A file of dozens of UFO reports was released online by the Ministry of Defence back in 2009 of which catalogues the various unusual reports into a neat and tidy time table from January to November of 2009 until which the MoD stopped collecting and investigating reports of UFOs, of course though that does not mean that some other department or entity has not since taken over, but that is up to speculation as there has been no confirmation.
The MoD had been investigating and filing reported sightings of UFOs since the 1950s and there is going to be a host more of these UFO files released soon thanks to a Freedom of Information request by PA Media, which are expected at some point this year in a number of months’ time (no exact date has been given).
So, I thought with that why not dive into the files and dredge up some of the more interesting accounts that have been documented by the MoD in the 2009 UFO files that were released. I will pick out 3 from each month that catch my eye.
January
On 4th January a report from Haslingdale/Rossendale in Lancashire described four or more solid bright orange lights that were moving ahead which were then followed by a further eight identical objects. They rose vertically over the side of a valley and made no sound.
On 5th January at 7pm in Malvern, Worcestershire there was a V-shaped formation of seven lights reported that were moving rapidly across the sky of which they then rotated before the lights suddenly split up and vanished. It was reported the lights were the size and brightness of stars and no sound or visible trails were heard or seen.
On 28th January at 10:10pm a light the size of a helicopter was reported and that other lights were “falling or dripping from it to the ground”. They at first thought it might be a firework. It made no noise that could be heard.
February
On 6th February at 5:30pm between Mealrigg and Langrigg in Cumbria there was a clearly defined, shiny silvery metallic cylinder-shaped object reported with rounded ends that was estimated to be 50ft in length and that there was also a small protrusion on the upper-rear body of the object. Again, no sound or emissions were observed or heard.
On 7th February at 8:05pm in an undisclosed location there were six lights observed in the sky, some were red, some were orange and some were white but they were all travelling in the same direction. The observant speculated that it was either one big object or multiple smaller objects.
On 16th February at 7:19pm at Leigh in Greater Manchester a dome shaped orange ball of light was reported taking off from a field but that wasn’t all, the strangest part was that the observant said the object was “organic like a jellyfish” and that it was also transparent and they were able to see its internal workings. It was estimated 150-200ft in the air and it departed, swaying left to right and made a droning noise.
March
1st March at 8:15pm in West Bridgford, Nottingham a swarm of an estimated 100 flashing white lights were reported, they were high in the sky moving very quickly from North-East to South-East and that all of the objects were keeping equidistant and of equal speed. They disappeared 45 degrees above the horizon. The observer added that the objects moved in an arc of about 40 degrees in 10 seconds.
9th March at 11:10pm in Holland-on-Sea, Essex there was an emerald green object that looked like a torch or large grapefruit reported. The witness said it flitted up and down and around, observed through the occupants landing window. The beam of light then narrowed and then came back as a ball shape and then remained still for 90 seconds before vanishing.
24th March at 5:17am in Bridgend, Glamorgan where four UFOs were reported flying underneath two aircraft! The UFOs were described as greyish in colour with a dome on the top and bottom.
April
8th April at 1am in Brighton, Sussex an object that looked like a “squashed balloon” and which had no visible wings was reported. It was described as having a rounded front and pointed back. No lights were seen on the front but it had two-three on its back which were red and flashing and another white/green. In this one the witness did hear a noise first which grew louder before seeing the object.
13th April at 9:30pm in Derby, Derbyshire where two “orangey” lights in the sky were described as moving towards each other and then another ball of light also approached them and all three sat there stationary for a while before disappearing into the distance. Although another light then came and hovered where the other three had been seen.
26th April at 12:50am in Hackney, London. Two bright lights were reported heading towards the city, described as like a white octopus-shaped kite. The witness said it was like they were propelled but that they were travelling on their own.
May
3rd May at 3:50pm over Otmoor, Oxfordshire a pilot described a shiny black flying cylinder that was estimated to be 20-30ft long at about 4,700ft in the air, 200ft above the pilot’s aircraft.
19th May at 10:15pm in Long Eaton, Nottingham an ellipse shaped object the size of a commercial airliner was reported. The observer said the object was on fire and was glowing bright orange. It moved from South-East to North and then it returned and hovered for at least a minute and then suddenly moved further away at supersonic speed.
30th May at 11:30pm in Ballynahinch, County Down. Three distinct sets of orange, green and white lights were reported. They were static to the naked eye and didn’t match any constellation and were in the wrong place. Using binoculars they could be seen moving at speed and at random.
June
18th June at 11:20pm in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Two huge lights were reported chasing each other like “cat and mouse”. There was broken cloud in the sky and the objects would never leave the clouds but only go to the edge. The observer also said it looked like a strong light was above them. Eventually both the objects shot off to the North.
21st June at 9:45pm in an undisclosed location somewhere along the A3. 50-100 helicopter-sized objects were all reported moving in the same direction and that they were silent.
23rd June at 7:09pm in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. A circular object that was metallic in colour is said to be following a plane. It would suddenly shoot downwards several times but would then come back up again level with the plane.
July
5th July at 1:35am in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. A dormant blue light that changed colour numerous times over the hour-long period that it was witnessed. At first the object was moving steadily but then stopped in mid-air. It would then start moving from left-to-right. The witness also said a white-beam could be seen shining down from the object. The object also had red lights.
18th July at 2:35am in Weston Super Mare, Somerset. A metallic object shaped like a missile was reported circling the area, moving diagonally. It was described as one-quarter being white, another part green/blue and another part was red. It also had no wings and sounded like a motorbike.
25th July at 11:25am on Goring-by-sea, West Sussex. Three orange lights were reported in the sky over the sea. Then there was an “explosion” and the centre light dropped into the sea. No sound was heard from the lights.
August
4th August at 9:50am in Poole, Dorset. A bright light fireball that was the size of a football flew into this observers kitchen and landed in a plastic carrier bag on the table! Ball lightning perhaps? The witness said the object suddenly vanished but seemed to cause almost blinding white “sheet lightning”.
31st August at undisclosed time in Ashingdon Heights, Essex. Approximately 10 lights were observed flying over. First eight were going at a steady, slow speed of which three merged into a triangle formation and then separated and disappeared. About a minute later two other lights appeared travelling faster and then diseppearing in the same area of sky.
31st August at 5pm somewhere along the Thames Estuary. A silvery coloured vertical cylinder object was sighted. Underneath the object was a bright fiery-yellow glow. The witness observed the object for about 20 minutes.
September
2nd September at 12:46am in Filey, Yorkshire. There was described a “brilliant and dazzling” pure white horizontal ring of light. The witness said it appeared to be perfectly still in the sky above houses and was totally silent.
4th September at Ashton-Under-Lyne, Great Manchester. Eight fast moving orange UFOs that shone brightly were observed moving across the sky one by one with approximately 20 seconds between each object. They then stopped over a reservoir and changed direction at approximately 90 degrees towards Holmfirth. They made no sound.
21st September at 8:55pm in Kenilworth, Warwickshire. An object described as looking very unsual flew across the sky. It was described as cone-shaped with a circular top. The witness also said it had an orangey/red light in the middle and an outer red/pink layer that was see-through.
October
4th October at 8:30pm in Pudsey, Leeds. Witness described an incredibly bright light in the sky. It was first white but then changed to a bright orange. The object seemed to be big and also pulsating and that it appeared to be following the witness. The light later shot across the sky and dissapeared.
31st October at 5:35pm in Netherton, Liverpool. Described as a large spherical ball that looked like it was on fire. Small objects dropped from it and then flew away.
31st October at 8:30pm in Winchburgh, West Lothian. Witness described a cylindrical shape that was flying low and also silent. It had two large and red navigation lights on its body and flashing red strobe lights. It eventually disappeared from view.
November
3rd November at 7:20pm in Clacton, Essex. It was described as a single object full of lights the size of 10 planes! The object was silent. The lights would dim and change colour and some would turn off. The lights were arranged in a straight line and underneath the object was a U shape that was attached.
9th November at Plympton, Devon. Witness described a red and orange object that was half the size of the visible moon and that it was making no sound but “bits” were falling off of the object. The witness tracked the object for about 20 seconds.
20th November at 11:20pm in Cattleford, Yorkshire. The witness described how a mushroom-shaped light (reminiscent of a balloon blowing in the wind) was being tracked by three brightly-lit aircraft. The witness saw approximately 6-7 mushroom-shapes and four aircraft. No engine sounds could be heard.
Very strange! It is is crazy how many sightings there were per month. Many of them plain and mundane but some also very interesting, such as the ones I picked out. It will be exciting to see what more is to be released in the near future and what any of this could be. Some of them can simply be explained as mis-identification… others though…
That of interest to note? As is often most sightings almost always appear to be of silent objects and the vast majority of lights on these unidentified flying objects are orange.
Check out the files for yourself!
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