Miami Sighted on List of Best U.S. Cities to Spot a UFO

Miami doesn't just sizzle for its beaches and nightlife. We're also a hot spot for UFO sightings!

September 19, 2024

Image: A SpaceX rocket streaking across the night sky, viewed from Miami Beach

Sometimes it's just...Elon: A 2023 report from Miami Beach turned out to be a SpaceX rocket launched near Cape Canaveral. Photo submitted to National UFO Reporting Center

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Miami doesn't just sizzle for its beaches and nightlife. It's also a UFO hot spot. The online gambling outfit BetUS has compiled an interactive guide to the likeliest places to see a UFO, and the Magic City merited inclusion.

BetUS analyzed data from the National UFO Reporting Center, digging through reports dating back to 2013 to discern the best months, times, and locations to see something otherworldly in the sky. They even created an interactive map that allows you to search by state to see where those UFO sightings have been lighting up the neighborhood chat groups.

Phoenix topped the list (no surprise there) with a whopping 323 reported sightings, while York, Nebraska, came in last. Where did Miami slot in? Here's a hint: Savage.

If you guessed 21, you're correct! With 130 reported sightings — some previously reported in New Times — Miami ranked 21st out of 251 U.S. cities.

That said, Orlando (11th place, with 201 reported sightings) and Jacksonville (17th, with 150 sightings) beat us. But we came in ahead of Tampa (25th, with 123 sightings) and Cape Coral (58th, with 74 sightings).

Next time you're out enjoying a ~~balmy~~ steamy Miami night, look to the sky. You never know what might be hovering overhead.

Though she's a Jersey girl by birth, former staff writer Zulekha Pitts — Zee to her family and friends, has deep roots in Florida. Before coming to New Times in 2024, she worked as a content creator and digital producer for USA Today and content producer for 3TV and CBS 5 News in Phoenix and also has experience as a digital host for the jewelry home-shopping channel Gem Shopping Network in Atlanta. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Journalism and Media Studies, Zee is wrapping up a master's in communication at Villanova.

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