This week, a mysterious sighting of bright lights above the U.S. Capitol building has fueled speculation about UFOs and extraterrestrial activity. The event, captured in a viral photograph by Air Force veteran and licensed tour guide Dennis Diggins, shows four glowing lights hovering near the Capitol dome's iconic Statue of Freedom.
Adding to the intrigue, a video recorded from another angle appeared to show the lights shifting from a square formation to a single line, maintaining their position over the Capitol. These images and videos have sent social media into a frenzy, with many users expressing fear and curiosity.
The timing of the sighting has further intensified the speculation, coming just weeks after Congress held hearings about alleged secret government programs involving unidentified spacecraft and non-human intelligence. Some online commentators questioned whether this sighting could be linked to the claims discussed during these hearings.
However, not everyone is convinced that the lights indicate extraterrestrial activity. Sceptics and experts have offered alternative explanations, pointing to camera lens flares or reflections as the likely cause of the phenomena. John Greenewald Jr., a prominent researcher and UFO investigator, weighed in on the debate, dismissing the sighting as a common optical illusion. "The lights at the U.S. Capitol have been mistaken for UFOs in camera lenses for decades," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Despite these reassurances, the incident has reignited interest in UFO phenomena, especially in light of ongoing discussions about transparency in government programs related to unidentified aerial phenomena. The Pentagon, earlier this year, released a report stating it found no evidence of extraterrestrial spacecraft, but sightings like this continue to capture the public’s imagination.
Whether the lights were a natural optical illusion or something more mysterious, they have certainly sparked a renewed conversation about what lies beyond our understanding—and perhaps, beyond our world.
