UFO sightings by period

UFO sightings in 2020: 100 reports

SkyUnknown lists 100 UFO sightings in 2020 worldwide, drawn from official records: GEIPAN (CNES) for 60 cases and PURSUE (gouvernement des États-Unis) for 40.

Of the 100 cases with a conclusion from their source, 54% are explained (with certainty or probably), 4% lack the data to conclude, and 42 remain unidentified. The most frequent identified causes: aircraft (13); balloons (9); sky lanterns (7).

cases: 100
unidentified: 42
period: 2020
sources: 2

Map of the cases

Notable cases

The most complete records: account of the sighting, conclusion of the official investigation.

Year by year, 2020 to 2029

All decades

Identified causes

For cases explained with certainty or probably.

By country

All sightings

Date	Place	Status	Identified cause
December 19, 2020	Batilly · Meurthe-et-Moselle	Explained	Meteors and fireballs
December 18, 2020	Montmorency · Val-d'Oise	Explained	Satellites
December 12, 2020	Plouhinec · Morbihan	Explained	Aircraft
December 9, 2020	Paris	Insufficient data
November 26, 2020	Cergy · Val-d'Oise	Explained	Aircraft
November 26, 2020	Lège-Cap-Ferret · Gironde	Probably explained	Sky lanterns
November 25, 2020	Hontanx · Landes	Explained	Aircraft
November 25, 2020	Marssac-sur-Tarn · Tarn	Probably explained	Balloons
November 22, 2020	Nantes · Loire-Atlantique	Probably explained	Sky lanterns
November 11, 2020	Carlux · Dordogne	Explained	Stars
November 11, 2020	Sourcieux-les-Mines · Rhône	Explained	Planets
November 6, 2020	Richecourt · Meuse	Explained	Weather and storms
November 2, 2020	Iran	Unexplained
October 28, 2020	Les Sauvages · Rhône	Probably explained	Reflections and photo artefacts
October 27, 2020	Lieu non précisé	Unexplained
October 22, 2020	Le Bono · Morbihan	Explained	Moon
October 15, 2020	Arabian Sea	Unexplained
October 10, 2020	Charenton-le-Pont · Val-de-Marne	Probably explained	Birds, insects, nature
October 1, 2020	Strait of Hormuz	Unexplained
September 16, 2020	Strait of Hormuz	Unexplained
September 4, 2020	Gulf of Aden	Unexplained
August 31, 2020	Arabian Gulf	Unexplained
August 28, 2020	Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer · Bouches-du-Rhône	Probably explained	Ground lights and lasers
August 27, 2020	Arabian Gulf	Unexplained
August 26, 2020	Malemort-sur-Corrèze · Corrèze	Probably explained	Satellites
August 24, 2020	Arabian Sea	Unexplained
August 12, 2020	Panzoult · Indre-et-Loire	Explained	Stars
August 10, 2020	Louviers · Eure	Insufficient data
August 8, 2020	Arabian Gulf	Unexplained
August 8, 2020	Mas-Grenier · Tarn-et-Garonne	Explained	Balloons
August 8, 2020	Uzès · Gard	Probably explained	Balloons
August 5, 2020	Borée · Ardèche	Explained	Balloons
August 5, 2020	Dole · Jura	Probably explained	Sky lanterns
July 30, 2020	Perpignan · Pyrénées-Orientales	Explained	Birds, insects, nature
July 30, 2020	Saint-Satur · Cher	Explained	Aircraft
July 29, 2020	Saint-Ouen-les-Vignes · Indre-et-Loire	Explained	Balloons
July 20, 2020	Metz · Moselle	Probably explained	Space station (ISS)
July 19, 2020	Bernac-Debat · Hautes-Pyrénées	Explained	Satellites
July 19, 2020	Saint-Germain-des-Prés · Loiret	Explained	Re-entries
July 18, 2020	Montpellier · Hérault	Explained	Aircraft
July 16, 2020	Arabian Gulf	Unexplained
July 14, 2020	Chatte · Isère	Explained	Aircraft
July 12, 2020	Kanfen · Moselle	Explained	Aircraft
July 8, 2020	Saint-Jean-de-Liversay · Charente-Maritime	Explained	Planets
July 5, 2020	Maisons-Alfort · Val-de-Marne	Explained	Aircraft
June 20, 2020	Gradignan · Gironde	Probably explained	Balloons
June 13, 2020	Mios · Gironde	Explained	Sky lanterns
June 11, 2020	Solliès-Pont · Var	Probably explained	Aircraft
June 3, 2020	Aunay-les-Bois · Orne	Unexplained
May 30, 2020	Saint-Germain-en-Laye · Yvelines	Explained	Aircraft
May 20, 2020	Chartèves · Aisne	Probably explained	Stars
May 19, 2020	Sundhoffen · Haut-Rhin	Probably explained	Aircraft
May 17, 2020	Olonne-sur-Mer · Vendée	Probably explained	Sky lanterns
May 14, 2020	Arabian Gulf	Unexplained
May 8, 2020	Sartrouville · Yvelines	Explained	Sky lanterns
May 4, 2020	Saint-Savin · Gironde	Explained	Weather and storms
April 23, 2020	Ballon Sonde — (reg) Ile-de-France	Explained	Balloons
April 17, 2020	Nice · Alpes-Maritimes	Insufficient data
April 13, 2020	Bruay-la-Buissière · Pas-de-Calais	Explained	Re-entries
April 5, 2020	Hasnon · Nord	Probably explained	Aircraft
March 23, 2020	Tournon-Saint-Pierre · Indre-et-Loire	Explained	Stars
March 14, 2020	Rustrel · Vaucluse	Explained	Stars
March 8, 2020	Saint-Michel-de-Montaigne · Dordogne	Probably explained	Balloons
February 28, 2020	Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer · Var	Probably explained	Sky lanterns
February 22, 2020	Saint-Christoly-Médoc · Gironde	Explained	Planets
January 27, 2020	Theizé · Rhône	Insufficient data
January 25, 2020	Les Sauvages · Rhône	Explained	Ground lights and lasers
January 21, 2020	Belfort · Territoire de Belfort	Explained	Balloons
January 13, 2020	Crozon · Finistère	Unexplained
January 11, 2020	La Madeleine · Nord	Explained	Ground lights and lasers
January 9, 2020	Loiret	Probably explained	Fireworks and flares
January 2, 2020	Villenave-d'Ornon · Gironde	Probably explained	Aircraft
2020	AFRICOM	Unexplained
2020	AFRICOM	Unexplained
2020	Atlantic Ocean	Unexplained
2020	Atlantic Ocean	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	CENTCOM	Unexplained
2020	Eastern United States	Unexplained
2020	Eastern United States	Unexplained
2020	Eastern United States	Unexplained
2020	Eastern United States	Unexplained
2020	Eastern United States	Unexplained
2020	Western United States	Unexplained

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The figures on this page are computed from the official records cited on each case. See sources and method

Notable cases

Iran

Lieu non précisé

Arabian Sea

Strait of Hormuz