World UFO Day: Here's a day to celebrate the mysterious saucers in the sky

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Will we ever know (because it’s definitely not Superman)? If you can’t tell what it is and it’s in the air, it is quite literally an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) — not necessarily an alien spaceship or proof of extraterrestrial civilisations (although all sightings are promptly linked to both), but simply an unidentified article that happens to be afloat. The problem arises when the object remains unidentified for long. Since 2001, the second day of July has been marked as World UFO Day — a day to “raise awareness about the undoubted existence” of Unidentified Flying Objects hovering in our skies. It is also observed as a day “to encourage governments to declassify their knowledge” about UFO sightings recorded in the past. However, the date is more significant because of a particular sighting — it commemorates the much-written-about UFO crash in the 1947 Roswell UFO incident, which will feature in the article later as well. For now, let’s focus on how to celebrate World UFO Day. [caption id=“attachment_4648961” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] Two locals in Nebraska dress as aliens during the solar eclipse at Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska. Reuters[/caption] The WUFODO (World UFO Day Organisation; yes it is a thing) encourages individual believers to organise private parties on the day. It says many also look up at the sky in large groups during this day and “do other UFO themed activities” like watch UFO movies together. “The most important thing is that people collectively open their minds to the subject for one day and send out the message mentally that UFOs are welcome on this Earth,” it says. In India, UFO sightings have been reported across the country over decades, with the first recorded major observation dating back to 1951. We even have established “UFOlogists” and “UFO investigators” who strive to separate UFO rumors from fact through publications such as the bi-monthly UFO Magazine India. Three of the most famous UFO sightings around the world:

• Kenneth Arnold, 1947: The origin of the global fascination with UFOs can be traced back to a civilian pilot called Kenneth Arnold. While flying his aircraft near Washington’s Mount Rainier on 24 June, 1947, Arnold reportedly saw nine blue, glowing objects flying fast — at an estimated 1,700 miles per hour — in a V formation. Soon, other reports of a group of nine UFOs surfaced across the region, but the government never had an true explanation for the sightings, except for suggesting he was hallucinating.
• Roswell**, 1947:** It is one of the biggest unsolved mysteries around UFOs that we have today. In 1947 again, rancher William Brazel discovered mysterious debris in one of his pastures in New Mexico. When Brazel reported the findings, the military was called in to retrieve the materials, but the officials said it was only a downed weather balloon. Ever since, conspiracy theorists have left no stone unturned to prove the wreckage was extraterrestrial.
• Rendlesham Forest**, 1980:** In 1980, US Air Force officials stationed at Woodbridge and Bentwaters reported seeing strange, colorful lights above Rendlesham Forest — about 160 kilometres away from London. One man who entered the forest to investigate the claims said he saw some sort of spacecraft there, and on the next day others confirmed damage to nearby trees and even and a high level of radiation at the site. This was followed by more sightings in the following days. But the UK’s Ministry of Defence claimed to have not found any credible threat to the nation, and thus did not pursue the investigations. As with Roswell, tourism flourished at Rendlesham Forest after the wide coverage of the events.

UFO sightings are more frequent than one would imagine. Only weeks ago, in a bizarre incident that raised security alarms in New Delhi, a UFO was seen hovering over Prime Minister **Narendra Modi's residence** on Lok Kalyan Marg. The security personnel posted in the VIP area, who were clearly caught by surprise, swiftly embarked on a search that found nothing, and soon put their suspicions to rest. If you are now hooked on to the world of UFOs and their potential link to alien worlds, here are 10 movies we recommend you watch to celebrate World UFO Day:

• Close Encounters of the Third Kind
• Arrival
• Prometheus
• Independence Day
• Event Horizon
• Dark Skies
• Knowing
• Paul
• Mars Attacks!
• Annihilation