Western US residents report the most UFO sightings — what are they actually seeing?

A flying saucer in the air on the top right shines a beam down into a dark overgrwoth. the silhouette of a person stands center on the dark ground, near a dark wall of trees on the left. they hold a flashlight toward the flying saucer.

Those of us in the western U.S. who enjoy vast open spaces may also be more likely to report UFO sightings, a new study suggests.

An analysis of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) reports (UAP is a new umbrella term that includes UFOs not just in the sky but also in space and underwater) suggests local environmental factors play a role in the number of UAP sightings reported.