"Of course it is possible that UFO's really do contain aliens as many people believe, and the government is hushing it up. I wouldn't like to comment on that." -- Stephen Hawking
Since the times man conquered the horizon so much achieved is witnessed in the field of superiority in the skies, and its various branches including astrometry, astrodynamics, cosmology, and astrophysics. The conundrum of certain phenomena still unexplained and a lot happening out there makes one desperate to look out to seek some answers.
The most distant galaxy over thirty billion light years away discovered in October, 2013 is considered a quantum leap in the field of astronomy. It was reported that spectroscopically confirmed galaxy ever detected generated huge excitement but raised interesting questions about the origin and the evolution of the universe.
Some mysterious incidents were reported around in 19th century in the years 1897-98. An incident that took place on May 6, 1807 in the Ouachita Mountains relates the story of Dy. Sheriff and a constable who on usual petrol came across an unexpected sight disappearing behind the hilltops. After a few miles they again saw the light coming closer and a man with a beard saying they were travelling in an airship. The visitor coaxed them to accompany him to the airship which they refused and when officers returned to the place later in the night the airship had vanished. This has remained a mystery ever since. As reported many other similar unidentified spacecrafts have been sighted in the late 19th century.
Researchers observed that the universe has been expanding all the time and the discovered galaxy´s estimated distance to be roughly 30 billion light years. All the galaxies that are seen from a time more than one billion years from the Big Bang are getting closer and the hydrogen emission line, for some reason becomes increasingly difficult to see. Assistant professor at the University of Texas stated that "we were thrilled and amazed to see this galaxy and then our next thought was, why we didn’t see anything else? We had the best weather and still we only saw this emission line from observed galaxies. So it’s not necessarily that the distant galaxies aren’t there. It could be that they’re hidden from detection behind a wall of neutral hydrogen fog, which blocks the hydrogen emission signal".
Yahoo News (July 22, 2014) reports that in 1870, a strange cigar shaped object over the top of Mount Washington showed what appeared to be an alien spacecraft. Many such sightings are now being debated as evidence of alien visitors to our planet. The pictures taken with a stereo photography camera are believed as near impossible to fake or manipulate. Such encounters with UFOs or anything of paranormal nature have always been intriguing and of a huge matter of interest.
Director of the Russian Ufology Center claims having sighted UFOs over the territory we know today as Russia since the days of antiquity. For centuries people have seen objects in the sky that they could not identify, and many of them have recorded sightings, which could not be explained away as meteors, planets, stars, or weather balloons. Another curious manuscript that reveals the existence of UFOs in ancient Russia was discovered in Kazan University, and researched by Moscow historian, M.D. Strunina.
"The manuscript tells the story of a boy named Yasha, who, while collecting berries one day in the forest, suddenly encountered a stranger, clad in white clothes, next to him. The stranger introduced himself as Timofei, and placed Yasha in a giant copper cauldron, from where some unknown force ascended them both to Heaven. Yasha spent three years there. Timofei taught him different sciences, as well as magic. Then the boy was returned to Earth, in the same cauldron, at the same spot in the forest. Timofei gave him two coins as a present, one golden, the other made of silver. Researchers have made comparisons between folk tales and contemporary knowledge".
Irn Fadlan, the Caliph of Baghdad writes an account in 921 AD his journeys and during the very first night witnessed very strange celestial phenomena. Just before sunset, Fadlan states, the horizon became red and from above came a deafening low rumble. He raised his eyes to the sky and saw tow fiery reddish clouds moving above him. The description of incredible vivid human and horse like shape inside clouds carried weapons in arms as if they were engaged in a battle and people terrified knelt down in prayer. It is argued that were the horses observed by Inb Fadlan and his companions the same ones that came to the aid of Prince Oleg in his battle to conquer Constantinople some fifteen years before.
Due to technological advancement and equipment scientifically developed sighting of UFOs and extra-terrestrial phenomena are frequently witnessed all over the world. The belief that we are not alone is gaining ground and as time passes more vigorous research with enhanced knowledge in the field of astrology might make an encounter with outer space entities a possibility.