UFO Sightings Are Up 51 Percent During the COVID-19 Pandemic

With an abundance of free time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are increasingly turning their attention to stargazing. Sometimes, they can’t quite believe what they’re seeing.

According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, sightings of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, are up 51 percent in 2020 over the same time period in 2019. The data comes from the National UFO Reporting Center, a two-person operation out of Harrington, Washington, which accepts and compiles sightings from individuals and says that more than 5000 incidents have been reported this year.

Peter Davenport, who runs the Center, told the Journal that many UFO sightings can be chalked up to drones, planes, or satellites. But there are nonetheless a number that have no clear origin. Recently, the Navy even released footage of three UFOs spotted by pilots that have no obvious explanation.

In August, the Pentagon announced a task force to study “unexplained aerial phenomena,” or UAPs, another term for what could be alien aircraft surveying humans.

With more time to look skyward, people may find more UFOs or UAPs to pique their curiosity, and 2020 may ultimately end with more believers and fewer skeptics than it started with.