Two new Gallup polls suggest that one-third of people in the U.S. believe UFO sightings are of actual alien spacecraft, while two-thirds believe the government “knows more than it’s saying on UFOs.”

The polls, conducted in June and August, arrive just in time for this month’s so-called Alienstock music festival. That’s what a good portion of the Storm Area 51 movement has apparently morphed into (although other events seem to be popping up, so who knows what’s going to happen there).

Is interest in UFOs increasing? Gallup cites recent news surrounding UFO sightings by Navy pilots, as well as new guidance for Navy personnel on how to report unexplained aerial phenomena, or UAP. Along with Alienstock, this year we’ve seen quite the uptick in UFO and alien-related stories, or so it would seem.

Whatever the case, while many believe the government knows more than they’re letting on, fewer believe that UFOs are extraterrestrial, or otherwise anything beyond the ordinary:

“The majority, 60%, are skeptical, saying that all UFO sightings can be explained by human activity or natural phenomenon, while another 7% are unsure.”

Also, comparing their latest poll to a similar poll from 1996, the biggest change seems to be the number of individuals claiming to have “no opinion.” In 1996, those without an opinion made up 10% of responses, while this year they only make up 2%.

Curiously, they also found that people living in Western states are both more likely to believe UFOs are aliens, and to have experienced UFOs for themselves. Midwesterners are least likely to believe the same.

Whether or not UFOs are extraterrestrial, supernatural, or just ordinary man-made crafts, I think it’s safe to assume the government likely knows more about certain incidents than they reveal. In many cases, they’re likely the result of experimental crafts or other military exercises, in which case officials understandably wouldn’t be forthcoming with details. Gallop mentions this in passing.

That said, while these polls don’t necessarily tell us anything new, I always find it interesting when paranormal topics appear in the mainstream.

You can download PDFs of both the June and August polls over at the Gallup website.