July is the best time to spot a UFO
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July is the best month to spot a UFO, according to an analysis of the National UFO Reporting Center's database.
- The NUFORC has been around since 1974, and it's where the FAA recommends folks report UFO sightings.
- The analysis of the data was done by Im-a-puzzle.com, which the FAA does not appear to have recognized as a reputable agency, UFO or otherwise.
Driving the news: Still, crunching NUFORC's data, which goes back to 1998, the puzzle site found that more UFO sightings are reported in July than any other month.
Zoom in: But using that same data, it seems Virginia lags behind nearly every other state in the nation when it comes to reporting UFOs.
- Virginia has reported a paltry 2,526 UFOs around the commonwealth since 1998, or 29.23 per 10,000 people.
- That puts the state at No. 42 for UFO reports.
Yes, but: There could be more UFO sightings in Virginia not included in the report. The military has its own system for reporting UFOs, or UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) as the Navy insists on calling them.
- After a 2021 report by the U.S. intelligence community helped destigmatize UFO reporting by considering them a national security threat, the number of sightings reported by military more than doubled.
- And Hampton Roads is home to 82,000 active-duty military personnel across 15 sites, including Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval base.
The intrigue: Even with the military reporting not included, an Axios analysis of NUFORC's data shows Hampton Roads registered 415 sightings with the agency since 1998 versus 211 in Metro Richmond.
The bottom line: The truth is out there. And July is the best month to spot it.