Canadians saw more UFOs than ever before. In 2012, 1,981 sightings (compared to 986 in 2011) were reported. That's almost double the previous annual record of 1,004 reports in 2008, according to CBC News.


"It's something across the board," said Canadian science writer Chris Rutkowski, director of Ufology Research, who has compiled the Canada UFO report since 1989. "People in Canada were actually looking up into the sky more [in 2012] than in previous years."


CBC News acquired documents under the Canadian Access to Information Act, indicating that government no longer has an interest in investigating UFOs.


Watch this CBC News report on the Canada UFO surge:



Last year's UFO sightings were collected by civilian groups, who forward the information to Rutkowski.


"It is very easy to report online, anonymously, without any worry about judgment or retribution, so I think it is very likely people will be reporting things more often to civilian organizations," Rutkowski told CBC News.


The types of UFOs reported throughout Canada include typically seen disc-shaped objects, large squares, triangular black craft, balls of fire and even objects shaped like guitar picks.


Most UFO reports, whether in Canada, the U.S. or anywhere else in the world, can be easily explained after any serious investigation. Rutkowski estimates that 7.5 percent of last year's Canadian UFOs remain -- even temporarily -- unexplained.


"While there is no real difference between an average person seeing an unidentified thing in the sky and a pilot or police officer, there is every reason to think there are actually more things in the sky these days to be concerned about," according to Doubtful News.


"We have remote-controlled toys, balloons, Chinese lanterns, even deliberate hoaxes that people are making. Add to this the regular things in the sky that people mistake for weird, like normal aircraft, Venus, satellites or the moon.


"Just because there are a lot of unidentified things in the sky does not mean we are being invaded by aliens."


UFOs? Maybe they're just...



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  • Lanterns


    These candle-lit Chinese lanterns can rise high into the sky and are often mistaken for UFOs.




  • Melbourne, Australia, Feb. 2013


    This is a composite image of how three alleged UFOs maneuvered about in the sky over Melbourne, Australia, in early February, 2013. The final verdict isn't in yet on whether they're birds, aircraft, balloons, bugs or something truly unidentified.




  • Exploding Weather Balloons, Not UFOs


    On Dec. 20, 2012, a bright, circular object (pictured at the top of this composite image) was videotaped exploding in the skies above Sacramento, Calif. It wasn't immediately identified, resulting in speculation that it was either an alien spacecraft, military top secret weapon, runaway planet, North Korean satellite, among others. Within a short period of time, it became apparent that this was a weather balloon. The bottom part of this image shows such a balloon as it ascended over Tampa Bay, Fla., on July 2, 2012, and exploded in an identical manner as the Sacramento object, probably much to the dismay of all true ET believers out there.




  • Boomerang UFO composite images -- 10-5-12


    This is a composite of images shot by two eyewitnesses of a boomerang-shaped UFO they reported seeing over their Burbank, Calif., home on Oct. 5, 2012. Mutual UFO Network photo/video analyst Marc Dantonio concluded the object was likely "a balloon, floating on the wind that has collapsed in half."




  • Changing UFO Pattern -- Warren, Mich. 1-10-13


    This four-image series of lights in the sky was recorded over Warren, Mich., on Jan. 10, 2013. The lights were seen changing into several patterns. The most logical explanation for these types of UFOs is a series of balloons or lanterns.




  • UFOs Over Earth


    This composite image shows four different times that alleged UFO were photographed above Earth by either space shuttles or the International Space Station. The big question is whether or not they are truly unidentified objects or if they are more likely reflections from spacecraft windows, meteors or fast-moving spacecraft-generated debris.




  • Pink UFOs Or Lens Flares?


    What appear to be pink-red UFOs are actually lens flares from the Google Earth street view camera as it snapped images in Texas (left) and New Mexico (right).




  • Lens flares Arizona


    These two flying saucer-shaped, pink-colored lens flares were created by the Google Maps camera as it drove through locations in Sedona, Ariz. (left) and Flagstaff, Ariz. (right). The images were snapped in April 2009. Submitted to HuffPost by trenna.




  • Lens flare Whiteriver, Ariz.


    This skybound lens flare was created by a Google Maps camera in June 2008 over Whiteriver, Ariz. Submitted to Huffington Post by Cheryl Weeks.




  • Lens flare Gulfport, Miss.


    This very Earthbound lens flare was created by a Google Maps camera in November 2007 at Gulfport, Miss. Submitted to Huffington Post by Jenni Parker.




  • Lens flare Eureka Springs, Ark.


    This seemingly grounded lens flare was created by a Google Maps camera in January 2008 at Eureka Springs, Ark. Submitted to Huffington Post by SE.




  • Lens flare Escanaba, Mich.


    This lens flare appears to be following a car. The Google Maps image was created in October 2008 at Escanaba, Mich. Submitted to Huffington Post by Mary Robinson.




  • Cincinnati Skydivers NOT UFOs Sept. 28, 2012


    On the night of Sept. 28, 2012, a group of strange-looking lights appeared in the sky near Cincinnati, Ohio. First there was one, then, two, then three lights, slowly descending. It turns out, however, that these lights were originating from a group of skydivers performing a pyrotechnics jump at the La Salle High School homecoming event.




  • Weather Phenomenon


    Some UFO sightings may be due to a natural phenomenon known as sprites, like this one shown from 2006. "Lightning from [a] thunderstorm excites the electric field above, producing a flash of light called a sprite," said geophysicist Colin Price.




  • Clouds


    Clouds: Saucer-shaped or "lenticular" clouds that form at high altitudes have been confused with UFOs.




  • Blimps or Advertising Balloons


    Blimps or advertising balloons: These can look like flying saucers from some angles, especially at night.




  • Sunken Ship in the Baltic Sea


    On June 19th the Swedish-based diving company Ocean Explorer discovered something they've never quite seen before. They were exploring in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland looking for sunken treasures when a very unusual image suddenly appeared on the sonar. A 197 feet diameter cylinder shaped object was discovered at the depth of approximately 275 feet which resembles the Millennium Falcon from the movie Star Wars.




  • Baltic Sea UFO 1


    An image released on June 15, 2012, shows a close-up view of the unidentified object sitting on the bottom of the Baltic Sea.




  • Baltic Sea UFO 2


    Close-up of rock bed that forms the Baltic Sea UFO, which still mystifies researchers.




  • Baltic Sea UFO 3


    One of several odd stone circle formations, sitting on top of the unidentified object at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.




  • Antarctic UFO -- Aug. 10, 2012


    A circular UFO hovers above the Neumayer-Station III research facility in Antarctica on Aug. 10, 2012. Theories ranging from a simple weather balloon to a more elaborate ship from another planet have run the Internet gamut. The next slide shows a closeup of the object.




  • Antarctic UFO Closeup -- Aug. 10, 2012


    This is a closeup of the UFO from the previous slide. No official explanation has been offered about the object.




  • Manufactured UFO -- 2011


    Pictured is a quad copter -- a deliberately manufactured UFO created by special effects wizard Marc Dantonio for a National Geographic special, "The Truth Behind: UFOs," which aired in December 2011. On the left is what the small device looks like resting on the ground, measuring 4 feet in circumference. At right, is how it appeared behind a tree in the night sky.




  • Police Dashboard Camera In Texas


    In February of 2012, this fireball was captured by a Texas police chief's A dashboard camera. F.A.A. say this was probably a meteor, falling to Earth. .




  • Meteors


    Meteors: Space debris can create a spectacular light show when it burns through the Earth's atmosphere, and sometimes reported as UFOs.




  • Civilian or Military Aircraft


    Civilian or military aircraft: Planes can look mysterious at night or in certain light conditions, thus confusing an observer.