Close Encounter of the Third Kind
Referenced in 2 episodes
Definition
A category from astronomer J. Allen Hynek's UFO classification system describing sightings in which witnesses see animate beings or occupants associated with a UFO.
Related episodes
Not Alone: 10 Strange Alien Encounters
Somewhere in the SkiesSep 14, 2026
Ryan Sprague revisits ten close encounters from around the world in which witnesses reported not just strange craft but humanoid beings, from French police officers in 1956 to a man in Germany in 2009. The cases span France, Italy, Australia, Spain, Brazil, the Philippines, Florida, Norway, Illinois, and Germany, and describe entities ranging from small grey-suited figures to towering nine-foot beings. Despite their differences, the accounts share recurring details such as paralysis, humming sounds, missing time, electromagnetic disturbances, and lasting personal transformation.
Stories from UFO Reddit: Volume 1
Somewhere in the SkiesAug 26, 2026
Hosts Ryan Sprague and Suzanne Landers launch a new series reading first-hand UFO encounter stories posted to Reddit, covering four accounts ranging from silent black craft to visible alien occupants. The stories include orbs in New Jersey woods, humanoid beings seen through a window in a hovering triangle over England, a bell-shaped craft followed by apparent rapid aging, and a neon saucer sighting that led to missing time and recurring sleep paralysis. Along the way, Landers previews her research into the 1964 La Madera, New Mexico landing case, which occurred the same day as the famous Socorro incident.