| For the myth in other GTA games, see UFOs. |
UFOs or Unidentified Flying Objects, are aerial phenomena that can be observed across the entire state of San Andreas. Small flashing lights can be witnessed flying at a high altitude at any time of the day. These blinking lights fly faster than any known aircraft and leave a very long vapor trail behind them. The light emitted from the objects has been observed to be one of three colors, either white, yellow or red. They have been seen to periodically alter their course but seem to travel at a constant speed. The objects are able to be observed at close range only briefly due to the high rate of travel. They are visible for a few moments and quickly disappear, leaving nothing but a white contrail behind. Exactly what these lights are meant to represent has been a hotly debated subject.
Moon Landings
An object observed approaching the moon.
At night, the objects can often be seen flying towards the moon. Strangely, they seem to disappear when nearing it, giving the illusion of passing through the lunar body or even landing on the surface. The frequency that this occurs is oddly high and doesn't seem to be merely coincidence. Perhaps half of all lights seem to fly towards the moon and all objects observed cease emitting light and seem to disappear when approaching it.
The same object observed landing on or passing through the moon.
While it is common for meteoroids to be attracted to the moon, it is unknown specifically the frequency at which this occurs as such events cannot reliably be measured at a distance.[1] Additionally, the objects observed are clearly within the planet's atmosphere and would be influenced by Earth's gravitation pull. Using this information, we can conclude that is impossible these objects are merely natural bodies on a collision course with Earth's natural satellite. It is important to note that the objects being merely a meteoric object destined for the surface of the Earth remains a distinct possibility, and the observed vanishing point near the moon may be unrelated.
The observed phenomena could be explained by rationing that the moon would provide an efficient termination point of the lights implemented by the developers. Objects popping in and out as a result of the maximum draw distance is a common hurdle that many developers attempt to overcome by utilizing the environment to hide these functions of the game. In this case, the bright light of the moon could have been used to at least partially obscure the light emitted from the objects as they disappear, providing a more convincing illusion that they have simply passed beyond view.
While this theory could explain the object's odd tendency to be attracted by the moon, it is contradicted by the observed behavior of the objects as no lights have yet been observed to originate from the moon and seem to appear somewhat randomly across the sky. It is logical to assume that if the developers did utilize the moon as a termination point for the objects, that they would also have used it as a possible departure point.
Alien Craft
UFO observed to alter course.
The phenomena may be simply intended to represent extra terrestrial activity. The most compelling piece of evidence we have of this is the objects tendency to change course. Observation of the proceeding contrails that the objects leave behind reveals that they can be seen to alter their trajectories. This is highly unusual as no natural phenomena such as meteoroids have ever been observed to make sharp course corrections like those that can be witnessed. This single piece of evidence sheds doubt on theories that label the lights as being merely meteoroids or satellites and suggests intelligent design. It is important to note that this observation does not betray any origin to said design and it is possible the objects are of human origin.
For years, speculation of otherworldly intelligence and accounts of alien visitations have permeated American culture, first spurred on by the Roswell Incident in the 1950s and later reaching a height during the 1990s and early 2000s due to The X-Files achieving mainstream success. It is not entirely out of the question to assume that such wonder was at the forefront of some developers minds during development and they simply wished to include a fun ohmage to obsession with UFO phenomena.
This theory may be unlikely however owing to the number of lights in the skies of San Andreas which does not correlate with the frequency of UFO encounters in the real world, which are few and far between. If developers truly wished to indicate that the lights were of alien origin, reducing the frequency with which they can be observed would be more effective in communicating this. Regardless, the trajectory of the objects is clearly not linear which does align somewhat with real world accounts of UFO phenomena. It is notable however that real encounters often describe or show objects that appear completely erratic and outside the laws of physics. This is clearly not the case with the observable objects in San Andreas.
Meteors
The coronastar object within the particle.txd file.
Meteors are a likely explanation for the phenomena. The most compelling piece of evidence we have of this is the name of the object in the game files. The lights themselves are called coronastar within the particle.txd file. In astronomy, Corona is defined as a white or colored circle or set of concentric circles of light seen around a luminous body.[2] Corona is also a common term used for other objects in the game such as checkpoints.[3] It's clear that corona is used as a prefix in this context and is used to describe the emission of light from the object. This implies that star is the actual name of the object, potentially betraying its true purpose to represent shooting stars.
Shooting stars are a colloquial term and an inaccurate description of visible natural bodies that pass-through Earth's upper atmosphere. These meteoric bodies collectively fall under the categories of meteoroids, micrometeoroids, comets and asteroids.[4] However, meteors become visible between about 75 to 120 km above Earth and usually disintegrate at altitudes of 50 to 95 km. This far exceeds the observable objects altitudes. The sudden disappearance of the lights may simply be due to the object exceeding the maximum draw distance. While meteors pose as a likely candidate for the phenomena, the pulsating nature of the light that the objects emit casts serious doubt on this theory. Such behavior suggests the objects are of artificial origin as natural phenomena typically exhibit a constant emission of light. It is entirely possible that this is an oversight by the developers and the effect was hastily thrown together, perhaps later in development and without much consideration, in an attempt to add more immersion to the game world.
Satellites
Yellow variant of the UFO phenomena.
Another explanation of the phenomena could be satellites. The most convincing evidence of this is the pulsing nature of the light emitted from them. This unnatural and rhythmic emission suggests an artificial origin, likely of mankind. This is supported by the frequency of sightings and lack of urgency surrounding them. Despite the relatively high number of these light sources in the skies of San Andreas, there is no acknowledgement of the phenomena, either in radio broadcasts or in passing conversation with pedestrians. This implies that the population, government and military are highly aware of the objects and that they are of human origin, or at least belonging to a benign natural phenomena as suggested by the meteor theory.
The coronastars name within the game files does not support the satellite theory. It is entirely possible that the developers simply named the objects stars out of simplicity or perhaps they were once intended to be shooting stars but later changed to represent low-orbit satellites. The coronastar object may already have existed and was repurposed and given a flashing effect to better represent satellites later in development. However, low-earth-orbiting satellites orbit the planet at attitudes of anywhere between 160km and 1000km, typically at speeds of around 7.8 kilometers per second.[5] This places them far above any object's typical altitude and suggests speeds far exceeding those observed, making satellites an unlikely candidate for the phenomena.
Other Theories
Shadows cast on the ground thought to belong to two UFOs overhead.
Aircraft
It is possible that these lights are simply intended to be aircraft, however, this is unlikely as npcs can already be observed flying (and infamously crashing) planes across the entire state. It is questionable to assume the developers would add another layer of npc aircraft when they already implemented npc piloted planes. Furthermore, the speed at which these objects move far exceeds the capabilities of advanced military aircraft such as the Hydra, making this an unlikely explanation.
Black Projects
Close view of a UFO.
The lights may be secret government reconnaissance aircraft, akin to the SR-71 Blackbird, which may be in testing and development at government blacksite locations, such as Area 69. However, Area 69 is unlikely to be the primary development location of such aircraft if they are to exist, as the base appears to lack any aircraft assembly facilities and seems to be a development ground for small-scale projects such as the Jetpack.
This theory is unlikely however, owing primarily to the frequency of which the lights can be observed in the sky. During development of the Blackbird, only a dozen A-12 prototypes and 32 SR-71 aircraft, were ever produced, the latter comprising of only 3 test and training units.[6] Using this as a precedent, we can assume that any black project aircraft currently in production or undergoing testing by the US government would be dwarfed in number by the sheer amount of visible phenomena in the skies of San Andreas and ultimately unlikely to be the cause.
Lil' Probe Inn
Lil Probe Inn in Bone County.
A UFO Map of San Andreas can be found inside the Lil' Probe Inn, marked with small pins in various locations. Given its prominence in the inn and close proximity to various UFO photographs, it is assumed the map is marking UFO sightings within the state. It is believed this map to simply be a fun easter egg and reference to the obsession with UFOs in general as the aerial phenomena present in the skies of San Andreas can be seen in many locations not unique to those marked on the map. The same map can also be found inside Mike Toreno's Ranch, a confirmed government agent, giving credence to its authenticity. The Inn is the only known location of a UFO model, in the form of a rotating prop ship outside the bar, used for advertisement.
Misconceptions
An example of a snapshot collectible.
Snapshot Collectibles
The snapshot collectibles found in and around San Fierro are often confused with UFOs. At night the icons emit a bright glowing light to assist with locating them. Some particularly notable examples are the icons hovering over Missionary Hill and the one above the south-west bridge just outside the city that connects San Fierro to Whetstone county.
Los Santos Tower
A glitch may occur in Downtown Los Santos where the Los Santos Tower will not load correctly. Sometimes when the building is approached, the building will not appear in its entirety and the main tower will be invisible, save for it's circular-shaped roof. This has led many myth hunters to conflate the glitch with a UFO encounter. This phenomenon occurs mostly when the game is experiencing loading issues, or on pc when the draw distance is set too high with insufficient memory. This glitch may sometimes occur with other nearby buildings as well. The glitch is most common in the original PS2 version of the game.
Video Investigations
    
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Trivia
- Mr. Trenchcoat will often talk about Aliens and UFOs either in passing or if bumped into.
- During the mission Black Project in GTA San Andreas, while CJ is inside Area 69, various strange announcements can be heard from an administrator over speakerphone, such as "Could the owner of the Alien culture in the diagnostics lab please kindly remove it?" and many other announcements about aliens.
- In the definitive edition of the game, inside the office of the Lil' Probe Inn, images can be found from Grand theft Auto V with UFO's. This includes Ursula's house, Galileo Observatory, Grand Senora Desert, an unknown house and towers from Blaine County and Vespucci Beach.
- There are modifications that turn the UFO model outside Lil' Probe Inn into a real UFO, complete with lights and sounds.
- As of 2021, the US Government officially recognized UFOs in the form of UAP phenomena.[7]