The Belgian Wave has been described as one of the most documented instances of UFO sightings in history. Little evidence has been provided to prove that the events of 30th November 1989 were UFO’s. However, the more than 13,500 people who claim to have witnessed the incident still hold vivid memories of what they saw.
The Sightings
The Wave is reported to have started on November 1989 to March 1990. On the night of November 1989, the gandermen in Eugen reported having seen something resembling a large triangle object hovering the sky. The object was described as a low-altitude triangular object, with bright lights at its corners. The lights were seen moving towards south-east Brussels.
The objects were first reported by the Gandermen who sent a report to the manager of the control unit department. On receiving the news, the supervisor ordered two Belgian F-16 jet officers to investigate the objects. Later, the F-16 officers reported having witnessed nothing in the sky. Later that day, a total of 143 people would claim to have witnessed the lights in the sky.
The events of 14th November would reoccur four months later on 30th March 1990. On this night, several people reported having witnessed multiple sightings of UFO lights traveling at high speed. The reports were confirmed by two radar officials who made their reports. Two F-16 jets were deployed to investigate the reports since there was a national concern that there was a breach of security. Within an hour, the fighter jets had located the objects. The jets obtained radar lock of the objects in nine locations. However, the object was too fast for the pilots to attain meaningful locks.
F-16 Jet officers Reports
Within an hour after the appearance of the first light, the jets were deployed to investigate the occurrence of the objects. Initially, the jets reported having obtained radar locks on the objects on three different times. However, further investigation revealed that the radar locks acquired were locks on other F-16 planes. The pilots never reported seeing any objects, nor confirmed locking any objects.
Following the mounting pressure from the government officials and citizens, the F-16 supervisor was forced to compile a report. The detailed report indicated that a Gendarmerie member who had been sent to investigate the incident reported having witnessed four lights. The lights, arranged in a square formation, made short random movements. The lights seem to be losing luminosity as they moved, before disappearing in different directions. He also reported having heard a low-engine noise coming from the course of the lights. Though unconfirmed, the sound is believed to belong to a helicopter.
In the days following the incident, more people came out to record their account of the event. By June 1990, an estimated 13,500 people had reported their different accounts of the encounter. One constant thing in all the accounts is the object was a rectangular shape, with four lights emanating from the various corners. The Belgian Air force had little to account about the incident. Though the air force acknowledged that an unknown activity had occurred, they didn’t have a logical explanation about the occurrence. Eventually, the Belgian government reached out to the UK government, through the ministry of defense to investigate the matter further. The UK Ministry of Defense reported that the incident was not a hostile or event of aggression.
Photo Evidence
The incident attracted the attention of leading media outlets across Europe. The media was clamoring for evidence of the event. The few photos that they obtained were too blurred to prove anything. Scientists maintained that the background of the picture had no element that would allow for a thorough examination of the objects. Calculating aspects of the object like size and speed was impossible given the nature of the photos.
Amid the speculation, a man identified as Mr, Patrick submitted his photo to the press. The photo circulated the media for several months as the only available evidence of the UFO. For decades, this photo was scrutinized and analyzed by experts in an attempt to prove that the incident occurred. However, in 2011, Mr. Patrick came out to declare that the photo was a hoax.
Modern Literature
In the months following the incident, a group of Belgian UFO enthusiasts called The Belgian Society of Space Phenomena, set out to explain the sightings. Auguste Meessen, the leader of the group, and a physics professor wrote a thesis about the incident. The Belgian Society of Space Phenomena would later write a book titled The Belgian UFO Wave, which acts as the central reference point of the Belgian UFO’s to date. Meessen was the co-author of the book. The book hypothesized that the objects were actually alien spacecraft.
Many authors and scientists have criticized the book. The main point of criticism is the lack of evidence regarding the event. The only photo evidence which was the single point of reference for 20 years turned out to be a hoax. Several Belgian authors have written articles regarding the incident. They all agree that an unidentified object was spotted on the night if November 1989. However, the point of controversy is whether the item was a UFO or not.
Similar Events
Globally, UFOS are nothing new. Over the last century, humans have reported witnessing unidentified flying objects in the sky. The modern UFO gained prominence in the 20th century. It is also during this time that the world experienced an increase in the number of rockets and spacecraft which are constantly been tested. Some of the most prominent UFO incidences in history include Kenneth Arnold in 1947, Lubbock Light in 1951, Rendlesham Forest, 1980, and Tehran in 1970.
The common denominator in these incidences is that the witness reported having seen objects in the sky. While some occurrences were recorded and the evidence preserved, others don’t have any existing evidence. However, with a common denominator of the events having similar features, this might be the first proof that the Belgian Wave were indeed UFO.
One thing we do need is clear photographic evidence, and none of the blurry images that seem to appear after every popular sighting. There are far too many hoaxes these days with increasing complexity, so it’s hard to know what true evidence looks like.
