This is a list of notable reported sightings of

unidentified flying object An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...

s (UFOs) some of which include related claims of close encounters of the second or third kind or alien abduction. UFOs are generally considered to include any perceived aerial 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. UFOs have been referred to using a range of terms including the more specific " flying saucer" and the more general term " unidentified anomalous phenomena" (UAP). "UAP" is sometimes used to avoid cultural associations with UFO conspiracy theories. Although often viewed as abnormal, UFO sightings are reported frequently. During the United States' initial 1947 wave, over 800 sightings were reported in the news. The British Ministry of Defence receives hundreds of reports each year. In

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, pilots alone report dozens of annual sightings. A small portion of reported sightings have lasting cultural significance, interpreted through the cultural and technological expectations of the time.

Antiquity

8th century

16th–17th centuries

19th century

20th century

1900–1949

1950–1974

1975–1999

21st century

By location

The lists below contain UFO reports mentioned above, along with less notable UFO reports from the specific areas.

or xenobiology. * List of UFO religions * List of investigations of UFOs by governments * List of UFO organizations – Private organizations that investigate UFO sightings. * Extraterrestrial hypothesis – The proposal that UFO sightings are observations of physical craft piloted by biological aliens from another planet. * Interdimensional hypothesis – The proposal that UFO sightings are the result of experiences with another dimension. * Psychosocial hypothesis – The proposal that UFO sightings can be explained by social and psychological processes. * Time-traveler hypothesis – The proposal that UFO sightings can be interpreted as advanced humans traveling from the future.

References

Notes

{{Pseudoscience sightings