Study finds western United States is ideal location for spotting UFOs
A recent in-depth study on UFO reports discovered that people are more likely to see strange flying objects in the western part of the United States. Geographers from the University of Utah shared their findings in a press release, explaining that they analyzed almost 100,000 cases reported to the National UFO Reporting Center from 2000 to 2020. Using this 20-year dataset, the researchers investigated environmental factors that could account for why some areas had more or fewer UFO sightings.
The study specifically looked at something called "sky view potential," which considers factors like light pollution, cloud coverage, and tree density. They also took into account the proximity to airports and military installations, as these could explain sightings of unusual objects in the sky. By analyzing "the number of sightings per 10,000 people per county," the researchers found that the western United States is the prime location for UFO sightings, mainly because of its vast open spaces and dark skies. They also noted that the region's active outdoor community provides many potential witnesses. Similar conditions in northern New England also earned it the title of a UFO hot spot in the study.
Areas with frequent reports of unidentified aerial phenomena had logical connections with air traffic and military operations, indicating that individuals are likely observing genuine objects but may not identify them accurately.
“The idea is that if you have a chance to see something, then it’s more likely that you’re going to see unexplained phenomena in the sky,” said Richard Medina, associate professor of geography at the University of Utah and lead author of the study. “There’s more technology in the sky than ever before so the question is: What are people actually seeing? It’s a tough question to answer, and it is an important one because any uncertainty can be a potential threat to national security.”
Read the full paper that was published on Dec. 14, 2023, in the journal Scientific Reports here.
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