What is the relationship between UFO sightings and the environment?

In 2023, various information about Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP, UFO or UFO) shocked the world; At the beginning of the year, a panel of former military personnel in the US Congress suggested that the US government was in possession of foreign ships and bodies. There is no official confirmation yet of the existence of these objects, but scientific interest in the subject is growing.

It is important to highlight UFO is not an extraterrestrial spaceship; The term is used to describe something that cannot be identified by observers of the phenomenon.

According to scientists and ufologists, More than 90% of the reported appearances of these objects can be easily explained by natural phenomena or the use of human technology. – such as sprites and drones respectively.

Now, a group of researchers from the University of Utah in the United States has published a new study revealing the relationship between UFO sightings and the terrestrial environment. The team consists of geographers People trying to understand whether environmental factors increase or decrease reports of UAP occurrence.

“There are many factors that may contribute to the reporting of anomalous objects. By examining the spatial distribution of reports and their relationship to the local environment, we hope to provide some geographic context that can help decipher or understand reports in both public and military settings,” explains study co-author and professor at the University of Utah , Simon Brewer.

To further explain the relationship between UFO sightings and the environment, we gathered information from a recent study on the subject.

UFO observation

Based on information from the United States National UFO Research Center, The researchers used data from nearly 98,000 observations that occurred between 2001 and 2020. Most of these reports have occurred in the western region of the United States, as it has more open space in the sky, thus allowing for more observations of strange objects.

In an official statement from the University of Utah, geographers say that understanding the environmental context of these observations can help in the search for better explanations of what they are about. The study was published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.

After All, Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Can they really be explained by science, or can they be placed in the ‘box’ of natural phenomena? Understanding this is important to determine whether these objects can be considered a threat to the United States and the rest of the world.

“The idea is that if you have a chance to see something, then you’ll probably see unexplained events in the sky. There’s more technology in the sky than ever before, so the question is: What do people actually see? That’s a hard question to answer, and it’s an important question because any uncertainty can pose a potential threat to national security,” emphasizes Richard Medina, associate professor of geography at the University of Utah and lead author of the study.

Each of the reports used for the article were conducted independently, meaning they are unique and did not conflict with other narratives.

The relationship between the environment and UFOs

When we analyzed 98 thousand cases in the USA, The team noticed that most reports occurred at night when the sky was brighter; this means there is less light pollution and other visual obstructionslike trees and buildings. Scientists considered important factors such as clouds, aircraft and proximity to military bases.

Environmental events confused with UFOs:

• Since lenticular clouds can have a round shape;
• Weather patterns such as lightning, aurora and sprites;
• Lighting conditions such as refraction of light on the horizon;
• Geophysical anomalies such as electrical charges released by quartz crystals;
• Magnetic fields.

Specific reports It may also be confused with observations made by military aircraft, helicopters or unmanned aerial vehicles, especially when it comes to observations close to military areas.. The researchers concluded that the presence of lights, whether private or government aircraft, among other obstacles, may hinder the identification of these strange objects.

The authors note that many of these events can be explained by simple environmental phenomena, but some remain unexplained. Like the ‘Tic Tac’ UFO sighting known as the ‘USS Nimitz Incident’, in which a US Air Force soldier chased a strange object moving quickly through the sky.

“The West has a historic relationship with the UAP – Area 51 in Nevada, Roswell in New Mexico, and here in Utah we have military activities at the Skinwalker Ranch in the Uinta Basin and the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground. Additionally, there is a strong outdoor community that reproduces on public lands throughout the year. People are outside and looking at the sky,” Medina explains.

Did you like the content? Always stay up to date with the latest studies on UFOs at TecMundo. If you wish, take the opportunity to find out what the Wow signal has to do with aliens.