washington – The Pentagon’s latest report on UFOs uncovered hundreds of new reports of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena, but no indication of an extraterrestrial origin.

The review includes hundreds of cases of misidentified balloons, birds and satellites, as well as some that defy easy explanation, such as a near miss between a commercial airliner and a mysterious object off the coast of New York.

Although it is unlikely to resolve any debate about the existence of alien life, report reflects growing public interest in the subject and government efforts to provide some answers. Its publication came a day after House lawmakers called for greater transparency from the government during a hearing on unidentified anomalous events, or UAPs (the government’s term for UFOs).

federal efforts research and identify UAPs focused on potential threats to national security or air safety, not the science fiction aspects. Officials at the Pentagon office set up to pursue UAPs in 2022. Anomaly Solution Office in All Areasor AARO said there was no indication that any of the cases they reviewed had extraterrestrial origins.

“It is important to underscore that AARO has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial entities, activity, or technology to date,” the report’s authors wrote.

The Pentagon’s review covers 757 cases reported to US officials from around the world from May 1, 2023, to June 1, 2024. In total, there are 272 incidents that occurred before this period but were not previously reported.

The vast majority of reported incidents occurred in airspace, but 49 occurred at altitudes estimated to be at least 100 kilometers (62 mi), which is considered space. None of them occurred underwater. Reporting witnesses included commercial and military pilots as well as observers on the ground.

Investigators found explanations for nearly 300 of the incidents. In most cases, unknown objects were found to be balloons, birds, airplanes, drones or satellites. According to the report, Elon Musk Starlink satellite system It is becoming an increasingly common source as people mistake satellite chains for UFOs.

Hundreds of other cases remain unexplained, although the report’s authors emphasize that this is mostly because there is not enough information to draw definitive conclusions.

No injuries or accidents were reported in any of the incidents, but a commercial flight crew reported a near-miss with a “cylindrical object” while flying over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New York. That incident is under investigation.

In three other cases, military aircrews reported being followed or shadowed by unidentified aircraft, but investigators found no evidence to link this activity to a foreign power.

Witnesses who offered visual descriptions often reported unidentified lights or round, spherical or sphere-shaped objects. Other reports included a witness reporting a jellyfish with flashing lights.

At Wednesday’s UAP hearing, MPs heard testimony from several expert witnesses who examined the case, including two former military officers. The discussion included imaginary questions about alien intelligence and Military research using alien technology as well as concerns that foreign powers may be using stealth aircraft to spy on U.S. military installations.

Lawmakers said the many problems with UAPs show the government needs to examine the issue closely and share those findings with Americans.

“There’s something there,” said Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee. “The question is: Is it ours, someone else’s, or does it belong to another world?”