Retired U.S. Navy commander David Fravor made a compelling testimony to the House Oversight Committee in July 2023, recounting a peculiar, Tic Tac-shaped object he and three others witnessed over the Pacific Ocean in 2004. This unprecedented congressional hearing brought Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) into the global spotlight, shifting it from the realm of “alien truthers” to the mainstream.
Advancements in sensor technology and the surge in personal aircraft use have made it increasingly challenging to explain inexplicable occurrences. The U.S. Department of Defense now views UAP, previously known as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), as a significant threat to national security.
A recent study conducted by geographers at the University of Utah aims to investigate whether local environmental factors contribute to the frequency of sighting reports. Utilizing data from the National UFO Research Center, the study encompassed approximately 98,000 sighting reports spanning from 2001 to 2020.
The researchers examined two key conditions for each county in the contiguous U.S.: Sky view potential, which encompasses light pollution, cloud cover, and tree canopy cover; and the potential for objects to be present in the sky, such as proximity to airports and military installations.
The majority of sightings were concentrated in the western U.S., attributed to the region’s expansive open spaces and dark skies. Hotspots for UAP reports exhibited credible correlations with air traffic and military activity, indicating that individuals are indeed observing real objects, albeit without recognizing their nature.
2024-02-28 10:00:04
Post from phys.org