9 Super Trippy Incidents That’ll Make You Be Like, “Oh, Aliens Definitely Exist!”

    Plane vanishes after "loud metallic noise."

    Christopher Hudspeth
    by Christopher Hudspeth

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. The “Wow!” signal

    Big Ear Radio Observatory and North American AstroPhysical Observatory (NAAPO)

    On Aug. 15, 1977, a signal was received from space that lasted for 72 seconds. The signal was around 30 times stronger than typical space noise. The astronomer who was analyzing these records was so flabbergasted that he wrote "Wow!" on the printout. The precise cause of the signal is surrounded by uncertainty, but it's widely considered a feasible instance of receiving an alien transmission.

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    2. The disappearance of Frederick Valentich

    The Australian

    On Oct. 21, 1978, Frederick Valentich was piloting a plane when he noticed an unidentified flying object following him. The radio transcripts show that Valentich claimed the craft passed him at a high speed, and suggested it might be toying with him. Shortly thereafter, he mentioned having an issue with his engine, and said that the object was flying above him. He stated, "It's not an aircraft," before a metallic sound could be heard and all contact was lost. Valentich and his plane simply vanished.

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    3. The Great Los Angeles Air Raid

    Wikimedia Commons / Via en.wikipedia.org

    In the early morning of Feb. 25, 1942, 1,440 rounds of ammunition were fired into the Los Angeles sky at a mysterious craft. The shooting lasted for about an hour and when it concluded, the explanation given was that a floating weather balloon had mistakenly sparked panic — a story many believe to be an alien cover up.

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    4. The Chicago O'Hare Airport Incident

    CLTV Oak Brook

    On Nov. 7, 2006, several people at O'Hare International Airport claimed to have seen an object in the sky. The object hovered above, before shooting up, leaving a blue hole in the clouds. Despite actual airport employees having witnessed it, the FAA chalked it up as "a weather phenomenon" and it was deemed unworthy of further investigation.

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    5. Flight 1628

    Gremlin / Getty Images

    On Nov. 17, 1986, a pilot saw three unidentified objects flying near his plane. He claimed their movements defied gravity. Eventually a third, larger craft came by and followed him momentarily before leaving sight. This incident warranted an investigation that included representatives from the CIA and FBI, with allegations of confiscated evidence.

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    6. The Norwegian Spirals

    Science Channel / Via youtube.com

    On Dec. 9, 2009, an incredible, spiraling beam of light appeared in the Norway night skies. This visual lasted for about 10 minutes and led to a great deal of speculation. Some thought it was a simple missile test gone awry, while others insisted it was evidence of extraterrestrial activity.

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    7. The Phoenix Lights

    FOX 10 News

    On March 13, 1997, thousands of people in Arizona witnessed a dark, large, V-shaped craft with five sphere-shaped lights on it moving through the skies. Some also witnessed and filmed patterns of lights moving together in the sky, blinking off and on before eventually disappearing completely.

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    8. The Wave of UFOs in Belgium

    Wikimedia Commons / Via en.wikipedia.org

    A wave of UFO claims began pouring in from witnesses in November of 1989. These cases reported a large, flat, triangle-shaped craft cruising at a low altitude. It culminated in a widely-reported sighting at the end of March 1990, during which Belgian Air Force F-16s went after unidentified objects that were picked up by radar. The speedy crafts then began moving too quickly to be locked in on. Witnesses say that the objects aligned in a formation before their glows slowly faded and they darted off in different directions.

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    9. The Westall UFO Encounter

    Oorka / Getty Images

    On April 6, 1966, students and teachers at a school in Australia claimed to have seen an unidentified craft in the sky. The hovering object descended out of sight, but stayed put for 20 minutes, garnering a crowd of onlookers. Many of the witnesses claimed that after the incident, Men In Black type government authorities pressured them not to discuss what they'd seen.

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