Mars

Many people have reported an orange glow usually seen just above the horizon that seems to drift in and out of view. Mars fits this description.

Venus

A brilliant white glowing or yellowish orb slightly larger than Mars and often mistaken to be a UFO

Jupiter

Many people have reported a light that is too bright to be a star high above the horizon.

Saturn

Saturn too is often reported to be too bright to be a star or planet. It sometimes appears as a bright white light that has spikes and little light on the side of it.

Vega

Vega is a very bright star. Which is often mistaken for a UFO

Sirius

Is a much brighter star than Vega and can be seen by the naked eye. People lacking in basic astronomical knowledge often mistake it for a UFO.

The Moon

Often mistaken for a UFO when it takes on a blood red appearance

Meteors/ Meteor Showers

Often seen as a bright light moving too fast to be a conventional aircraft, meteors are not uncommon. Meteor showers do generate a number of UFO reports. Apart from their unusual silvery- white appearance. Colours vary according to the composition they can be orange, red green and blue as the debris burns up in the atmosphere Persieds: this is a meteor shower that often generates UFO sightings.

Comets

These are regular visitors to our solar system. Comets have been known to generate mass hysteria in the past

Insects and Birds

Insects

Some insects do indeed give off a glow and if a swarm of them were to appear to the inexperienced observers this may appear as a UFO.

Migratory

It may be possible that sunlight could be reflected off the oil excreted by a bird, which may dazzle a witness.

Insects Swarms

These could possibly account for sightings where people have reported a dark flowing object without particular definition and almost certainly one that changes shape. Seen a late night or in the twilight hours.

Natural or Atmospheric

Earth Lights

These are basically lights produced by some form of tectonic stress and can vary in size and shape.

Swamp Gas

Luminous light created by swamp gas or marsh gases, which may explain some glowing objects. Rotting vegetation produces methane, which can ignite into a bright or dull light. However, this explanation has it drawbacks. The ignition of methane would only last for a few seconds whereas some UFO sightings last for several minutes’ even hours.

Ball Lighting

This is a very rare atmospheric phenomenon. This lighting does not appear as the traditionally viewed broken and jagged lighting but as a spherical ball. It has been seen hovering a few feet off the ground, above rooftops and even in a passenger aircraft.

Cumulus/Lenticular Cloud

These clouds have taken on some amazing forms, which resemble ‘flying saucers’. It is not impossible for a first time viewer to mistake this as a UFO.

Abnormal Weather Conditions

It is not unreasonable to suggest that Lenticular clouds, tornado’s, horizontal rain fall and other freak weather conditions sometimes produce objects resembling UFO’s

Ice Crystals

This is the explanation NASA put forward to explain the curious radical manoeuvres of objects filmed by the space shuttle astronauts on board STS48 and STS80 missions. Ice crystals can also be responsible for perihelical arcs.

Phosphorescence

Although a possible explanation for a ‘glow’ seen high in the atmosphere with either no defined shape and/or shifting shape, it would reflect only a hand full of UFO reports.

High Flying Seed Pods

This explanation has more to do with photographed or filmed UFOs.

Ionised Air

In certain atmospherics conditions ionised air can be produce a brownish discolouration that could be interpreted to be a solid static object.

Atmospheric Plasma Effect

Plasma comes in several different forms, from the ectoplasm associated with ghosts to semi-solid ‘goo’ produced in several scientific labs world-wide. Some believe this could occur naturally and might explain the air-borne plasma seen by Mexican UFO witness Carlos Diaz.

Atmospheric Inversion

When a high-density pocket resides in a low-density area of air, or visa versa, this can produce spurious ‘UFO’ radar images.

Air Bubbles

Similar to Atmospheric Inversion but different in that moisture is involved. Basically a ‘dry’ bubble of air in a moist atmospheric condition will produce another kind of distortion, which could produce an optical illusion. A damp or wet air bubble in dry atmospheric conditions will cause the same effect.

Blue Jets

These resemble squirts of intense blue flame. Although seen very occasionally and similar to Aurora Borealis in composition, no one really knows too much about them.

Red Sprites

These are the same as blue jets but red.

Aurora Borealis

A common observation in predominantly arctic regions.  However, to the unsuspecting observers might interpret them to be a UFO.

Lightening

Lightening is often seen as broken jagged lines during violent storms. However, it has been known to come in other shapes and colours.

Volcano

During volcanic eruptions, burning embers and ejected phosphor have been seen to perform some amazing aerobatics. Some researches believe that volcanoes, in part, are responsible for ‘earth lights’.

Radioactive Glow

From my own knowledge about radiation only huge amounts of radiation produce a ‘glow’ such as radioactive isotopes. If clouds of radioactive airborne isotopes were seen glowing in the night’s sky it would be the end of us.

Perihelia (Sun Dogs)

These are bright spots seen either side of the sun. These can be very deceptive and not to be confused with sunspots which are an entirely different occurrence.

Mock Sun

This is caused by light refraction off moist crystals in the base atmosphere, which is gives, the impression of a second sun usually with a reddish ring around it.

Gliding Hailstones

For these to be mistaken for UFO’s the hailstone would have to be large and moving quite fast.

Distant Fire

Seen in twilight from a great distance and under less than perfect conditions, from a distances fires can look totally different from what it actually is a disembodied glowing airborne colour changing light.

Mind, State or Perception

Hallucinations

It has been suggested on a number of occasions that alcohol and/or drugs have been responsible for hallucinating some UFO sightings.

Day/Night Dreams

The same people who put forward hallucinations also claim that sightings could be dreamed and seen during the next day(s)

Light Reflections

There have been several cases where people have seen lights in clouds and on further investigations these have turned out as car headlights reflecting off the cloud gave the appearance that the lights were in fact in the sky.

Mirages

Like mirages that are seen in the desert, it has been suggested that some sightings of anomalous objects could be explained as a heat mirage or similar.

Optical Illusions

Under the right conditions the eyes can be fooled into thinking something is real when it is not. In much the same way eyes can be fooled into ‘seeing’ a UFO. To test this focus on any star in the night sky after a while it will start moving all over the place. Then on the same star use an optical aid like binoculars and the object will appear static.

Hysteria/Dementia

It is moderately well documented that under some emotional conditions the mind is more susceptible to experiencing abnormal sound, sights and feelings.

Mind Control

The suggestion that certain individuals are capable of making other people see something is quite simply not there through exerting some physic mind control has been put forward on certain sightings.

Film Defect

This explanation only really covers photographic or cinematic pictures. Simply a defect on the film during development process could produce UFO’s.

Glass Reflections

Some hoaxers have reflected light off of a widow and then photographed the image on the glass and claimed it was a picture of a UFO taken from inside through a gall window.

Dust Specks

Tiny specks of dust left on the camera lens can resemble UFOs.

Red Blood Corpuscles 

In some cases it has been suggested what witnesses believed to be UFO’s were really corpuses floating over their eyes.

Refracted Starlight

On a particular clear night bright stars such as Sirius could be reflected/refracted off a shiny surface and ‘projected’ like laser light.

Military Research, New Technology and Human Activity

Secret Military/Governmental Research

Various government departments are forever developing new technologies for use on land, sea and air. Some of the cutting edge designs look distinctly ‘alien’ in appearance.

Laser lights

These complex patterns of lights and 3D holographic type of images now litter the skies the length and breadth of Britain. A very real contender for explaining UFOs.

Model Aircraft/Helicopters/Rockets

Model aircraft have come a long way over the past few years. Such scale models come in a variety of shapes and sizes can under take manoeuvres that no manned aircraft can do.

Falling Satellite/Space Debris

There is so much ‘junk’ in orbit around the Earth that it is amazing that there are no collisions. On occasion some of them are pulled out of low Earth's orbit and fall to earth. Pretty much the same effect as a meteor but last longer.

Holograms

Like laser lights but these can be projected over many miles. A bright illumination in a clear night sky seen at great distance could be interpreted as more than just a bright light.

Meteorological Balloons

They move very slowly and at high altitudes giving off an orange glow due to atmospheric pollution blurring the edges.

Orbiting Satellite

These are fairly easy to identify.  A fairly small bright light, seen very high up moving in a straight line across the night sky and too fast to be a plane. To be certain that what you have seen is a satellite record the time and a general direction and be in the same spot 24 hours and 1 minute later.

Dummy Parachute

This explanation has been put forward by the by the American Air Force to explain the Roswell incident.

Research Balloons

The most famous or infamous depending on your point of view.  Once the explanation for the Roswell incident.

Blimps/Airships

These are responsible for many UFO sightings.

Zeppelins

Early in this century the common sights of the German Zeppelins can explain many UFO sightings.

Helicopters

With out mentioning ‘black unmarked helicopters’, some helicopters seen at a distance can very easily be misidentified as a UFO, especially if it carries the ‘Night sun’ search light used by police forces throughout the world.

Ultra Light Hang Gliders

These machines can undertake some extraordinary manoeuvres and seen from a distance can easily trick the untrained observer with its aerial antics.

Rockets

Seen from a great distance and without prior knowledge of its launch, an untrained observer could mistake the intense white light ascending into the sky as a UFO. People who live near these launch sites know what they are. However, in the former Soviet Union, secret rocket launches were often reported as UFO’s.

Gliders

These have immense wingspans and can move very slowly. Seen from directly ahead or behind, they can sometimes appear motionless in the sky. Most are painted silver or white so they reflect the sunlight, which sometimes produces the classic bright silver elongated saucer-shaped object to the people on the ground.

Kites

UFOMEK had a report of a black triangle doing impossible manoeuvres over the coast of Dover, Kent in England, one night. A few weeks later and quite by accident, it was discovered that a stunt kite flyer had been testing his new black kite on the evening in question.

Advertising Air Planes

These are aeroplanes that tow lengthy advertising banners and are a common site in America. Some banners vary in shape and size, but some people have observed this from a distance and though that a UFO was following or chasing a plane.

Search Light

A search light beam may not appear in the night sky. However, if it was to strike an aircraft or cloud, any thing seen through mist and haze may be difficult to recognise.

Light House

Orfordness lighthouse has been proffered by some sceptics to explain away events at Rendlesham Forest in December 1980

Street Lights

There are one or two villages in Wales that only carry a couple of streetlights. When a fog or mist descends then it looks like you have some very disembodied lights floating at the bottom of a valley.

House Lights

In remote place, house lights seen at night from a distance have no discernible source.

Flares

These were suggested as the likely source for the events in Phoenix, Arizona in March 1997. Some flares have been designed to descend very slowly, illuminating the countryside for either military exercises or search and rescue.

Distress Signal

Burning very brightly and remaining visible in the sky for prolonged periods of time these intense lights seen from afar could be mistaken for UFO’s

Jet Trail

Jet aircraft often leave behind a white plume of smoke or contrail. Often these disperse quickly, however, sometimes a pocket of air can hold them in place for a while.

Fireworks

If seen from afar and not on the 5th November (bonfire night in the UK) they might give rise to some UFO reports.

Belief Systems, Religious, Supernatural, Legend, Myth, Folklore

Biblical Prophecy

Many people have quoted various texts from Ezekiel and Revelations in the Bible, which appear to describe mushroom clouds, which we would associate with atomic explosions now. Ezekiel describes a wheel within a wheel and angelic beings with wings. This has often been cited as a UFO, but is only one explanation.

PSI Phenomenon

Another paranormal explanation for UFO’s is that they are ‘generated’ by latent psychic ability or that certain people deliberately generate them to fool people.

Apparitions

This explanation is almost another term for UFO’s an aerial ghostly luminosity that cannot be explained.

Plasma Craft

Are the images recorded on camcorder and photographed by Carlos Diaz controlled by intelligent beings or some form of protoplasmic matter.

Ghost Rockets

These are labelled as such by witnesses throughout Scandinavia and especially Sweden just after the ending of the Second World War.

Demons/Angels

Some people might not like the suggestion put forward by religious zealots that UFO’s are apparitions created by the devil or his subordinates. Some extreme elements have gone on record and stated that all UFO believers should be stoned! It has also been said by other camps that UFO’s could be angels

Fraud/Fake/Dupes

Several people have set out to fool UFO researches and believer alike. They create fake crop circles, fake photographs and videotapes etc.

Foo Fighters

Coined after an American cartoon strip comic character these glass or ball-like objects seen over Japan and Europe during the latter part of World War II by both Axis and Allied pilots, who believed they belonged to the other.

Origin Theories

Other Planets/Galaxy’s

Most people who believe in UFO’s are convinced that they come from other planets and/or galaxies.

Time Travellers

The vast distance between our solar system and the nearest galaxy and the time it would take to travel between the two, has convinced some that UFO’s come not from another place but another time.

Hollow Moon

Some people have suggested that alien visitors are not from other planets but from our moon. They say that the core of the moon is hollow and that it is in fact a modified planetoid to carry travellers over generations.

Hollow Earth

This theory assumes that the visitors are a subterranean race residing deep within the bowels of the Earth. Some have suggested that millions of years ago another race retreated underground and now want to check up on us.

Atlantis

There are many theories about this place of myth and legend. Some say that the Atlanteans destroyed themselves whist other say they hid from their barbaric warlike neighbours by constructing an underwater civilisation. This theory is due to the fact that some UFO’s have been seen dividing it to lake and seas.

Multi/Inter Dimensional Craft

Although we live in a three-dimensional world, mathematicians have proved that there must be more dimensions than we currently see. This theory therefore suggests that UFO’s are from other dimensions rather than other planets, galaxies or time.

Earth’s Etheric Analog

This theory has it that on the exact opposite side of the sun is another planet just like the Earth, only it is inhabited by a more advanced race because they are sending space vehicles to monitor our progress.

Inter-Dimensional Beings/Craft From Alternate Futures

All of the above and none of them. With beings from other dimensions and craft from other alternate futures checking up on our past, history is littered with possible examples that could easily fit the bill that is Ezekiel’s wheel etc. This theory to explain where ‘they’ come from has more possibilities than any others citied and more limitations than eternity. Like the rest, it has to remain possible until it can be disproved.