Identified UFO and UAP cases

24 well-documented identified UFO/UAP encounters (object positively identified), 1967 to 2024: 24 identified. Each case has its sources, timeline and the official or best explanation.

24 cases

• UMMO — the San José de Valderas photographs 1 June 1967 · San José de Valderas, Alcorcón, near Madrid IDENTIFIED
• Six “flying saucers” across southern England (hoax) 4 September 1967 · A line of six sites from the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, to Clevedon, Somerset IDENTIFIED
• Zond IV re-entry — the “craft with windows” 3 March 1968 · Across the sky from Kentucky through Ohio to Pennsylvania IDENTIFIED
• Billy Meier’s “beamship” photographs 28 January 1975 · Zürcher Oberland, around Hinwil, canton of Zürich IDENTIFIED
• The Moroccan coast “UFO” — a Soviet rocket part re-entering 19 September 1976 · Along the Atlantic coast of Morocco, from Agadir to Kenitra and inland to Meknes and Fez IDENTIFIED
• The “immense triangle” over France — a Proton re-entry 5 November 1990 · From the Bay of Biscay across France to Alsace IDENTIFIED
• Crop circles — Doug Bower and Dave Chorley own up 9 September 1991 · The fields of Hampshire and Wiltshire; their first circles near Cheesefoot Head, Winchester IDENTIFIED
• Norwegian spiral 9 December 2009 · Northern Norway and Sweden (seen from Troms and Finnmark) IDENTIFIED
• The spiral over eastern Australia — Falcon 9’s first flight 5 June 2010 · Eastern Australia: New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland IDENTIFIED
• The “mystery missile” off Los Angeles — an airliner’s contrail 8 November 2010 · Over the Pacific about 35 miles west of Los Angeles, north of Santa Catalina Island IDENTIFIED
• Santiago — the silver spheres over the Paseo Bulnes 11 May 2012 · Paseo Bulnes, central Santiago IDENTIFIED
• The light over California — a Trident II test from USS Kentucky 7 November 2015 · The Navy’s Pacific Test Range off Southern California; seen from California, Nevada and Arizona IDENTIFIED
• Fireball over the West — a Chinese rocket stage re-entering 27 July 2016 · Across California, Nevada and Utah IDENTIFIED
• AARO’s “Southeast Asia Triangles” — fishing nets 30 August 2017 · A river in Southeast Asia (exact location withheld) IDENTIFIED
• The Los Angeles “UFO” — SpaceX Iridium-4 launch 22 December 2017 · Vandenberg Air Force Base; seen across Southern California and as far as Arizona IDENTIFIED
• Sendai’s white balloon 17 June 2020 · Over Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan IDENTIFIED
• Lights over Seattle and Portland — a Falcon 9 stage re-entering 25 March 2021 · Over western Oregon and Washington; debris in Grant County, Washington IDENTIFIED
• The Navy’s night-vision image shown to Congress — drones 1 January 2022 · Naval exercise areas off the U.S. East Coast (exact place and date withheld) IDENTIFIED
• The blue spiral over New Zealand — a Falcon 9 upper stage 19 June 2022 · Across New Zealand, photographed from Queenstown, Stewart Island and Motueka IDENTIFIED
• Long March 5B core stage burns up over Sarawak 31 July 2022 · Over Sarawak, Malaysia, toward the Sulu Sea IDENTIFIED
• Chinese surveillance balloon 28 January 2023 · Aleutians → Montana → Carolina coast IDENTIFIED
• The balloon over Colombia — China’s second airship 3 February 2023 · Northern Colombian airspace; also reported over Costa Rica and on towards Venezuela IDENTIFIED
• The “Nazca mummies” shown to Mexico’s Congress 12 September 2023 · Chamber of Deputies, San Lázaro, Mexico City (the figures came from the Nazca area of Peru) IDENTIFIED
• The “plume” over Buenos Aires — a Chinese rocket identified 8 May 2024 · Castelar, Buenos Aires province; also seen from Entre Ríos, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay IDENTIFIED

By status

• Disputed 92
• Unresolved 84
• Explained 58
• Unassessed 3