UFO sightings in U.S. soared this summer... to more than DOUBLE national average

UFO sightings in the U.S. have more than doubled this summer, according to new research.



The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) - an organisation that tracks reports of unidentified flying objects - said some states doubled their numbers in the last six weeks.



According to MUFON, 1,013 sightings were reported in August, up from an average of about 500 per month nationwide.



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Inter-dimensional time portal: An orb emerges in the sky, captured from an astronomical observatory in Mauna Kea, Hawaii in June

MUFON international director Clifford Clift told Life's Little Mysteries: 'It's pretty exciting.

'When you average 500 a month (nationwide) and go to 1,013 in one month, that's an interesting spike in sighting reports.'

'UFO Stalker': MUFON details recent reports of UFO sightings across the U.S.

UFO SIGHTINGS IN THE LAST WEEK: According to MUFON, 1,013 sightings were reported in August. Reports from their website UFOStalker.com detail a series of alleged sightings in the last week alone:

September 18, 2011

Hoboken, New Jersey

'White stationary object...started to move and then reversed direction'

September 17, 2011

Gilbert Mesa area, Arizona

'Amber/orange glowing object'

September 16, 2011

Westfield, Massachusetts

'First two glowing orbs travelling at similar speeds'



September 16, 2011

Charlotte, North Carolina

'Orange lights that appeared to fly like controlled ballons [sic] (straight and random)'

September 13, 2011

Bullhead City, Arizona

'Five crafts flying down the Colorado river in formation then they stopped and hovered for several mins and then continued down the river'

Mr Clift said the 'UFO flap', which occurs when a cluster of sightings happen in a short period of time, could be due to a psychological phenomenon called 'priming', in which people believe they see what they are told to look for, whether it exists or not.



A shift in focus in popular culture could have led to an increase in sightings, he said - with more books, movies and television shows focusing on the mystery of the UFO and alien invasion.



' It's likely that the media and (alien-themed) movies that are coming out, like Apollo 18 and Paul, are piquing people's interest in UFOs,' Mr Clift told Little Mysteries.



People are also more likely to go outdoors in the summer months, increasing the chance for sightings.



Numbers could also be inflated due to duplication in sightings.



Mr Clift also said MUFON has received reports of objects reported as UFOs, which the organisation has determined to be other objects, such as airplanes, shooting stars, satellites and weather balloons.



The organisation, he said, is still investigating data on UFO sighting reports from recent weeks.

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Atmospheric flare from a minuteman III ICBM missile from Kanoa on Vimeo.



