William in Science

Do YOU live in one of the UK’s UFO hotspots? Experts reveal the cities with the most sightings

Is it a bird? Is it an airplane? Or is it a visitor from another world?

Those in Edinburgh think the latter, as it has been voted the best city in the UK for UFO sightings.

A survey found that 18 percent of residents of the Scottish capital claim to have seen something alien in the sky.

London and Leicester came in second and third with 14 and 12 percent respectively, according to research commissioned by National Geographic.

In it, 2,000 British adults were asked if they thought they had seen a UFO whizzing over their hometown, as well as their opinion of extraterrestrial life.

A survey has found that 18 percent of Edinburgh residents claim to have seen something alien in the sky. London and Leicester came in second and third with 14 and 12 percent respectively, according to research commissioned by National Geographic

Leicester, which finished second on the list, is just over an hour’s drive from Bonsall in Derbyshire. The unsuspecting village was named the UK’s ‘UFO hotspot’ last month, having been at the center of countless sightings over the years. Pictured: A reported UFO sighting in Bonsall, Derbyshire from 2001

Just under half of the survey participants said they believe in the existence of aliens, while 10 percent claimed to have witnessed something “unusual.”

TOP 10 CITIES WITH THE MOST UFO SIGHTINGS

Edinburgh – 18 percent
Leicester – 14 percent
London – 12 percent
Sheffield – 11 percent
Newcastle – 10 percent
Leiden – 10 percent
Manchester – 8 percent
Birmingham – 7 percent
Bristol – 7 percent
Glasgow – 3 percent

Percentage of residents claiming to have seen a UFO

In addition, 59 percent of those people believe their strange encounter was of extraterrestrial origin.

It comes after University of California scientists said aliens could make contact with Earth as early as 2029.

Nick Pope, a former UFO researcher for the Department of Defense, said: ‘UFOs are big news now and many people are reporting – and sometimes filming – extraordinary things.

While many people are convinced that these sightings are related to extraterrestrial life, most cases turn out to be misidentifications.

“There is a good chance that there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, and while the sheer distances make direct contact a challenge, the encounter with an alien civilization would be the greatest story in human history.”

Just under a third of those surveyed believe humanity will make contact with aliens at some point, and about one in three want the Department of Defense’s UFO project restarted.

The division was disbanded in 2009 after nearly 60 years of official research and investigations.

In 2016, Mr Pope said that of the 12,000 sightings the program examined, about five per cent remained unexplained.

The former investigator said the department was alerted in 1980 to a UFO near Bentwaters and Woodbridge Air Bases.

The team later concluded that radiation levels at the site were “significantly higher than the average background.”

Just under half of the survey participants said they believe in the existence of aliens, while 10 percent claimed to have witnessed something “unusual.” Pictured: A motorist captured the lights of what appears to be a UFO on his dash cam while driving on the M8, close to Edinburgh

Pictured: In 2014, a strange light floated in the sky above Eltham in south London

Nick Pope (pictured), a former UFO researcher for the Department of Defense, said: ‘UFOs are big news now and many people are reporting – and sometimes filming – extraordinary things’

Indeed, last year NASA announced it would conduct its first-ever survey of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).

These are airborne events which cannot be absolutely identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena.

Leicester, which finished second on the list, is just over an hour’s drive from Bonsall in Derbyshire.

The unsuspecting village was called the’UFO hot spot’ of the UK last month, as it has been at the center of numerous sightings over the years.

Some claim that even NASA has taken an interest in the area after a local spotter captured a mysterious flying object in the night sky.

UFO believers in Leicester are also the most likely to claim to have found actual evidence or had an experience proving the existence of aliens.

Respondents to the recent survey were asked why they thought aliens might make contact with Earth, and 41 percent said they thought they were here to conduct scientific research.

Another 21 percent fear they would start harvesting the planet for resources, and 11 percent wouldn’t be surprised if the entire human race were enslaved.

In November, a group of scientists from the University of St Andrews said they will draw up a plan for what to do if we encounter aliens here on Earth.

On their websitethey write that humans are “completely unprepared” for contact with intelligent life from other worlds.

The National Geographic investigation was conducted ahead of the new documentary series “UFOs: Investigating the Unknown,” which airs May 2 at 8 p.m.

What might aliens look like? Forget little green men – life on distant planets can look like HUMANS

They are often depicted as little green men, insect-eyed creatures, or terrifying monsters bent on wiping out all life on Earth.

But if aliens exist, what might they actually look like?

MailOnline asked a number of experts what they think – both about potential extraterrestrial life in our own solar system and distant exoplanets in distant galaxies.

Among the varied answers were features such as large brains, huge wings, and gravity-induced spindly frames, while “crab- or squid-like critters,” jellyfish-like creatures, and aliens that look almost human-like are also a possibility.

The latter may seem surprising given how aliens are often portrayed in popular culture, but some experts think that if another intelligent civilization existed, life could have developed in a similar way to us.