Where in the US Is Best For Seeing UFOs in the Sky? According To This Map

Alert, UFO chasers: Your best bet if you want to see one in the US is to travel to the West or New England. And remember to avoid going south. This is supported by a recent scientific study that sought to comprehend the regional environmental elements influencing the geographic distribution of their sightings throughout the continental United States.

Two geographers—yes, real university geographers—as well as a US Department of Defence researcher combed through National UFO Research Centre data, accumulating over 98,000 public sighting reports from 2001 to 2020.

Their musings led to the creation of a map that displays the regions of the United States with the highest number of UFO sightings, or as they are more often known today, unexplained anomalous phenomena (UAP).

The majority of the western states—Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona—as well as sizable chunks of Idaho, New Mexico, and Utah are considered the "hot spots." Unexpectedly, there are sizable areas in California where there are comparatively few reports of UFO encounters. Although the reason is unknown to the researchers, they think it's an intriguing finding.

New England, especially Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, is another "hot spot" on the other side of the United States.

In the meantime, a lot of "cold spots" can be found in the southern states, particularly in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Why are UFO sightings more common in some US regions than others is the subject at hand. The scientists think it has little to do with extraterrestrials having a preference for certain routes when they travel. Rather, it appears that the "hot spots" are connected to expansive natural areas with black skies where people are probably staring up at the night sky.

The researchers also observe that the "hot spots" are frequently found close to military installations and areas where there is a strong cultural association with UFOs.

"The idea is that if you have a chance to see something, then it's more likely that you're going to see unexplained phenomena in the sky," Lead author of the study and University of Utah assistant professor of geography Richard Medina remarked

"The West and UAP have a long history together. Area 51 in Nevada, Roswell in New Mexico, and Skinwalker Ranch in the Uinta Basin of Utah, as well as military operations at the US Army Dugway Proving Ground, are all located in the West. Furthermore, there is a thriving outdoor community that uses public lands for year-round recreation. "People are outside and gazing up," Medina continued.

Regretfully, none of this analysis clarifies the type of observations. However, the study is another sign that the military and scientific community—and not just tinfoil hat-wearing nuts—are beginning to take UAP sightings seriously.

Conspiracy theorists and fans of science fiction used to be the only ones who believed in UAP sightings, but after multiple high-profile sightings by the US military that were made public, interest in them has grown again. Authorities are feeling the urge to learn more about this enigmatic occurrence, even though they still appear reluctant to talk about its precise nature.

To protect the safety and security of the country and its citizens, the US government, including the armed forces, intelligence services, and civil authorities, must be aware of what is under their operational purview. In this era of widely available data and ubiquitous sensors, it is intolerable to be uninformed. Sean Kirkpatrick, co-author of the report and the inaugural director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), adjunct assistant professor of physics at the University of Georgia, stated that the scientific community has an obligation to research and educate.