Reports of unexplained sightings in the skies over Northern Ireland are increasing
From mysterious discs on Slemish Mountain in County Antrim to bizarre footage spotted on CCTV, unexplained sightings have increased further in Northern Ireland last year.
Police received eight sightings in Northern Ireland in 2021, an increase from six of those reports in 2020 and four in 2019.
These included a report of a spaceship and flashing lights in the Downpatrick area on January 17.
In May, police received two reports of sightings, one of white lights following a helicopter in the Maghaberry area and a strange disc seen in the sky in the Slemish area of Co Antrim at the end of the month.
In July, “strange images” were reported on closed circuit television (CCTV) at a house in the Newtownabbey area and a domed object with eight lights in the sky was reported in the Saintfield area.
In September, a report was received in the Lisburn area of ”aliens in the bedroom”, while in October a patient detained said he had been abducted by aliens.
The final report for the year noted “unusual bright lights in the sky” received in November.
UFO sighting reports on the Northern Ireland Police Service database include Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), Ariel Phenomena, Unidentified Ariel Phenomena, Lights in the Sky, Aliens and aliens.
A spokesperson for PSNI told the AP that no investigation had been carried out into the incidents.
Nick Pope, who used to investigate reports of UFO sightings for the Department of Defense, said it is possible that more people spending more time at home during the pandemic could explain an increase in reported sightings.
“It’s hard to say what is behind the small increase in sightings,” he told the PA news agency.
“Covid-19 and lockdowns may have played a role, with people having more free time during the pandemic and perhaps spotting things that previously may have gone unnoticed.
“Another possibility is that people are watching the situation in the United States, where Congress is taking the issue seriously and the Pentagon has launched a new UFO initiative.
“This can make people more likely to report something unusual that they have seen, as it sends the message that authorities are taking the matter seriously.”
However, Mr Pope said he believed the actual number of sightings was much higher.
“Unfortunately, the numbers are still quite low, and I suspect there is chronic underreporting, perhaps because of the perceived stigma,” he said.
“This may be a consequence of the Defense Ministry’s decision to stop investigating UFOs at the end of 2009.
“If the Defense Department relaunches investigations and asks the public to report something unusual, I am sure they will receive a lot of reports.”
