wilde says aliens inspired her pop comeback". BBC News.
  126. "Kim Wilde Had a UFO Encounter | Loose Women". YouTube. 12 September 2018. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021.
  127. "UFO spotted in Welwyn Garden City". Welwyn Hatfield Times. 30 June 2009.
  128. "The X-Files comes to East Dunbartonshire". Kirkintilloch Herald . Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  129. "Airbus pilot reveals near-miss with UFO over Berkshire countryside - The Independent". Independent.co.uk . 6 January 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  130. BENNETT, FREDERICK (21 January 2022). ""Military are hiding the facts about Pentyrch UFO sighting," says author". The Cardiffian. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  131. Flynn, Jessica (26 February 2016). "Why parts of South Wales were kept awake last night". Wales Online. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  132. "FOI 201810545 and 201810507 FINAL.pdf". www.whatdotheyknow.com. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  133. "FOI 201810545 and 201810507 FINAL.pdf". www.whatdotheyknow.com. Retrieved 22 October 2024.