Do you believe? A new map via Metrocosm says we all should. In sensational detail, the interactive map compiles more than 90,000 reports of UFO sightings in the United States since 1905, drawing from data from the National UFO Reporting Center and Mutual UFO Network.
The glowing dots on the map represent witness reports, and are sized proportionately to the number of witness reports in each region for each particular sighting: small (individual report), medium (small group reports), and large (multiple witness reports).
Although Philadelphia itself has been fairly quiet on the UFO front, there have been plenty of UFO reports around the Philly area over the past hundred or so years, particularly in Burlington, NJ, where 75 witnesses report seeing "bright beam of light omitted from cylinder" on a September evening in 2007.
The map's detail includes sketches, photos, and even videos of strange sightings in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Just try not to get lost for hours wading through the first-person witness reports. Check out this nail-biting report from a freaky sighting in North Philly in 2014:
i spotted 2 ufo's directly above my house. they were circular with orange/yellow type lights going around the outside of the 2 crafts. after a few minutes one ufo turned off its lights. i could still see this craft even with the lights off. the craft with the lights off then proceeded north leaving the other behind and still lit up. at this point i ran into my house for binoculars. the craft that was lit turned off its lights and proceeded north also. i followed this one with my binoculars as it headed north. neither ufo made any sound at all. the rate of speed that they left the area seemed much faster than a commercial jet. upon reaching a north point they both picked up speed made a sharp right turn and were gone. at this point my wife spied 3 more ufo's south of my house. these were not lit up. these also moved north at a fast rate of speed. during these 10 minutes or so it seemed every dog in the neighborhood was barking. we also smelled ! the smell of something burning. i don't know if the burnt smell and dogs were related but the dogs stopped barking and the smell went away. another curiosity i saw was what seemed to be a star between 2 trees in the distance. i put the binoculars on this and thought i would see a star but what i saw was an object obviously far away with green and red lights. this object hung between the trees for 30 minutes of so and then disappeared. about 20:30 i saw two airplanes heading north that seemed to be chasing the objects. i know they were not commercial because they emitted no sound and seemed to fly faster than a commercial jet. Sleep tight, Philly.
· UFO Sightings Map [Metrocosm]
· Mapping UFO Sightings All Around the D.C. Area [Curbed DC]
· Mapping UFO Sightings All Around the Bay Area [Curbed SF]
· "That was no flare": 90,000 UFO sightings combined into one awesome map [Vox]