THE STRANGE CONNECTION BETWEEN COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS AND UFO SIGHTINGS
By WILLA HART
History - Science
One might think that outer space and its inhabitants should have remained unseen during the COVID-19 pandemic, as most people were forced to shelter in place. However, according to data from The New York Times, it actually appears that UFO sightings saw significant surges in 2020 — even doubling in some regions.
By pulling data from the National U.F.O. Reporting Center, The New York Times found that UFO sightings had doubled in New York City between 2019 and 2020. CNET also assessed the entire United States and found that the numbers were lower but still showed an increase in sightings by around 16%.
As many people migrated out of cities during the COVID-19 pandemic, they likely began living in unfamiliar places that had much clearer night skies and they could easily mistake a totally natural phenomenon for a UFO. People may have also picked up new pastimes, including stargazing, and may have seen some things they've never spotted before.