UFO sightings in North Carolina
There are 148 civilian UFO sighting reports from North Carolina in the NUFORC data on this site, dated 1961 to 2013. The busiest year was 2011, with 21 reports. The shapes witnesses reported most were orb (46), disc (21) and sphere (21).
Most reports come from Charlotte (15), Raleigh (6) and Wilmington (6), out of 94 places in the state with at least one report.
UFO sightings by city in North Carolina
Places with at least three reports. 84 other places in North Carolina have one or two.
Recent sighting reports from North Carolina
The 100 most recent of 148 reports, newest first. The full set is on the map and in the list view.
- 27 Oct 2013 · 20:30Winston-SalemOther· 20 min
Stationary bright white light
Show on map - 25 Oct 2013 · 20:30Lake LureOrb· 15 min
Bright orb that disappeared as I was watching it.
Show on map - 24 Oct 2013 · 19:30Fuquay VarinaOrb· 30 min
Strange lights near Raleigh, NC.
Show on map - 23 Oct 2013 · 21:30WashingtonOther· 10 min
Loud vibrating low hum.
Show on map Three orange orbs seen by me and a witness at Food Lion parking lot.
Show on map- 17 Oct 2013 · 21:15Carolina BeachSphere· 2 s
Bright orange circles over Atlantic Ocean 3 in a row. It was only seconds in the sky then they disappeared.
Show on map A string of five orange lights.
Show on map- 15 Oct 2013 · 20:00YadkinvilleOther· 8 min
A bright light shifting from a circular light to a saucerlike line of light.
Show on map White object slowed to a stop. Remained motionless about a minute and disappeared.
Show on map- 12 Oct 2013 · 20:20MorgantonOrb· 5 min
Red/orange lights.
Show on map - 2 Oct 2013 · 00:08MarshvilleOther· 10 s
Strange glowing line moving across the sky.
Show on map - 24 Oct 2012 · 20:30Ocean IsleOrb· 15 min
These lights are unexplanable and frightening.
Show on map Red/Orange lights over Ocean Isle Beach, NC.
Show on map- 24 Oct 2012 · 20:00Sunset BeachOther· 45 min
Strange noises
Show on map - 22 Oct 2012 · 22:00SalisburyAmorphous· 1 h
Up to 3 objects spotted now for 2 years. would love to have answers!!
Show on map - 21 Oct 2012 · 03:00New BernTriangle· 3 h
I realized that at about 3:00 am as I was going outback to see the Orionid meteor shower that there was a strange jumble of lights on t
Show on map - 20 Oct 2012 · 19:30BunnOrb· 5 min
2 fireballs traveling across the sky
Show on map - 19 Oct 2012 · 23:59FaisonDisc· 2 s
Faison NC, a bright oval object flashed above 3 friends and I, lit he whole area up.
Show on map - 16 Oct 2012 · 20:40Wrightsville BeachTriangle· 20 s
Triangular Shaped Craft over Wrightville Beach, North Carolina
Show on map A black cylindrical object seen fairly close to an airplane during daytime
Show on map- 13 Oct 2012 · 23:30New BernSphere· 2 min
2 red, silent, flying orbs
Show on map - 13 Oct 2012 · 01:38CaryOrb· 4 s
Prior to this event, there was about 25-60 seconds of a very low vibrating hum that was almost piercing because it hit so many decibels
Show on map - 2 Oct 2012 · 21:00ConoverSphere· 15 min
Sighted 3 red and white crafts moving back and forth quickly in the sky without sound in Hickory, and friends in Salisbury saw too.
Show on map - 2 Oct 2012 · 10:15SanfordTriangle· 3 min
Light formation
Show on map - 27 Oct 2011 · 08:00Duck IslandSphere· 5 min
Object came out of the ocean about a half mile away.We thought it was a helicopter at first and it was getting shiney as it looked lik
Show on map - 26 Oct 2011 · 23:00CandlerDisc· 2 min
Multiple/Re-occurring U.F.O. Sightings in Candler, NC
Show on map - 25 Oct 2011 · 09:00TroyRectangle· 2 min
I was driving home about 9:00 and in the sky above right above the tree was the bright
Show on map - 25 Oct 2011 · 09:00TroyRectangle· 2 min
I was driving home about 9:00 and in the sky was a bright rectangle light just sitting above the tree's right in front of me. I did not
Show on map Yellow/orange cigar shaped object over Charlotte, NC
Show on map- 23 Oct 2011 · 15:00WillardCigar· 2 min
Cigar shaped object seen in Willard NC sky.
Show on map - 23 Oct 2011 · 06:30GastoniaOther· 4 min
We have our photos and thats all you need t prove our strange sightings.
Show on map - 21 Oct 2011 · 20:00BooneOrb· 30 s
Large red objected spotted in Boone, NC.
Show on map - 21 Oct 2011 · 19:25BooneOther· 10 s
Large red/orange object spotted over Boone, NC.
Show on map UPDATE Burnsville, NC SITING
Show on mapChangin Lights in the Sky!
Show on map- 20 Oct 2011 · 21:30Cove CityDisc· 30 s
green oval light spotted over US-70
Show on map - 17 Oct 2011 · 21:45LibertyOrb· 15 s
large orange bright light with a red aura around it hoovered above the tree line and then took off.
Show on map - 17 Oct 2011 · 20:00FriscoDisc· 30 min
Orange oval shaped light that split into four different lights over the ocean. This happened three different times over 30 minutes.
Show on map - 17 Oct 2011 · 20:00LelandFormation· 5 min
Three glowing lights moving slowly across the sky.
Show on map 2 speeding orange-red lights, zigzagging, with one seemingly bouncing off the other a few times.
Show on map- 14 Oct 2011 · 05:00WhitakersTriangle· 4 min
triange ufo with red lights
Show on map - 13 Oct 2011 · 20:30AvonOrb· 15 min
31 orange balls of light coming out of ocean,silent
Show on map I am a 55 year old business owner from Raleigh, NC and have been an FAA licensed pilot for 37 years. I have an interest in astronomy
Show on map- 11 Oct 2011 · 21:10Holden BeachSphere· 30 s
6 orange balls of light over the Atlantic ocean.
Show on map Triangle... very dim lights, no noise, around all outer edges, moving slowly, very low... went out of sight over UNCW campus
Show on mapLarge Black Rectangle - 2 white lights - 1 red slow pulsing light
Show on mapTwo gaslike lights moving in circular manner in southern sky
Show on map- 24 Oct 2010 · 21:00HuntersvilleSphere· 1 h
white lights high in the skies over huntersviile, nc moving very fast at all different directs. sit outside wherever you are and look
Show on map - 22 Oct 2010 · 21:00CatawbaOther· 10 min
3 lights to the south.
Show on map - 22 Oct 2010 · 17:15GarnerDisc· 1 min
UFO SIGHTING RALEIGH NORTH CAROLINA
Show on map - 20 Oct 2010 · 20:00HillsboroughOther· 1 min
Orange UFO exploded by something.
Show on map 3 sets of 3 lights hovering silently in night sky
Show on map2 objects that looked like bright stars moving in parallel about 45 degrees above the horizon
Show on map- 17 Oct 2010 · 01:00Blowing RockOther· 1 min
Star like object that pulsed a bright red then disappeared.
Show on map - 16 Oct 2010 · 00:00CaswellOrb· 1 h
it was not a air craft it moved to slow
Show on map Silver to turquise in color size of a car near charlotte motor speed way.
Show on map5 pulsating lights above Charlotte, NC
Show on mapFAST RED LIGHT WITH SLOWER BUT LARGER WHITE LIGHTS FALLING
Show on map20 flickering red lights in imperfect succession, floating up and vanishing into the clouds.
Show on map- 22 Oct 2009 · 00:00Deep GapDisc· 1 day
Five lighted craft dance about Orion during a meteor shower, spotted from the Appalachian Mountains.
Show on map Star-like, color changing triangle shape object
Show on mapBright light/hovering craft seen in raleigh near state fair around midnight.
Show on mapTwo lights seen with a lighting of something strobe like near the ground.
Show on mapStrange lights over the highway not a plane or helicopter.
Show on mapAnomalous aircraft seen over Fayetteville N.C. citizen.
Show on mapBright white light seen over jacksonville, moving in odd directions and fading until unseen.
Show on mapSILVER OBJECT IN ASHEVILLE N.C.
Show on map- 16 Oct 2008 · 20:00HavelockOrb· 1 s
Bright, white, extremely large meteor-like object seen in night sky.
Show on map - 15 Oct 2008 · 00:22ArdenTriangle· 4 s
Black Triangle crossing the face of the moon viewed from a 8" Dobsonian Telescope with star tracking software
Show on map - 11 Oct 2008 · 13:00SalisburySphere· 20 s
7 UNKOWN AIRBORN OBJECT'S SEEN OVER SALISBURY NC..SEARCH GRID WITNESSED!!..
Show on map - 2 Oct 2008 · 05:10BensonOther· 30 s
unknown looking craft
Show on map - 1 Oct 2008 · 20:00WilsonSphere· 10 min
Star shaped light blinking and rotating - then two of same lights after cloud went over and began to move
Show on map 4 bright lights traveling at a very high rate of speed.
Show on mapThree large, round, bright orange lights coming together in the form of a rotating triangle
Show on map- 1 Oct 2007 · 20:00TryonOrb· 10 s
Strange lights in NC sky.
Show on map - 1 Oct 2007 · 19:00BeulavilleTriangle· 5 s
Green Glowing Triangular Craft
Show on map 4 DOTS OF LIGHT AROUND MOON MID MORNING TODAY
Show on mapBright Silver - went left to right fast. went away, came back did same thing then disappeared.
Show on mapBRIGHT LIGHT TRAVELING IN STRAIGHT LINE FROM HORIZON TO HORIZON
Show on map- 15 Oct 2006 · 19:00Silver CitySphere· 30 min
Black Circle seen hovering in Carolina sky.
Show on map Observed bright disc shaped object with three red pulsating lights on the bottom for about 30 minutes.
Show on map1 FLYING TRIANGLE VERY SLOW AND LOW THEM COMES BACK OR THERE WERE 2 OF THEM?
Show on map- 15 Oct 2005 · 16:00CaryOther· 5 min
My friends and I where jokeing around outside and i got shoved and fell then I saw the craft it was moveing about 100-200 mph at proubl
Show on map - 10 Oct 2005 · 23:00HendersonvilleOrb· 10 min
Last night, October 10, at about 11:00PM for about ten minutes I observed a peculiar point source light in the Eastern sky. It was at a
Show on map - 24 Oct 2004 · 23:17WeavervilleSphere· 5 s
I saw a ball of white light plummet at a 45 degree angle, with the white tail displaying bands of color (spectrum) just before impact.
Show on map - 22 Oct 2004 · 08:00High PointOther· 45 s
Very fast and turned. Not a meteor.
Show on map Looked like rectangle parachutes but nobody was under the canopies, objects never desended.
Show on map- 15 Oct 2004 · 19:59CalabashRectangle· 3 s
ufo over sunset beach n.c.
Show on map - 22 Oct 2003 · 18:30CliffsideSphere· 30 s
south of post office in cliffside. moveing east to west almost as fast as you could turn your head
Show on map - 20 Oct 2003 · 23:30KannapolisOrb· 1 min
A long light, like a star that moved fast and kinda sparkled. Moved in full view, low in the sky in less than 60 seconds
Show on map - 20 Oct 2003 · 21:50CullowheeOrb· 3 s
My wife and I saw a huge glowing blue ball enter the atmophere.
Show on map - 20 Oct 2003 · 20:55Indian TrailOther· 2 s
I saw a bright light flash that lit up the sky, and I caught a glimpse of a orange/red tail die.
Show on map Big brilliant white fireball, size of full moon with long white tail falling from overhead to the South of Greensboro, NC
Show on map- 20 Oct 2003 · 20:45ClaytonOrb· 15 s
witness to the too close meteor in durham, nc. : meteor or ufo?
Show on map - 20 Oct 2003 · 20:45VanceboroOrb· 15 s
large yellow fireball with long green tail
Show on map - 20 Oct 2003 · 20:00SwannanoaOrb· 4 s
On Mon. Oct. 20, 2003 at approximately 8:45 PM I saw a fireball like object streak across sky in a east to west direction.
Show on map - 18 Oct 2003 · 01:00PurlearOther· 2 h
for 2 hours observed object moving slightly colored lights blinking randomly
Show on map small orange oblong craft seen over Charlotte, NC at 19:14 on October 02, 2003
Show on map- 13 Oct 2002 · 19:00SmithfieldDisc· 35 min
I SAW 2 DISK SHAPED OBJECTS OUTSIDE MY WINDOW.
Show on map - 21 Oct 2001 · 08:30DurhamOrb· 2 min
aprox. 8:40 EST, white flame shape heading fast for ground, turned 90 degree then looked like short white line
Show on map
48 older reports are not listed here. Open the list view to read them all.
Where these reports come from
Reports are from the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) public database: what members of the public said they saw, in their own words. Nobody has checked them, and most sightings have ordinary explanations.