The Stephenville Lights
One January evening in Texas, residents reported a huge, silent craft with brilliant lights, chased by fighter jets.
What was reported
On the evening of 8 January 2008, dozens of people around Stephenville, Texas, reported seeing a very large object, some said a mile long, with bright flashing lights, moving silently and at times very fast. Several said military jets were chasing it.
At first, the US Air Force said no aircraft were flying in the area that evening. Then it corrected itself and said F-16 fighters had been training nearby. The sightings made national news.
Explanations offered
The Air Force said the witnesses had probably seen the F-16s and the flares they released during exercises. A civilian UFO group studied radar data and argued that an unidentified object was tracked. Most investigators accept that military training explains most of what was seen.
- When
- 8 January 2008
- Where
- Stephenville, Texas, USA
- Witnesses
- Dozens of residents, including a pilot and a police officer
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.