Mystery Spots: Places Where Bizarre Forces Obscure Reality

By Anna Goldwater Alexander  

 

Lat: 19°25'48.61" N || Long: 99°10'0.92" W

  Mexico City

Mexico—UFO-sighting central

The Mystery: Is Mexico City the go-to destination for intergalactic tourists? In July 1991 a total solar eclipse darkened the city's sky, and many residents claimed to have seen a UFO dangling near the blotted-out orb. The capital—and the country—has been popular with sky-watchers ever since. In 1999, a whopping 60 percent of denizens in a nearby town said they spotted a UFO, and there are currently 3,000-plus YouTube videos "documenting" Mexico's sightings.

The Reality: It could be a perceptual illusion known as the autokinetic effect, which makes stationary light in dark skies appear to move. According to UFO enthusiasts, Mexico City is not considered to be a "real" alien hot spot.
Photo Portfolio: Uta Kögelsberger

Uta traveled directly to Mexico City from Miami Beach and said the contrast was a shock. The glittering wealth of Miami stood in sharp contrast to the poverty of most of Mexico City's inhabitants, particularly in areas away from the city center.

Uta had four days in Mexico City. She called on a friend, a local photographer, who helped locate the downtown furniture store rooftop where the shoot took place.
Photo: Uwe Zirpner

Mexico City at night — orb free, but still eerie.

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