UFO 'Sightings' In Northern Ireland Increased In 2020, Police Data Shows

Northern Ireland has seen a rise in the number of reported UFO sightings this year, according to police data.

Every year, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) receives reports of alleged extraterrestrial incidents from citizens. But although these reports are always intriguing, they are no longer seen as completely out of the ordinary due to their somewhat regular occurrence.

However, the number of UFO sighting reports the police received increased significantly compared to 2019's tally, from four last year to six in 2020, ITV reported, citing data acquired by the PA news agency using the Freedom of Information Act.

The first report received by the PSNI for the year came on March 13 and involved a UFO "with many flashing lights making no noise" hovering in the skies above Dunmurray on the outskirts of Lisburn for around half an hour. Only six days later, another report was made about a "UFO going down the Springfield Road."

The outlet noted that the police log showed no description of the second UFO sighting, making it difficult to determine if it was the same one spotted on March 13.

On May 12, Northern Ireland police received one of its most bizarre calls from a man claiming he was abducted by extraterrestrials and delivered to Bangor Marina, the largest marina in the country.

After that incident, reports of UFO sightings came to a halt until Aug. 12, when another call was made about three unidentified flying objects allegedly spotted flying over the nation's capital, Belfast. The final incident report of the year came Sept. 26 when a caller from the Ballygomartin area of Belfast said he had seen six UFOs flying in the sky over his house.

The PSNI has not initiated any investigation into any of the UFO sighting reports made this year, leaving some citizens in Northern Ireland with burning questions.

Meanwhile, the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), a group that has been collecting and investigating UFO sightings for half a century, said there has been no dramatic increase in reports this year despite the lockdowns, Astronomy.com reported.

According to the group, about 3,800 sightings were reported between January and late September, around 20% more than in 2019. But this growth is not out of the ordinary when its overall dataset is considered.

“It's not really that alarming. It fluctuates a lot,” Steve Hudgeons, international director of investigations at the Mutual UFO Network, said. “I wouldn't say there’s a large increase at all.”

As for why people may think they see UFOs, Sarah Scoles, author of “They’re Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers,” explained, “There are a lot of people who genuinely see things that they can't explain, but that doesn't mean that they’re inexplicable. If somebody didn't know about Starlink satellites, they’d be freaked out.”