This picture has been used for representational purposes
July 2 is celebrated as World UFO Day. The day has been observed since 2001 to spread awareness about the unique flying objects (UFOs) and the presence of lives beyond Earth. It was decided to celebrate this day as the World UFO Day by World UFO Day Organisation (WUFODO) for enthusiasts who want to know more about extraterrestrial beings and gather more evidence about it.
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If you are a sci-fi buff who believes in the existence of aliens, sit back and know more about the various theories making rounds on the Internet about UFOs and their sightings, pick up a book or catch up on films about extraterrestrial beings.
What are UFOs?
Unique Flying Objects or UFOs, also known as 'flying saucers' or 'flying discs', are thought to be flashy looking spaceships 'aliens' from other planets use to visit Earth. With many sightings of the flying saucers reported in different parts of the world, the UFOs have been fodder for many conspiracy theories about the presence of life outside Earth.
Theories on UFOs
The theories around UFOs and life on other planets in the Universe came to light in July 1947. Known as the ‘the Rosswell Incident’, it was reported that the United States Army Air Force balloon had crashed at Roswell in New Mexico. The incident sparked speculations on the debris of the balloon that looked like a ‘crashed flying disc’. Even as the US military said that it was a weather balloon, the incident had initiated many theories about UFOs and aliens.
Another widely reported incident of UFO sightings was of the American aviator and businessman Kenneth Arnold. He had claimed to have seen nine unusual objects flying in the skies on June 24, 1947. Arnold was flying near Mt. Rainier in Washington at the time and described the objects as, "flat like a pie pan", "shaped like a pie plate", "half-moon shaped, oval in front and convex in the rear", "something like a pie plate that was cut in half with a sort of a convex triangle in the rear", or simply "saucer-like" or "like a big flat disk". He further compared their haywire motion with something that seemed "like a fish flipping in the sun" or a saucer that skipped across water. Based on Arnold’s description, the press had then coined the now popular terms "flying saucer" and "flying disc".
In April 2020, Pentagon released three ‘unclassified’ videos taken by the US Navy that further intensified the theories about the existence of extraterrestrial lives. The United States Department of Defense (DOD) released a statement dated April 27 saying that the short video clips - one taken November 2004 and the other two in January 2015 - were being circulated on the Internet after being released in 2007 and 2017 respectively.
The department further said that videos in which some “unidentified aerial phenomena” were observed, “remain characterised as "unidentified." The release of these videos had taken the internet by storm!
How to celebrate World UFO Day
- On this day, get your hands on a telescope and keep a watch in the skies at night. Who knows, you might find something ‘suspicious’ in the sky.
- Share stories you have heard about UFOs by organising a virtual UFO party with your friends
- Spend the day reading books on UFO sightings or binge-watch sci-fi films on alien encounters such as E.T.-the Extraterrestrial, Mars Attack!, Signs, Men In Black film franchise and many more.
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