After the U.S. military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon earlier this month, North America has had its eyes on the sky. Since then, three more U.F.O.s have been shot down over the U.S. and Canada within the last week. 

On Feb. 10, a U.F.O. spotted off the coast of Alaska was shot down by the Pentagon. It was reported to be the size of a small car, significantly smaller than the previous balloon encounters. There is some dispute over the exact nature of the object, with some officials claiming it was another balloon, and others stating that it broke apart on impact with the water and must be something else. The official reason for the object being shot down given by the Biden administration was its potential to interfere with civilian aircraft flight paths.

Shortly after, on Feb. 11, another U.F.O. was shot down by the U.S. military over Canada in a joint effort between the Trudeau and Biden administrations. This object was cylindrical in nature and after being shot down was recovered by Canadian officials. They are not yet sure exactly what it is, but it does not appear to have been sending out communication signals. It was also officially shot down for interrupting flight paths.

Feb. 12 brought the downfall of one more U.F.O. over Montana. This one was larger, with an octagonal shape and unburdened strings hanging off the side. It too was shot down by the U.S. military for violating civilian airspace. It fell over Lake Huron and little has been said about the potential nature or purpose of the object.

On Feb. 17, the U.S. called off the search for the objects downed over Alaska and Canada after conditions proved too difficult to continue searching for debris.

With foreign tensions running high as U.S.-Russia relations continue to be contentious, and China supposedly sending spy balloons our way, why are so many U.F.O.s taking to the skies recently?

A possible explanation is the U.S.’s hyper-vigilance in the wake of the spy balloon fiasco. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (N.O.R.A.D.) adjusted its radar to be more reactive and has become a lot more aware of unidentified objects. There are millions of objects in the sky at all times, some documented and some surprising. From harmless weather balloons to foreign spy planes, and even Navy U.F.O. sitings, the skies are full of secrets. 

Not everyone believes the recent U.F.O.s being shot down are man-made. According to a poll done by Pilot News, 25% of those surveyed believed that the recent objects are alien in nature, rather than being from foreign powers. Whether you think it’s aliens, foreign spies or harmless research collectors patrolling above, keep an eye out for U.F.O.s and crashing objects.