UFO Sightings Today
Spotted something strange in the night sky? Most unidentified lights turn out to be comets, satellites, planets, or meteors. Use our guide to figure out what you saw — and track real objects in real time.
What's in the Sky Tonight
Before you report a UFO, check what bright objects are currently visible. Many sightings are simply well-known astronomical objects seen under unusual conditions.
A rare interstellar comet currently passing through our solar system. It may appear as a faint fuzzy smudge with a short tail — easily mistaken for something unusual.
Track live positionVenus, Jupiter, and Mars can appear extremely bright near the horizon, sometimes seeming to hover or change color due to atmospheric refraction.
Check tonight's skyStarlink satellite trains appear as a line of evenly-spaced moving lights. Individual satellites look like steady, moving stars.
View observing guideCommon UFO Misidentifications
The vast majority of UFO reports have mundane explanations. Here are the most common objects mistaken for unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).
A bright comet with a visible tail can look otherworldly, especially when unexpected. Comets move slowly relative to stars and may be visible for weeks.
Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997 generated thousands of UFO reports worldwide.
SpaceX Starlink satellites travel in formation shortly after launch, appearing as a perfectly spaced string of lights moving silently across the sky.
Over 6,000 Starlink satellites are currently in orbit, visible on most clear nights.
Venus is the #1 source of UFO reports. Near the horizon, atmospheric turbulence makes it appear to flash colors, move erratically, or hover.
Venus is so bright it can cast shadows and be visible during daytime.
A bright fireball meteor can light up the entire sky, leave a glowing trail, and even produce sonic booms. They appear without warning and vanish in seconds.
About 17,000 kg of meteoric material enters Earth's atmosphere daily.
The ISS appears as a very bright, steady light moving smoothly across the sky in about 5 minutes. It doesn't blink like aircraft and can be brighter than Venus.
The ISS orbits at 408 km altitude and travels at 28,000 km/h.
How to Identify What You Saw
Use this decision guide to narrow down what that light in the sky might be.
Is it moving?
Is it moving in a straight line?
Is it blinking or flashing?
Did it appear and vanish quickly (under 10 seconds)?
Are there multiple lights in a line or formation?
Recent Notable Sightings Explained
Many widely-reported UFO sightings have been conclusively identified. Here are some notable recent examples.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket body re-entry. The tumbling debris created a spectacular multi-colored streak across multiple states.
Source: American Meteor Society
Jupiter at opposition — the planet was exceptionally bright and appeared to hover motionless near the horizon for hours.
Source: Royal Astronomical Society
Starlink satellite trains visible shortly after launch. Hundreds of reports filed across Europe each time SpaceX launches a new batch.
Source: Satellite tracking databases
A bright bolide meteor containing copper and magnesium compounds, which burned green as it entered the atmosphere at high speed.
Source: Desert Fireball Network
If you've seen something you can't identify after using our guide, consider reporting it to one of these organizations that collect and investigate sighting data.
National UFO Reporting Center
The leading US database for UFO/UAP sighting reports since 1974.
Mutual UFO Network
International organization that investigates and catalogs UFO sightings.
American Meteor Society
Report fireball and meteor sightings for scientific analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common UFO sightings today?
The most commonly reported UFO sightings in 2025-2026 are Starlink satellite trains (lines of lights moving across the sky), bright planets like Venus and Jupiter near the horizon, aircraft seen from unusual angles, and meteor fireballs. With over 6,000 Starlink satellites now in orbit, satellite-related sightings have become the #1 reported UFO type.
How can I tell if a light in the sky is a UFO or a satellite?
Satellites appear as steady, non-blinking lights moving in a straight line across the sky, typically taking 2-5 minutes to cross from horizon to horizon. They don't change direction or speed. Aircraft, by contrast, have blinking navigation lights. If you see a line of evenly-spaced lights, it's almost certainly a Starlink satellite train.
What is Comet 3I/ATLAS and could I mistake it for a UFO?
Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object to visit our solar system, originating from beyond our Sun's gravitational influence. Through binoculars or a telescope, it appears as a fuzzy smudge with a faint tail. To the naked eye under dark skies, it could appear as an unusual faint glow — potentially mistaken for something unidentified.
Why does Venus look like a UFO?
Venus is often the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon. When low on the horizon, Earth's atmosphere acts like a prism, causing Venus to appear to flash red, green, and white rapidly. Atmospheric turbulence can also make it seem to move erratically. These effects make Venus the single most commonly reported 'UFO' worldwide.
Where can I report a UFO or UAP sighting?
You can report sightings to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) at nuforc.org, the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) at mufon.com, or for meteor/fireball sightings, the American Meteor Society at amsmeteors.org. For US government UAP reporting, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) accepts reports from military and government personnel.
What's the difference between a UFO and a UAP?
UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) and UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) refer to the same thing — something observed in the sky that the viewer cannot immediately identify. UAP is the newer term adopted by the US government and scientific community, as it's more precise and carries less cultural stigma than 'UFO.'