Summary
On the evening of 12 February 2023, two witnesses in Almena, Wisconsin reported seeing two brightly lit objects cross the night sky in rapid succession. The first displayed one red and two white lights, while an identical second object followed roughly five seconds later. As the objects passed overhead, the witnesses reported hearing and physically feeling a deep low-frequency hum in their chests. Six photographs were taken, some showing the lights and others apparently revealing part of the objects’ outline. After reviewing the images, Wisconsin MUFON State Director Fred Kohler concluded that the objects did not appear conventionally triangular and described their bodies as more U-shaped. MUFON closed the case as an Unknown Aerial Vehicle.
Additional Notes
The sighting began at approximately 7:13 p.m. on 12 February 2023. The reporting witness and another person were standing outside on a back porch with two dogs when the animals suddenly began barking and staring toward the southwest. Moments later, the witnesses noticed a red light moving rapidly toward them and then north-northwest across the sky. As the first object approached almost overhead, the witnesses reported seeing one red light and two white lights. A second, apparently identical object followed approximately five seconds behind the first. The entire encounter lasted only around ten seconds. The witnesses also reported a low, deep humming sensation as the second object passed. They described the effect as something they could both hear and physically feel, particularly in the chest. The lights on both objects reportedly blinked intermittently without an obvious repeating pattern. Six photographs were taken during the brief encounter. Some suffered from considerable motion blur, while others appeared clearer. In one image, three lights were visible; in others, the lights were less distinct and the witness believed a dark triangular outline could be seen around them. Wisconsin MUFON State Director Fred Kohler reviewed the photographs and screenshots. He disagreed with the witness’s interpretation that the objects were triangular, writing that the visible body appeared more like a U-shaped form and that he could not match it confidently to a known aircraft. He therefore closed the case as “Unknown/UAV.” The witness speculated that the objects might somehow have been connected to the high-altitude objects being tracked over North America during the same period. That speculation is understandable given the timing, but one detail is worth correcting: the Chinese surveillance balloon had already been shot down off South Carolina on 4 February 2023. The separate unidentified object shot down over Lake Huron was brought down on 12 February, the same date as the Almena sighting. The U.S. Department of Defense stated at the time that the Lake Huron object had not yet been conclusively identified.
The Location Today
Almena is a small community in northwestern Kansas, surrounded by agricultural land. The reported aerial sighting has no established visitor site; public streets should not be confused with access to nearby private fields.
- Environment
- Village / Rural Area, Residential Area
- Time of Day
- Evening / Night
- Evidence Level
- Investigated Case
- Visiting the Location
- Unknown
- Ownership of the Location
- Unknown