Frequently asked questions
About this site
What is UFO Sightings Map?
It is an interactive 3D globe of UFO and UAP sightings from around the world. You can spin the globe, explore by region, and open individual cases to read what was reported.
Where does the sighting data come from?
Cases are drawn from public historical record and from government archives that permit reuse, such as the US Project Blue Book files, the UK Ministry of Defence files, Library and Archives Canada, and the Brazilian National Archive. Each case lists its source.
Is it free to use?
Browsing the globe and exploring sightings is free. Full case detail and extra features may become available as inexpensive one-time unlocks in the future.
Do you cover the whole world?
Yes. The map spans North America, Europe, South America, Australia and beyond, with more cases added over time.
What is the difference between UFO and UAP?
UFO means unidentified flying object, the older and more familiar term. UAP means unidentified aerial phenomena, the term governments and media now tend to use. They describe the same thing.
How often are new sightings added?
New cases are added in regular batches as they are researched and verified.
Can I suggest a case or report a correction?
Yes. Use the contact page to send a suggestion or a correction and we will review it.
Why are some markers dim and not clickable for detail?
Those events are logged in the archives but their original files are too degraded to read, so there is nothing to display beyond the record that they happened.
About UFOs and UAPs
What is the most famous UFO sighting of all time?
The 1947 Roswell incident is the most famous and most debated. Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting popularized the term flying saucer, and the US Navy's 2004 Nimitz Tic Tac is the most prominent modern case.
What is the difference between a UFO and a UAP?
UFO means unidentified flying object, the older and more common term. UAP means unidentified aerial phenomena, the term governments and media now prefer. They describe the same thing, with UAP being slightly broader.
Are UFOs real?
The sightings are real, documented reports, and the objects in them are real to the witnesses. UFO only means something was unidentified, not that it was alien. Most are later explained, while a minority remain unexplained.
Has the government admitted UFOs are real?
Governments acknowledge that unidentified phenomena exist and that they investigate them, and the US has released military videos of them. No government has confirmed they are extraterrestrial.
What was the Roswell incident?
In 1947 the US military recovered debris near Roswell, New Mexico, first calling it a flying disc and then a balloon. Decades later it was tied to a classified balloon program. It remains the most argued case in the field.
What is the Nimitz Tic Tac UFO?
In 2004 US Navy pilots off California reported and recorded a fast, wingless object shaped like a Tic Tac. It is central to the recent wave of official attention on these phenomena.
What are the Pentagon UFO videos?
They are three US Navy infrared clips, often called FLIR, GIMBAL, and GoFast, that the US government officially acknowledged between 2017 and 2020. They show objects the Navy could not identify.
Where are UFOs most commonly seen?
Reports cluster near coasts, airfields, and open skies, and rise where more people are watching. Historically the United States has logged the most sightings.
Which countries have released their UFO files?
The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, and France have all released government UFO records, along with several others. This map draws on those public archives.
What is Project Blue Book?
It was the US Air Force study of UFO reports from 1952 to 1969. It examined about twelve thousand cases, left around seven hundred unidentified, and concluded none threatened national security.
Has a pilot ever recorded a UFO?
Yes. Military and airline pilots have recorded UFOs, most famously the US Navy encounters off California and the East Coast.
Are there UFO sightings near me?
Sightings have been reported almost everywhere in the world. Explore the map by region to see the documented cases closest to a location.
What is the most credible UFO case?
The strongest cases combine multiple witnesses with radar or instrument data, such as the 1956 Lakenheath-Bentwaters radar case, the RB-47 electronic case, and the 2004 Nimitz encounter.
Have UFOs ever been seen on radar?
Yes. Several cases were tracked on radar, including the 1952 Washington flap and the 1990 Belgian wave.
What did the Phoenix Lights turn out to be?
Part of the 1997 Phoenix Lights were later tied to military flares. Many witnesses also reported an earlier large, silent craft that was never explained.
What is the Rendlesham Forest incident?
In 1980 US airmen stationed in England reported strange lights and a landed object in Rendlesham Forest over several nights. It is often called Britain's most famous case.
Has anyone ever photographed a UFO?
Yes. Well-known photographic cases include McMinnville in 1950, Trindade Island in 1958, and the Calvine photograph from 1990.
Are UFO sightings increasing?
Reports have risen in recent years, partly because of more cameras, more drones and aircraft, and renewed official attention. That does not necessarily mean more genuine unknowns.
What is the oldest recorded UFO sighting?
Accounts of strange objects in the sky go back centuries, such as the 1561 Nuremberg and 1566 Basel broadsheets, though these are hard to interpret with modern eyes.
Do governments still investigate UFOs?
Yes. The United States runs a dedicated office called AARO, and other governments review reports from time to time.
What is AARO?
AARO is the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, the US Defense Department body that investigates reports of unidentified phenomena.
Are most UFOs explained?
Yes. The large majority of sightings are eventually explained as aircraft, balloons, satellites, planets, drones, or other ordinary causes.
What percentage of UFO sightings are unexplained?
It varies by study. Project Blue Book left about six percent of its cases unidentified. A small but persistent minority resist explanation.
Can I report a UFO sighting?
Yes. You can report to national bodies and civilian networks, and you can suggest a case to add to this map through the contact page.
What should I do if I see a UFO?
Note the time, direction, and how long it lasts, photograph or film it if it is safe to do so, write down what you saw while it is fresh, and report it to a relevant authority or network.