1902: UFO & Alien Sightings Archive
The year 1902 marked a fascinating period in aerial history, occurring right in the midst of the “Great Airship” era. Long before modern aviation became commonplace, witnesses across the globe—from the coastal towns of England to the remote regions of South Africa and Australia—reported extraordinary unidentified flying objects. This archive preserves the documented accounts of metallic discs, globular lights, and strange maritime encounters recorded throughout 1902.
Date: 1902
Location: Devon, England
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Summary: A Colonel Marwick reported a sighting of numerous ‘highly colored objects like little suns or toy balloons.
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Date: 1902
Location: Boschof, Oranje Vrystaat, South Africa
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Summary: South Africa: Unusual sky booms heard over Boschof, Oranje Vrystaat, South Africa.
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Date: February 9 1902
Location: Paris, France
Time: 19:40
Summary: At 7:40 p.m. a ‘meteor’ turned, looped, and curved for 12 seconds over Paris, France . Its tail lasted 90 seconds.
Source: Hill, H. Edward Catalog Through 1950
Date: March 1902
Location: Ennerdale, England
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Altitude: Distance: Shape: luminous body
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Summary: Residents in the Ennerdale region reported a “luminous body” that moved with great speed across the sky. Unlike a typical meteor, it was described as stopping and hovering for several seconds before accelerating out of sight.
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Date: April 1902
Location: Valparaíso, Chile
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Summary: Port workers and sailors reported a large, luminous “atmospheric phenomenon” that hovered over the bay for several minutes. The object was described as a brilliant, elongated light that eventually divided into three smaller globes before vanishing.
Source: Historical South American Archives / Local Press Reports
Date: May 1902
Location: West Point, Nebraska
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Summary: Multiple witnesses, including local officials, reported a brilliant white light that appeared to be attached to a dark, oblong object. It moved against the wind and was visible for nearly ten minutes before vanishing into the clouds.
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Date: June 1902
Location: Bay of Biscay
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Summary: The crew of a merchant vessel reported a “large, cigar-shaped object” flying low over the water. It emitted a soft humming sound and had several rows of dim lights along its side. It eventually rose vertically and disappeared.
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Date: August 1902
Location: Northern Algeria
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Summary: A report emerged from a rural village where locals witnessed a “fiery wheel” in the sky. It remained stationary for nearly an hour, changing colors from red to a brilliant blue-white, before shrinking until it was no longer visible.
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Date: September 1902
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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Summary: Residents in the suburbs of Tokyo witnessed a strange, “cigar-shaped” object moving slowly across the evening sky. It emitted a dim, pulsating glow and appeared to be traveling in a straight line toward the sea, unaffected by the wind.
Source: Early 20th Century Asian Chronologies
Date: September 2 1902
Location: Lowestoft, England
Time: 07:00
Summary: A daylight disc was observed by a female witness.
Source: Hatch, Larry
Date: October 28, 1902
Location: Gulf of Guinea
Time: 0305
Summary: Three persons aboard the “Fort Salisbury,” including Second Officer A. H. Raymer, saw a huge, dark object bearing lights in the sea ahead. It was observed sinking slowly. Estimated length: 200 m.
Source: Fort 641; Anatomy 20
Date: November 13 1902
Location: Sydney, Harris Park, New South Wales, Australia
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Summary: Physiological effects were reported. One object was observed in stormy weather by one experienced male witness in a yard (Bruggmann).
Source: ACUFOS
Date: November 20 1902
Location: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Summary: Brilliant globular light, appeared to SSE at 45 degrees elevation, covered 20 degrees of arc in four minutes. Took elliptical form when overhead, with axis in direction of motion. An unidentified object was sighted, but with appearance and behavior that most likely would have a conventional explanation. One elliptical was observed by two experienced male witnesses at an observatory for over four minutes (Griffiths).
Source: CUFOS
Date: 1902
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