UFO sightings light up Texas skies, websites

Texas is full of UFO lore, from organized groups investigating sightings to lone people confused by what they saw. Texas is full of UFO lore, from organized groups investigating sightings to lone people confused by what they saw. Photo: Mauricio Ruiz Photo: Mauricio Ruiz Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close UFO sightings light up Texas skies, websites 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

With a Texas congressman looking for signs of life in outer space at a hearing in Washington, D.C., last week, it's a good time to review some recent UFO sightings in the Lone Star state.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, in Katy, Galveston and other sites from Port Aransas to El Paso, Texans reported seeing solid orange balls of light, according to Texas UFO Sightings, www.texasufosightings.com.

These recent sightings are a timely backdrop for Wednesday's hearing in Washington on "Astrobiology: Search for biosignatures in our solar system and beyond."

The hearing is being conducted by the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, chaired by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio.

With scientists slated to testify, the committee probably won't be talking about UFO sightings but the Internet is replete with recent reports.

For example, on Nov. 29, a Galveston resident reported seeing an orange and white fuzzy ball-shaped object with flame or a red light in front, according to Texas UFO Sightings.

The ball was traveling about 100 mph, heading south over Galveston. It then turned west, the website states.

A few days prior, 10 to 15 UFOs were seen over Katy, traveling from the northeast and disappearing into the northwest sky.

"Even with binoculars, there was only a solid orange/red light source," the viewer reported to Texas UFO Sightings.

The objects were traveling faster than aircraft in the area and going in the opposite direction from the prevailing approach pattern that evening for George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

On Nov. 26, an El Paso resident reported seeing three bright lights moving very slowly in a triangle shape from the northeast toward the south and then west, the website reports.

The observer watched the lights from about 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. but got cold and went inside.

"I'm not saying it's a UFO, but I sure don't know what it is," the El Paso resident reportedly told the website.

According to the Mutual UFO Network website, www.mufon.com, someone in Webster reported at 8:54 p.m. Nov. 29 a "bright reddish orange object traveling swiftly north-northeast in unison with two smaller white 'lighted' objects ... with absolutely no sounds at all."

At 6:30 p.m. Nov. 28, someone riding in a southbound vehicle on U.S. 59 near the New Caney exit reported seeing a square object just above the tree tops that appeared stationary, according to the Mutual UFO Network website.

"The object had three red lights in a row across the bottom that flashed one after another repeatedly," the viewer reported. "On each of the four corners there were solid white lights."

The driver pulled over to get a better look, but at that point the trees were in the way, according to the report.

Smith's home city apparently sees enough UFO activity to warrant launching a website devoted to the topic, UFOs over San Antonio, www.saufotx.com.

On Aug. 10, a San Antonio resident shot a video of a "fuzzy white object" drifting southwest across the sky at a low altitude, according to the San Antonio site.