Aliens Are Staying Away From New York City In 2018, Records Show

NEW YORK, NY — If the aliens are coming in peace, they're not coming to New York City. Sky-watchers in the five boroughs have reported just two sightings of unidentified flying objects so far this year, down from 13 by this time last year, according to the National UFO Reporting Center.

The center publishes a database of UFO sightings from across the United States and the world. The most recent close encounter in New York City was reported on May 13, when someone in Glen Oaks, Queens saw a green patch in the sky while driving on the Long Island Expressway.

The only other reported sighting in the city came on May 5, when someone reported an "anomaly" on a satellite image. But the person admitted it could have been nothing: "Possibly optical aberrations in satellite photo??" they wrote.

UFO sightings were more frequent in the early months of last year, according to the center's database. Thirteen sightings were reported in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island by May 27, 2017.

This year's numbers may reflect a downward trend in local UFO sightings. New Yorkers reported a total of 39 sightings last year, down from 47 in 2016. The five boroughs accounted for about 23 percent of all sightings in New York State in 2017.

Any New Yorker who's seen something strange in the sky can file a report on the National UFO Reporting Center's website.

(Lead image: People view the solar eclipse at "Top of the Rock"observatory at Rockefeller Center on Aug. 21, 2017 in New York City. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)