Latest Mass UFO Sighting in South Africa
PRESS RELEASE – SAUFOR – 20091019
Last night, 18 October 2009, a strange and beautiful phenomenon was seen in the skies over South Africa. What is interesting to note is that witnesses from areas as wide apart as Cape Town and Johannesburg and many other areas, reported it around the same time, which was between 20:45 and 21:00.
As Founder of South Africa’s UFO Resource (SAUFOR) I have been researching UFO sightings since 1997, and was fortunate to have witnessed this sighting myself with 5 friends. Our location was at Scarborough, Cape Town and we had an excellent view of this phenomenon from when it was first seen rising over the horizon in the South. We observed it for about 10 minutes and had an exceptionally clear view, as there were no Moon and no clouds. At first we thought that it was the Pleiades star cluster, but then we noticed that there was definitely movement inside this “cloud”.. This movement included what appeared to be spiral-like arms moving outwards from the centre. As this phenomenon moved across the sky basically over our heads, we saw that there was a very bright white light in the centre, which dissolved into 6 or 7 smaller rotating lights, which then dissolved into what looked like rings or ripples, as if when throwing a stone into a pond.. This pattern repeated itself every 30-45 seconds with the concentric rings constantly expanding..
We were absolutely in awe of what we saw. I have never seen anything like this before. Judging by the physical distance between all the witnesses, this phenomenon had to be very high and very big to be seen simultaneously from so many varied areas. In fact, it is possible that whatever this was, may have been outside of Earth’s atmosphere.
It moved in a perfectly straight trajectory and at a constant speed, which makes me think that it was going all around our planet. Numerous witnesses, including myself, attempted to take photographs and video footage, but thus far none were successful.
The Johannesburg planetarium has been inundated with people reporting what they saw and their best explanation is that it was probably a satellite that exploded. I do not agree. We are collecting reports from as many individuals as possible and consider this one of the most significant UFO sightings in South Africa’s history. Thank you for keeping your eyes on the sky.
Namaste
Cristo Louw, Founder of South Africa’s UFO Resource (SAUFOR)
Email: cristo@saufor.com
Website: www.saufor.com
Popularity: 57% [?]
Hey! I also saw this last night from about 8:50 till 9:00 pm. .it was very huge and seemed really really close to us! ! ! We stopped to watch it and it was as if it dissapeared right before our eyes..im from north west province, skuinsdrif, we are near the botswana border..everything was like you explained, but i cant wrap my head around it that it could have been that far , it seemed so close to us!why do this?is it a sighn of something?im so grateful were not the only ones who saw it!there were friends of mine from potchefstroom who saw it as well!thank you, keep us updated!i never believed in this stuff till laste night!
My mom and sister from the north-west province together with 2 other people also saw this (about the same time last night), this ir real, i believe this!
But who are they and where they from?
Rochelle du Plessis
Eastern Cape
We live in Namibia and my husband and I saw the same UFO (sighting) last night as 9:45 our 2- way radio went crazy when it came above us. We also think this was not a satelite it was a very strange feeling but the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life . We phoned Sutherland at 10:30 and they said that the fist sighting was spotted in Hermanus at 8 O CLock the second in Ceres then JOhannesburg and then here on our farm in Namibia
So where’s the photos? Videos?
I saw the same star like object at around the same time. With like rings around it, originating from the centre going outwards. (Sandton)
We saw the same thing in Ceres pon 18 october. We were staying in a place called Wolsley just outside of ceres and decided to look at the stars as it was a perfectly clear night and there where millions of stars to be seen, when se spodded what we thought was the moon with rings around it. All of a sudden the bright light in the middle appeared and then a new cicle in the middle was created around the light adding to the circles around it. The object was also moving in a northerly direction and we watched in complete amazement as it continued created circles and moving overhead. We tried to take photos of it, but nothing could be seen on the camera.
Michelle
This was not a UFO but a satellite… check the newspapers!
My girlfriend and I saw this too, based in Sunninghill, Johannesburg, as well as one of my colleagues also in Johannesburg! Blown away and in complete and total awe, would LOVE to know what it was.. Have been researching all around the web to find a scientific explanation of some sort with no luck. Will try and contact the SA Space Assosciation as well as HERMANUS ASTRONOMY CLUB. Please let me know if you find out anything at all about this phenomenon.
My email address is dkristen@gmail.com, and my cell numer 084 566 6667
Dirk
Hi to all, could not agree with you more we were a group of about 15 people
we were having a braai for my daughters engagement. We also saw the “UFO”
It was exactly as you explained it the light rings had the same effect as a stone being thrown in water.
Diane Norman
Bothasig
Cape Town
Good day UFO lovers,
I own a adventure tour operating company on the Orange River close to the world famous Augrabies Falls National Park in the Northern Cape. We were busy with a 4 Day River Tour on the border of South Africa and Namibia with a group of 16 pax and 3 guides when we also saw this strange phenominon! Luky we where as there where no lights at our camp fire and we could see clearly what was going on in the sky. We also saw a little light just behind the bright light.
Hope you could forward more information regarding this UFO!!!!!Thank you Eben
E
Ja ons het dit ook gesien ongeveer 8:30 nm 18 Oktober. Dit was soos ‘n ronde bal net die wit buitelyne wat op die horison gelê het – aanvanklik gedink dit was die maan en besef dit is te groot – die volgende oomblik het daar ‘n lig soos die van ‘n ster in die middel van die sirkel verskyn en ontplof – met die ontploffing het twee wit halftes (soos rook) na bo en onder beweeg om ‘n totale ronde sirkel te maak. Na ongeveer 40 sekondes het dieselfde gebeur!!!! Weer was daar ‘n “ster” ontploffing in die middel van die sirkel wat uitkring. Dit het sowat 5-6 keer gebeur. Ons ht die kinders geroep en almal was in ekstase oor die vreemde verskynsel. Dit was merkwaardig dat die afstand tussen die “wit kringe rook” presies dieselfde semetriese afstand was. Dit het na ‘n paar minute al vinniger nader beweeg tot oor ons huis. Dit was ongelooflik om te sien – dit was baie duidelik aangesin die maan nie geskyn het nie. Soos dit oor die huis beweeg het het dit verdwyn.Dit was wel baie hoog in die lug en die hele aanskouing het so 7-8 min geduur. Baie nuuskierig om uit te vind wat dit was.Ons bly op ‘n koppie in Glenvista JHB.
Hi Christo
I also saw it on Sunday night, it was bizarre. Looked like a a perfect translucent moon. Thought it was an odd place for the moon to be when suddenly it started moving closer and closer, then another bright light appeared within that one, still moving closer and closer, with the outer circle getting bigger and bigger and the smaller circle growing inside it, then another one started and this repeated itself until it went overhead and was just these large white rings. It was amazing. I took photos but they have come out black and the one came out green so no luck there.
Glad I am not going completely mad but fortunately 3 people at my house saw it.
Kind regards,
Jennifer Duncan
I am absolutely speechless, I have just read your post after being directed to this site from a ufo site based in England. I can’t say that I’m interested in ufo sitings but after witnessing something very strange on Sunday evening I felt compelled to report what I and my 18 year old son and two of his friends had seen. I live in Colchester, England and at 8.15pm on Sunday evening I was in my garden and saw a bright white light shrouded in cloud moving across the sky fairly slowly going from south heading north. I then noticed another light following it a little way behind, again shrouded in cloud. My son was about two miles across town and phoned me from his mobile phone to tell me he was with two friends and they were watching something in the sky, he explained what he could see and it was obvious he was seeing the same thing. I wish to god somebody could give me an explaination to what we saw as it made me go cold watching it, I actually felt a bit scared as I have never sen anything like it before.
It was photographed succesfully numerous times by SA photographer Michell Krogg and can be seen together with info at his website
http://www.africanphotographyblog.com/astrophotography-astronomy/ufo-spotted-johannesburg-south-africa-centaur-rocket-military-satellite-fuel-dumping/
Hi There,
I also seen the similar object you describe above. Comparing what everyone saw to JHB Planetarium’s explanation does not make sense. I saw a huge circular halo of blusish light with sort of a dark line through the middle almost similar to a no entry sign? Anways I dont believe the planetariums explanation. I was not fortunate enough as you guys as the object only remained within sight for about 2 mins and seeing as I live in a concrete jungle with mountains surrounging me doe not help. This was by pure luck I just happened to step outside for a smoke and looked up in the direction of the object and before I could get my telescope out it dissappeared….but what a sight it was.
Ps. I am new to astronomy and star gazing but really interested in the unknown.
4 of us sighted this UFO at Veldrift on 18th October 2009 @ 20h45.
We were absolutley amazed at this incredible veiwing.
Regards
Moira Benn
For those who want to see the images I captured of this event please visit – http://www.africanphotographyblog.com/astrophotography-astronomy/ufo-spotted-johannesburg-south-africa-centaur-rocket-military-satellite-fuel-dumping/
Images also posted on News24.com at – http://www.news24.com/Content/Galleries/Image/Images/MyNews24/Something%20in%20the%20sky
Cristo,
Thank you so much for publishing this! I was out on the deck of the house looking at night sky as usual (I do this several times each evening–when it isn’t teeming with rain!) I have an unobstructed view of the sea and surrounding mountains (Noordhoek) and just as I was about to turn and go back indoors, I noticed what looked like a ‘bumpy’ cloud at first and one that was moving in an odd way. I ran inside for my binoculars and when I got outside again, the object had moved and this time I saw what looked like a ‘halo’ of light beneath the ‘cloud’. I listened for an engine in case it was just a chopper that was unusually high up but I heard nothing. I didn’t see the ’spiral arms’ you mentioned but then I was looking at it more from the side, not from directly underneath. I called some friends when I got back inside to ask if they had seen anything ‘unusual’ but no one had been outside at the time. Both friends are “skeptics’ skeptics ” so I didn’t elaborate and just mentioned an odd cloud formation. Until I found your article, I was going to write it off as some atmospheric anomaly which I suppose it could be, although from your description, that is looking doubtful.
Now that I have you url I’ll check in often.
Cheers,
Siobhan
Cristo your description of what was sighted is extremely accurate. We are in Parkmore Johannesburg and due to the bright lights concentrated in the Northern suburbs we did not see it as clearly as you did. However we most certainly saw it and also came to the conclusion that it was enormous to be so high and yet to be so visible.
we observed the spectacular ufo sighting and I find the US space rocket explanation hard to swallow.I am a 58 year old Pharmacist and I have waited all this while just to be told it is the old US of A doing it all again
I had the privilege to observe the spectacular sighting of the UFO on Sunday evening.I now have to swallow the bitter pill after hearing its the US of A doing it all over again.I am a 58 year old Pharmacist and have waited all this while to see such a spectacle,please tell me the reports are wrong
While travelling between Mafeking and Lichtenburg in the North-West Province on Sunday the 18 th of October at plus minus 20h53 my son told is to stop and pointing to a cluster of stars(he thought it was stars. We stopped and i saw what seems to be about 6 to 8 stars bundled together.When suddenly they seems to be smelting into one.THE one starts to puls and and moving from south to north at a high speed while pulsing with each pulse a ring appeared like rimpels in water when a peble is dropped in water.about six rings Then the rings Vanished and so the white light.While this was happening i phoned my friend at Groot Marico he also saw the last part,Ithink this was the same as above. Thank you
I was talking to a security Guard that saw the same thing!he explained it just like you did,I cant imagine he could make something like this up.wish i couldv seen it myself,I myself have seen a few wierd looking lights toward hartebeespoort dam but never thought anything of it as i never believed until now.
I was one of a group of 4 people that witnessed this sighting north of Barrydale, WC.
A couple of things that I noticed & wondered if anyone else did.
1. The concentric rings were green.
2. There was a faint dot of light, much more like a star, that was following at an unchanging distance from the main body as if it were a tail?
If I had to describe the whole thing, it would have to be as a helicopter.
The main centre light as the body, the rings caused by the rotors & the rear light as the tail light. Except, that it was utterly silent & due to its apparent size, was either extremely low thus it couldn’t be silent, or extremely high, when it would be absolutely massive!!
Hi Christo,
Myself and some friends were in Montague, Western Cape on Sunday evening when the UFO sighting happened. It looked exactly as you described it, with the bright, white center seeming to explode every minute or so to create another circle which perfectly moved outward in a concurrent manner.
Strange that these same such circles moved at the same speed as the UFO and stayed perfectly concurrent.
We also saw what appeared to be a smaller craft/light, traveling slightly behind the big one, also at the same distance all the way across the sky until it was out of our vision.
We unfortunately didn’t get any photos either, sorry.
Please keep me posted with any news or information that transpires from this.
Thank you,
Jason.
Hi
How do I send a report (to whom and to where) of a UFO sighting I had on the same day in Sunny Rock, a suburb that overlooks the Johannesburg CBD?
Regards
Phoenix
I too saw something strange at about 11.35pm on the night of the 18th of October in the clouds over Johannesburg. From where i was driving it looked like it was heading to OR TAMBO AIRPORT, but the strange thing about the object was that is was too big to be a plane and had a large circular orange yellow glow around it. I could not identify it as it was quite overcast but my first impressions were that i was looking at something extraordinary. This object did move in a straight trajectory and at a constant speed.
Hi
I was on my way to Bloemfontein from Viginia that same night 18 October 2009 (21:15) when my colleague pointed to something up in the sky.I pulled over and noticed a bright white dot which also then dissolves into rings like you have explained… It was definitly something out of our atmosphere, it couldnt been a satelite exploding because i’ve seen a satelite explode. The object moved in a straight line in the direction of Johannesburg. My colleague and I tried to take photos and videos but everything blured.
Please if there is anyone with answers about this reply to this message.
I was travelling from queenstown to east-london on the 18th october and witnessed the same thing.. a bright star-like object that had rings around it and the middle star shone brighter and larger and then repeated . the whole object moved from the south to the north in a steady pattern pulsing as if scanning the planet.
The whole oblect appeared to have 5 or 6 large rings around a centre star that pulsed bigger and smaller as it travelled across the sky!
I was driving at the time and had to pull over to make sure that I was not ’seeing things’ as I had been travelling all day and was pretty tired. I phoned my partner and explained what I was seeing, live to her… it was an amazing sight! The image will be in my mind forever..!
Take care and happy sightings.
aidan Hart
cape town
082 688 4238
I also attempted to video it with my cell-phone but was unsuccesfull.
According to Prof Matie Hoffman of the Boyden observatory it was a US weather satelite (DMSP 18) doing a fuel dump over Europe. This was reported in the Bloemfontien community newspaper ‘Krant’ which carried an excellent picture of the radiating rings.
I didn’t realise that satelites carried fuel. It would be nice to think that it was an actual sighting, but of course nobody would ever admit if it was.
Maybe the picture is available from the Krant offices. info@krant.co.za
I experienced a similiar phinomina in daylight. Can identify with your observation.
Hi
With response to your dreams, you could be a star child. I have also had dreams and clairvoyants told me i have special psychic abilities to communicate with them. So i am a star child. If you can get past being scared of them, then maybe they will see them. I have had a sighting, the problem is that people judge too easily and say “Aliens do not exist” so ’till now i have not gone public.
Hope that helps.
Anonymous.
I stay in Port Elizabeth(sunday, 18 october: between 8.45 and 9pm) and saw the same Phenomenon. I called my wife and son who witnessed it too. I’ve posted a question on a space query site and I am waiting for a response. It moved from south to north and “plumed out” a semi-circular light (almost moon-shaped) which , as the light dissipated formed a concentric circle. this phenomenon was repeated untill about six or seven concentric circles were formed and it eventuallyb dissapeared out of sight towards the north
Hi Christo…I don’t doubt this for one second. We must open our intuitive mind centers now. I feel the shift and integrity of all people is paramount. I’m with you on this. regards bridgette
Is jy familie van oorlede tannie Joey van der Walt?
OMG!
I have always been fascinated by UFO’S and constantly scan the night skies to see something, anything out of the ordinary that would confirm by unwavering belief that there is indeed intelligent life out there.
How wonderful you and your mates were treated to such a magical sight !!
I saw something about 2 nights ago (on the 2nd Dec). Wasn’t too sure what it was but it moved, then slowed down and moved fast again across the run way area at CPT International. It was at a pretty high altitude though. The moon was full and the sky clear enough to know that it wasn’t any form of plane…also, planes usually have flashing warning lights – this didn’t.
Is there any evidence of thissighting or any other like it in SA. ubductions etc.?
I Justine and my friend Precious were lying on my trampoline last night and we saw a big round shape that had red ,yellow and green lights on it that kept on blinking and it was spinning and going up not straight like a plane would go, and this was really magnificent,and a few moments later we saw a big star exploded in the air and later disappeared which we possibly think is a “shooting star ” as people call it.Please tell me what do u think about this is ??
Area this occurred :Welkom South Africa
Time it occurred :Round about 20:10 pm
Date this occurred :09 December 2009
Cristo I very much agree that you do not agree with the reply from planetarium, as they always (including the higher powers) have adopted ignorance towards this subject. I cannot remember the exact date however me and family witnessed in Oct 09 (Over Jhb, Northcliff) a very Bright orangy golden Ufo. It decended quite low and just hovered for more than 5mins, then started moving away towards the South East of Jhb. It moved slowly and in a flash it dissappeared. Amazingly the shape was absolutely visible. Disc shaped with a slightly raise (almost peaked) top. There were No flashing lights except this beautiful illumined orangy goldenish colour. I am certain there were many witnesses however it was not heard of or communicated via media.
Another sighting in 2006. I drove my sister inlaw to work at around 5am when the sun was just about rising. We drove easterly to catch the N1 going North. However in the Eastern sky (sort of over the Germiston sky) a massive squareish (with a slight bow or curve) craft just appeared stationed in the sky. It was so massive and bright that cars were slowing. It definately was not in our atmosphere, probably just out side of it. It was extremely huge. That morning on 94.7 Highveld Stereo, Jeremy Mansfield received callers regarding this sighting and as usual it was humoured off. All I can say to gain perspective of its size, I believe it was a Mother Ship or the like. It was definately not the conventional scout craft.
My First sightings since a child. First in Cape Town over Crawford in early evening sky with over 20 people including the shop owner. It just hovered about less than a kilometer above. Maybe be lower, not very certain. Anyway it had a greenish centre main light with redish surrounding brim lights. Its acrobatic display was the feature. The lights to formed many different display. That had the attantion of many. We were in awe.
There were many after that however just not as good as the 2 abovementioned.
I realise it is a sensitive subject with many therefore I remain an Alias. DivineInterllect on Youtube is I and features some cotent of actual craft and alien beings. Contactees like Alex Collier should be more out in the open for the information they bring. He certainly purports a discerning message that remains pertinent to our future. Furthermore with prudential cogitation check out http://www.divineinterllect.weebly.com. It may be sensitive to the religious wherefore I implore all to be clement in there discerment.
A few years ago, my dad and me were standing in his back yard in Bellville, star gazing. We both then saw a long trail of lights in a wave pattern moving from the south to the north. It flew over our heads. My dad said he also saw a head of clustered lights in front of the tail. This happened more than 8 years ago.
From Odessa Texas visiting South Africa Cradock area same time but clear night described as above –unbelievable to see such a thing a able to move as fast as it did –white bright center w/lights around the center light like rippling water rings described to the best to be described
Louie Hoover–Odessa, Texas USA
plz can anyone tell me where i can get photo’s….i only got the one from the krant newspaper but no colour.plz
Hi there! Just went onto the website http://www.astronomical.co.za where i found the images that are available.. check the link below for direct access.. Njoy!!
Cristo
http://www.astronomical.co.za/gallery-18-October-2009.htm
Thank you to ALL for your comments to this post!! We will continue to report such happenings to the best of our ability.. if you have a sighting, please email cristo@saufor.com with the details.. happy SkyWatching everyone!!!
Cristo
hi all, i didnt see the event in question. BUT i how ever witnessed severl similar events.
what is strange however is that no one on this site thought of taking a photo of what was going on or even recording the event.
all my sightings occured before i ever had anything to record with, but i keep my eyes opend and my recorder VERY close at hand.
hope some one bags some good pics soon.
hi Cristo.i have sightings quite often for the last 2 years.mainky in spain and uk.i just moved back to SA not expecting sightings here.but i think they followed me.i use infra red a lot and actually see more in the infrared.i strongly suggest skywatchers check this out as many ufo s are out of our visible spectrum.i am keen to meet people who know this isnt a load of bollocks.is there anybody around cape town that is aware of this e.t. presence and agenda. . .peter.
Myself and 3 others saw the same thing, same evening and same time. Was awesome.
Hi Peter! Yes, we are quite active here in Cape Town. Give me a call on my cell for further details. 0843022660 – Looking forward to meet you, Cristo