With the first public hearing on UFOs in 50 years happening Tues., May 16, we thought it was as good a time as any to look into Sac's starry skies. While no one knows for sure if aliens exist, there are plenty of sightings in the City of Trees that raise the question: are we alone? According to the National UFO Reporting Center, there have been 15,000+ sightings in California — and 400+ sightings in Sacramento.

👀 Eyewitness accounts for UFOs

They say seeing is believing. Here are several eyewitness accounts of UFO sightings in Sac from the State Report Index:

Mon. April 4 | “I was flying over Folsom from Sacramento to Vegas and saw a pill shaped dark grey object suspended in the air that did not move.”
Thurs., March 31 | “Witnessed 2 hovering circles of light, with green and red beams of light coming from it, just sitting in an area and not moving around just hovering.”

Sat., Feb. 12 | “Around 5PM on Saturday spotted a metallic triangle/pyramid about 1000-2000 ft high tumbling stationery in the sky, for a few minutes than drifted very slowly north.”

Want to file a report? Make like Saturn + give the National UFO Reporting Center a ring.

👽 What causes the UFO sightings?

Airplanes | One possible reason for the sightings in the River City could be due to the activity at Sacramento International Airport. Even a commercial plane can create vivid vapor trails that may look like extraterrestrial evidence.

Clouds | A hole-punch cloud (a donut-shaped cloud that can look like a flying saucer) can occur when a plane flies through cirrus or cirrostratus clouds.
Optical illusions | Reflections may look like lights in the sky, especially at night. Sightings on Highway 50 + I-80 may be headlights refracting off the windshield or rearview mirrors.

Or… maybe the sightings really are visitations from extraterrestrial tourists. The aliens might have heard about Sacramento Bacon Fest and decided to pay us a visit.