Are Those Aliens?

It was a bright June day in 1947, and pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying over beautiful snow-capped mountains. He was on his way to Oregon, but he had decided to head off course to Mount Rainier in Washington State. A military plane was thought to have crashed there. A reward was being offered to the first person who found it.

Arnold never did find the downed plane. But he did find something else.

Something so extraordinary that it would forever change the course of his life—and American history.

Something he would come to believe was not of this Earth.

That’s right. We’re talking about aliens.

It was a bright day in 1947. Pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying toward Mount Rainier in Washington State. A plane might have crashed there. The first person to find it would get a reward.

Arnold never found the plane. But he did find something else.

It was something so unbelievable that it would forever change his life—and American history.

It was something that he later believed was not of this Earth.

That’s right. We’re talking about aliens.

As he got close to Mount Rainier, Arnold saw nine strange objects in the sky. At first, he thought they might be a flock of birds. But that couldn’t be. The objects had shiny surfaces, and sunlight sparkled off them. Were they planes? Unlikely. The objects didn’t seem to have pilots, though they sometimes darted and flipped.

Even crazier, the objects were traveling at 1,200 miles per hour or more, according to Arnold. At that speed, you could cross five football fields in about one second! Nothing flew that fast, Arnold knew—and certainly not birds. He was puzzled. If only he had a camera with him, he thought.

After he landed, Arnold told his story to other pilots and a reporter. On June 25, the East Oregonian newspaper ran a front-page article about Arnold’s story. According to the article, the flying objects Arnold saw were “saucer-like.” (Saucers are small, round plates.)

“It seemed impossible,” Arnold said in the article. “But there it is—I must believe my eyes.”

The story was quickly picked up by other newspapers. And it sparked a frenzy. What had Arnold seen? Could it have been some kind of military test? A weapon? Or was it something stranger? Was it aliens?

Whatever it was, the public became obsessed. Within a month, people reported seeing more than 850 unidentified flying objects—or UFOs.

Arnold saw nine strange objects in the sky. At first, he thought they were birds. But that couldn’t be. The objects were shiny. Sunlight sparkled off them. Were they planes? Unlikely. The objects didn’t seem to have pilots. But sometimes, they darted and flipped.

Even crazier, the objects were traveling at 1,200 miles per hour or more. At that speed, you could cross five football fields in about one second! Arnold knew that nothing flew that fast—and certainly not birds. He was puzzled. If only he had a camera with him, he thought.

After he landed, Arnold told his story to other people. A newspaper ran an article about his story. According to the article, the flying objects Arnold saw were “saucer-like.” (Saucers are small, round plates.)

“It seemed impossible,” Arnold said in the article. “But there it is—I must believe my eyes.”

The story was quickly shared by other newspapers. And it sparked an uproar. What had Arnold seen? Could it have been a weapon? Or was it something stranger? Was it aliens?

People became obsessed. Soon, they reported seeing more than 850 unidentified flying objects—or UFOs.

For as long as humans have walked on Earth, we have gazed up at the sky and wondered what might be out there. And we’ve told stories to try to explain what we don’t yet understand.

Early humans saw the shapes of great and powerful beings in the night sky. Now we know those shapes are stars and planets.

In the 1400s, hundreds of people in Nuremberg, Germany, panicked one day when they saw flying globes battle in the sky and then disappear in a puff of smoke. Historians now believe this was most likely a natural event called a sun dog. It happens when ice crystals in the clouds cause bright spots to appear in the sky on either side of the sun.

In the late 1800s, scientists observing Mars through their telescopes saw straight lines on the surface of the planet. Some concluded the lines were waterways built by an advanced civilization of martians. Today, we know what they saw was likely a trick of the eye—or perhaps dust storms.

By the time Arnold flew over Mount Rainier in 1947, there was real fear that aliens could invade Earth. In fact, just nine years earlier, some people believed that martians were attacking New Jersey. They had been listening to a radio play based on the novel The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. But some listeners mistakenly believed an alien invasion was actually happening.

Humans have always looked up at the sky and wondered what might be out there. And we’ve told stories to try to explain what we don’t yet understand.

Early humans saw the shapes of great and powerful beings in the night sky. Now we know those shapes are stars and planets.

In the 1400s, hundreds of people in Germany were scared by flying globes that disappeared in a puff of smoke. Experts now believe this was most likely a natural event called a sun dog. It happens when bits of ice in the clouds cause bright spots to appear in the sky next to the sun.

In the late 1800s, scientists were looking at Mars through their telescopes. They saw straight lines on the planet. Some concluded the lines were waterways built by a civilization of martians. Today, we know what they saw was likely a trick of the eye. Or maybe it was dust storms.

By 1947, there was real fear that aliens could attack Earth. In fact, just nine years earlier, some people believed that martians were attacking New Jersey. They had been listening to a radio play. It was based on the novel The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. But some people thought an alien attack was actually happening.

In the years after Arnold’s story made headlines, the number of UFO reports exploded. Farmers saw strange lights over their fields. Kids stargazing in their backyards spotted flying saucers high in the air.

And after a mysterious object was found in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico, rumors spread that aliens had crash-landed there. (An official report stated that a weather balloon—not a spaceship—had crashed near Roswell.)

UFO hunting became a national hobby. People formed clubs to discuss UFO reports. Some of the most popular sci-fi movies and TV shows featured aliens in flying saucers. Sometimes these aliens were sweet. Sometimes they were terrifying.

Meanwhile, the mystery remained: What were people seeing? As with the lines on Mars, was there a simple explanation? Or could it really be aliens?

Soon, people started seeing more and more UFOs. Farmers saw strange lights over their fields. Kids spotted flying saucers high in the air.

And a strange object was found in the desert near Roswell, New Mexico. Rumors spread that aliens had crashed there. (An official report said that a weather balloon—not a spaceship—had crashed near Roswell.)

UFO hunting became a hobby. People formed clubs to discuss UFO reports. Some of the most popular sci-fi movies and TV shows featured aliens. Sometimes these aliens were sweet. Sometimes they were terrifying.

Meanwhile, the mystery remained: What were people seeing? Was there a simple explanation? Or could it really be aliens?

As thrilling as that would be, the answer is: probably not.

After 1945, the U.S. military was secretly testing many new types of planes. Some could fly without pilots or fly in ways no one had seen before. The A-12 spy plane, for example, could fly faster and higher than anything before it.

Many of these tests took place near a secret military base called Area 51, in a remote part of Nevada. That likely explains why many UFO reports came from the Southwest, not far from Area 51.

In fact, if you lived in the Southwest back then, you might have spotted a UFO too!

As exciting as that would be, the answer is: probably not.

After 1945, the U.S. military was secretly testing many new types of planes. Some could fly without pilots. Some could fly in ways no one had seen before. The A-12 spy plane, for example, could fly faster and higher than anything before it.

Many of these tests took place near a secret base called Area 51 in Nevada. That likely explains why many UFOs were seen in the Southwest. That’s where Area 51 is.

If you lived in the Southwest back then, you might have seen a UFO too!

Over the years, details about the secret planes have been made public. Today, experts believe that many UFOs were probably test flights for those planes. Yet UFO reports have continued to this day.

Recently, a group of government officials came together to look into UFO reports from 2004 to 2021. And last summer, this group released its findings. Overall, 144 UFO incidents were analyzed. Many are deeply puzzling. Some are eerily similar to what Arnold saw back in 1947.

In one incident, for example, Navy pilots said that spinning objects appeared at about 30,000 feet over the East Coast. The objects didn’t seem to have engines. How were they flying? Where was their fuel? They were seen almost every day from the summer of 2014 to March 2015.

In the end, the government group concluded that we don’t have enough information to fully understand what every UFO might be. The report did not mention anything about aliens. But it didn’t rule them out either.

Maybe some UFOs are no more than birds or balloons or a drone from someone’s backyard. Maybe they are just light filtering through the clouds—a trick our eyes are playing on us. Maybe, like spy planes from years ago, they are a new technology that most people don’t know about yet.

One thing remains clear: Many of us want to believe in aliens. In fact, 4 in 10 Americans believe UFOs are extraterrestrial, or from outside our planet.

Yet believing something to be true and it being true aren’t always the same thing.

Today, experts believe that many UFOs were probably those secret planes. Yet UFO reports have continued to this day.

Recently, a group of government officials looked into UFO reports from 2004 to 2021. Overall, 144 UFOs were analyzed. Many are deeply puzzling. Some are eerily similar to what Arnold saw in 1947.

For example, Navy pilots saw spinning objects at about 30,000 feet over the East Coast. The objects didn’t seem to have engines. How were they flying? Where was their fuel? They were seen almost every day from the summer of 2014 to March 2015.

In the end, the group concluded that we don’t have enough information to fully understand what every UFO might be. It did not say anything about aliens. But it didn’t rule them out either.

Maybe some UFOs are no more than birds or balloons. Maybe they are just a trick our eyes are playing on us. Maybe they are a new technology few people know about yet.

One thing is clear: Many of us want to believe in aliens. In fact, 4 in 10 Americans believe UFOs are extraterrestrial, or from outside our planet.

Yet believing something to be true and it being true aren’t always the same thing.

Whatever UFOs may be, many scientists do believe that there is some kind of life on other planets. We could even find it in your lifetime.

“One of the most fundamental questions that we ask ourselves is, are we alone?” says astronomer Michelle Kunimoto.

Right now, scientists like Kunimoto are searching the stars for clues. Today, telescopes can see deeper into space than ever before. We’ve sent rovers to explore the surface of Mars. (Alas, no martians were waiting to greet them.)

And it seems like a new planet is discovered almost every day. Scientists believe there could be as many as 300 million planets in our galaxy—the Milky Way—that might support life.

That life probably won’t be what we expect though.

“When people think of life, they think intelligent life like humans and animals and everything that lives on Earth,” says Kunimoto. “But it’s more likely that the first type of life we’ll find will be microorganisms like bacteria.”

Whatever UFOs may be, many scientists do believe that there is some kind of life on other planets. We could even find it in your lifetime.

“One of the most fundamental questions that we ask ourselves is, are we alone?” says astronomer Michelle Kunimoto.

Right now, scientists like Kunimoto are looking for clues. Today, telescopes can see deeper into space than ever before. We’ve sent rovers to explore Mars. (Alas, no martians were there to greet them.)

And it seems like a new planet is discovered almost every day. Scientists believe there could be millions of planets in our galaxy—the Milky Way—that might have life.

That life probably won’t be what we expect though.

“When people think of life, they think intelligent life like humans and animals and everything that lives on Earth,” says Kunimoto. “But it’s more likely that the first type of life we’ll find will be microorganisms like bacteria.”

So what about Arnold and the strange objects he saw way back in 1947?

No official explanation exists. In an interview in 1950, Arnold gave his own view. He said he believed the objects were “of an extraterrestrial origin.”

We may never solve the mystery of what he saw that day in the bright, sunny skies over Mount Rainier. But Arnold’s story reveals a deeper truth: Human curiosity is powerful. So too is our imagination.

And whatever is waiting out there in space, it will take both to find it.

So what about Arnold and the strange objects he saw back in 1947?

No official explanation exists. In 1950, Arnold said he believed the objects were “of an extraterrestrial origin.”

We may never solve the mystery of what he saw that day in 1947. But Arnold’s story reveals a deeper truth: Human curiosity is powerful. So too is our imagination.

And whatever is waiting out there in space, it will take both to find it.