Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered if there might be something out there?
Well, you are not alone and that is why today, people around the globe are marking World UFO Day.
The international occasion is a chance to raise awareness about the existence of UFOs and encourage people to share their experiences.
With that in mind, we’ve gathered some of the celestial sightings in and around Worcester over the years.
Secret government files
Before we delve into some of the more recent sightings, it would be wise to look back a little further.
In September 2020, previously confidential government files were published, revealing dozens of reports of UFOs in Worcestershire.
A total of 21 sightings were made between 1997 and 2009.
One such sighting, reported in Worcester in August 1997, stated that a UFO "the size of an aircraft" travelled across the sky at huge speed.
The next year, a black teddy bear-shaped object was seen moving rapidly through the sky over Bewdley, Hereford and Worcester.
On New Year's Eve 2001, a star-shaped object "pulsated and then vanished" in Malvern.
Then in 2003, a helium-type balloon the "size of a moon" with blue and red lights was reported to have moved across the sky in Worcester.
You can read the details of all 21 reports here.
Floating object - 2015
Jumping forward to 2015 we have some of the first video evidence of extraterrestrials in Worcester.
Filmed by Luke Gregg on Sunday, March 15, a floating object could be seen near Worcester Woods.
Mr Gregg said at the time: “I'm very much a sceptic when it comes to these things so by no means did I think that it was an alien spaceship or something equally paranormal.
“I just wanted to find out what it was really.
“I noticed an object floating in the sky. At first I thought it was a flag or a piece of litter blowing in the wind, after being caught on telegraph pole cables.
“But as I got closer I realised that the object was hovering in the sky."
Flaming UFO and the strange blue light - 2020
The end of 2020 proved fruitful for those looking to the sky.
In September, astronomer Craig Mathias from Kempsey captured something unexplainable over his home.
"I saw a huge flash and I zoomed in and saw what looked to me like a space capsule re-entering the atmosphere with two flames coming from either side,” he said.
READ MORE: 'UFO' with flames spotted over Worcestershire
Then, in November, Worcester News received several reports about a strange blue light in the night sky.
However, on this occasion, it turned out to be a measuring system being used by train operators.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “The blue light residents in the Worcester area may have seen last night (Monday, November 16) was from one of our measurement trains, which records the tracks and the structures to the sides, above and below them to make sure they're in full working order.
“The blue light seen in the sky is part of a measurement system that monitors the amount of wear on the overhead line created by train pantographs sliding along the underside of the contact wire."
Read more about the incident here.
Unidentified Flower Object - 2021
It was 'the weirdest thing' city resident David Whittall had ever seen.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be a flower-shaped balloon.
Mr Whittall spotted the object above his garden in Spetchley, able to record it on his phone.
He said: “The unidentified flying object was segmented into six outer silver round shapes with a darker centre.
“It was very strange, I’m not suggesting it is an alien invasion, but it is certainly the weirdest thing I have ever seen.”
However, UFO investigator and former police officer Dale Collett, from Worcester, said the object was just a foil balloon.
He said: “Although, even I was initially amazed as it looked so strange and not a normal ‘balloon’ shape.
“But after a while, a friend mentioned that it could be a balloon from the frontal view, so I looked again... Then Google searched ‘helium filled flower balloon’ and there the explanation was.
“It was an easy mistake to make.”
There was yet more extraterrestrial activity later in the year, when mystery lights were spotted over Warndon Villages.
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