Astronomers are yet to confirm whether we are alone or not in the Universe, but conspiracy theorists with a smartphone believe they know the truth. A sighting of a supposed UFO over Exmouth is doing the rounds on the internet. A video of the phenomenon, uploaded to popular conspiracy theory YouTube channel UFO Institute, shows a bright red object making its way across the sky.
The object in question does not seem to have any discernible features, but it does eerily creep through the video.
The person who witnessed the phenomenon said: “So I saw this flying over my garden in Devon today. Some say a lantern but it’s in my opinion far too big and fast?”
Others quickly jumped on the sighting, stating they had seen something similar.
One person said: “I saw this exact same thing a couple years ago, I was outside around 10pm waiting on my pizza and saw a glowing orange sphere, almost exact same elevation, not very high at all, and just slowly cruising just like that.”
Another added: “A friend filmed exactly the same thing going in a straight line over Stevenage a perfect sphere with no light extending beyond it.”
However, some were quick to point out a more logical explanation.
YouTuber Zombie Bat said: “That’s just sunlight at dusk reflecting off an aeroplane.
“I see that all the time. And the orb effect is just because the camera auto focus is not locked in on the moving image properly.”
While there is no proof that UFOs are here, the sightings and claims from conspiracy theorists can lead to bigger questions.
Chris Impey, university distinguished professor of astronomy at University of Arizona, wrote for The Conversation: “While UFOs continue to swirl in the popular culture, scientists are trying to answer the big question that is raised by UFOs: Are we alone?
“Astronomers have discovered over 4,000 exoplanets, or planets orbiting other stars, a number that doubles every two years.
“Some of these exoplanets are considered habitable since they are close to the Earth’s mass and at the right distance from their stars to have water on their surfaces.
“The nearest of these habitable planets are less than 20 light years away, in our cosmic ‘back yard’.
“Extrapolating from these results leads to a projection of 300 million habitable worlds in our galaxy.
“Each of these Earth-like planets is a potential biological experiment, and there have been billions of years since they formed for life to develop and for intelligence and technology to emerge. Astronomers are very confident there is life beyond the Earth.
“As astronomer and ace exoplanet-hunter Geoff Marcy, puts it, ‘The universe is apparently bulging at the seams with the ingredients of biology’.”
