V-shaped UFO over Los Angeles spurs fresh debate on what’s flying over major cities
Witnesses filmed a black chevron with nine lights hovering for about 25 minutes; experts say terrestrial tech or drones are plausible explanations, not confirmed as extraterrestrial.
Two Los Angeles residents reported seeing a black V-shaped craft with nine white lights hovering over the city on the night of Aug. 28, 2025. The object moved slowly southward for about 25 minutes before disappearing around 11:38 p.m. local time, according to a report filed with the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC).
Observers described a V-shaped wedge with a small central body, giving it a silhouette reminiscent of a boomerang. The craft's hull displayed nine distinct lights, and witnesses captured photos and video with a cellphone before submitting their report to NUFORC on Aug. 30. NUFORC said the sighting marked the 34th chevron reported in the United States in 2025.
UFO researcher and filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee told the Daily Mail that the sighting was unlikely to involve an alien spacecraft and suggested it could be a top-secret drone testing new technology for the United States or another power. He said his analysis of this event and several famous incidents in the United Kingdom leads him to believe some well-known UFO reports may involve terrestrial origins that are decades ahead of public knowledge.
NUFORC has at times offered possible explanations, including ultralight aircraft; the center briefly noted the word “Ultralight?” in its notes for this incident. The lack of an official explanation underscores the challenges in identifying unconventional aerial phenomena.
Los Angeles’ history with UFOs stretches back to the 1942 Battle of Los Angeles, when military fire was directed at what some believed could be alien aircraft invading the West Coast. While Lee cautioned against viewing LA as an extraterrestrial hotspot, he suggested that nearby facilities—such as Vandenberg Space Force Base, Edwards Air Force Base, and the controversial Area 51—could be launching advanced technology that reaches the public only years later.
Officials have not confirmed any extraterrestrial origin or the exact nature of the craft. The incident sits within a broader wave of UAP reports that continued through 2025, with NUFORC documenting multiple V-shaped sightings across the country this year.