The US Department of Defense’s decision to officially release three videos showing the US Navy pilots’ encounter with “unexplained aerial phenomena” has brought UFOs into focus once again. The first ever sighting of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) was recorded in 1440 BC in ancient Egypt. The scribes of the pharaoh Thutmose III claimed to have seen “fiery disks” floating over the skies. There have been hundreds of reports of UFO sightings since then. But most of them are not credible. Here we take a look at the top ten most credible UFO sightings ever.

The unidentified flying objects aren’t necessarily alien spaceships. It’s just that we don’t know what they are. The US government has set up a secret $22 million program called the Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program (AATIP) to investigate into UFOs. In the past, there have been similar projects such as the Project Sign of 1940s.

The Pentagon released three videos of the US Navy pilots’ mid-air interactions with UFOs. These same videos – named “FLIR,” “GOFAST” and “GIMBAL” – were previously leaked in 2017 by a UFO research group without the official permission.

Ten most credible UFO sightings

10- 1976 Tehran incident

The Tehran UFO incident has been documented in the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)’s reports. In 1976, the Imperial Iranian Air Force said a bright object similar to a star appeared in the sky over Tehran. Every time the Air Force sent two F-4 Phantom II jets, the UFO disabled their electronic instrumentation. It also jammed all the ground control systems.

9- Phoenix Lights, 1997

In March 1997, thousands of people in Phoenix, Arizona spotted a flying V-shaped ‘otherworldly’ object in a space of around 300 miles! The object was also seen from the Nevada line and other cities of Arizona. The object measured several city blocks across, and had five spherical lights.

8- Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, 1973-74

The current US President Donald Trump has said in an interview that he doesn’t believe much in UFOs. But former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan both claimed to have spotted the unidentified flying objects in the skies. Carter spotted one in 1973 and he was mocked for it. Reagan saw one in 1974 in the skies above Petersfield, California. These have to be some of the most credible UFO sightings ever.

7- Westall UFO, 1966

In Melbourne, Australia at around 11 AM on 6th April 1966, hundreds of people saw a flying object descend into a grass field. It then ascended over the Clayton South suburb of Melbourne. There are no photos available online. But people who witnessed the Westall UFO still gather for reunions.

6- Belgian UFO wave, 1990

Over a period of five months from late 1989 through early 1990, more than 10,000 people in Belgium claimed to have witnessed large, silent, low-flying black triangles. Thousands of people also filed written statements about it. The fact that such a large number of people spotted the black triangles makes it one of the most credible UFO sightings ever.

5- USS Theodore Roosevelt UFO incident, 2015

This is one of the three UFO sighting videos – named GOFAST – released by the Pentagon. It was first leaked in 2017. The video revealed an encounter between an F/A-18 Super Hornet and an unidentified flying object along the East Coast of the United States. The unidentified object appeared similar to the one seen in San Diego in 2004. It was a fast-moving white oval with no wings or exhaust plume.

4- Stephenville UFO sightings, 2008

In January 2008, dozens of residents in Stephenville, Texas witnessed white lights above Highway 67. It first appeared in a horizontal arc and then in vertical parallel lines. The strobe lights were a mile long and a half mile wide. There was no sound. The US Air Force’s radar data also detected a reflected signal from something other than their aircraft.

3- O’Hare International Airport UFO sighting, 2006

In November 2006, flight 446 was all set to fly from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to North Carolina. The United Airlines employees suddenly witnessed a dark gray saucer-shaped craft hovering over gate C17. After about five minutes, it rose up vertically and broke a hole in the clouds.

2- USS Nimitz UFO incident, 2004

The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier group was off the coast of San Diego, California when the USS Princeton intercepted several unidentified flying objects around 100 miles off the coast of San Diego. The USS Nimitz rushed two F/A-18F fighter jets to the area. The pilots reported seeing churning water with a shadow of an oval shape under the surface. Then an object appeared above the water. Notably, the object had no signs of wings, windows, infrared monitors, or even an engine.

1- New Jersey Turnpike, 2001

In July 2001, motorists on the New Jersey Turnpike stopped along a highway upon sighting V-shaped orange and yellow lights over the Arthur Kill Waterway. Among witnesses was Carteret Police Department’s Lt. Daniel Tarrant. The air traffic controllers denied that an airplane or space flight could cause such mysterious lights. But the New York Strange Phenomena Investigators received the FAA radar data that indicated the UFO sightings.