Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
After news of the US Air Force shooting down a fourth high-altitude object floating in the sky, social media users are sharing claims of UFO sightings in America.
Apart from a suspected surveillance balloon by China that was taken down earlier last week, the nature and purpose of the other objects remain “unidentified” so far.
This suspense has created a stir on social media platforms, with users sharing videos claiming to show the shooting down and remains of such “unidentified “ objects.
Newschecker investigated the videos one-by-one
Claim 1: Video Shows UFO Shot Down In Alaska
Dashboard camera footage from a vehicle passing through snow-covered road, showing a dilapidated object – a piece of it in flames, and another in a wreck- is going viral on social media platforms. While some users shared the video attempting to mock the aforementioned incident, others claimed it to be actual footage of “UFO shot down in Alaska.”
Several Twitter and Facebook users shared the video to show the “UFO shot down in Alaska”
Links to such posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
Fact Check/Verification
A Yandex reverse image search on the keyframes of the viral footage led us to a video uploaded on VK, dated March 7, 2022. Featuring snippets from the viral clip, the post stated, “Israeli TV channel publishes fakes about Ukraine using footage from the Star Wars movie.”
Taking a clue, we conducted a keyword search for “Israel Channel,” “Star Wars,” & “Ukraine” on Google which yielded multiple reports from March 2022 elaborating on the goof up by the Israeli TV channel while reporting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
One such report by Daily Mail, dated March 4, 2022, carried the viral footage in circulation to show “UFO shot down in Alaska,” and elaborated, “An Israeli TV news channel has run ‘live footage’ of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine featuring a crash-landed TIE fighter from Star Wars. The clip even shows stormtroopers standing beside the Imperial aircraft on a snowy road.”
It added, “The clip was originally an advert produced by Disney and Lucasfilm in 2014 to promote a new Star Wars channel on Sky Deutschland. It shows the stormtroopers surveying the crashed starfighter on a German autobahn while cars zoom past.”
Following this, we looked up “German,” “stormtroopers,” “Disney and Lucasfilm” & “Sky Deutschland” on Google which threw up a report by Mirror, dated December 27, 2014.
Carrying a longer version of the viral clip, the report said, “A motorist has braved the snow and a downed TIE fighter from Star Wars.The dash cam footage shows stormtroopers in high vis vests making sure motorists don’t drive into their ship…Produced by Disney and Lucasfilm for a 24/7 Star Wars channel for Sky Deutschland, it gives fans of (and newcomers to) the franchise a perfect taste of the saga…With Star Wars: The Force Awakens released in December 2015 it would make sense for them to expand such a deal.”
On analysing the video shared by Mirror, we spotted “Sky Star Wars HD,” along with the copyright information for Lucasfilm written on the bottom left side of the screen.
Notably, Star Wars is a popular American fictional film franchise. The dilapidated object seen in the viral video is a TIE fighter – an artificial aircraft seen in the franchise, while the two white figures standing next to it are stormtroopers- characters seen in Star Wars.
Conclusion
We could thus conclude that footage from a fictional film franchise is being falsely shared to show a UFO shot down in Alaska.
Result: False
Also Read: Viral Video Of US Air Force Shooting Down Chinese ‘Spy Balloon’ Is Actually A Simulation Footage
Claim 2 : UFO Spotted In The Sky
A video showing an oval-shaped object floating around in the sky is going viral on social media platforms, with many users believing it to be a “UFO.” Newschecker found it to be a compilation of old clips showing an advertising blimp.
Links to such posts can be seen here, here, here and here.
Fact Check/Verification
On scanning through the comment section of posts carrying the viral footage, we noticed that users have pointed out that a “blimp” is being misidentified as the “UFO.” Further, we noticed that the viral clip is a combination of three different videos, and decided to fact check them one-by-one.
Segment 1
A keyword search for “blimp,” & “UFO” on Google led us to a video report by Daily Blast LIVE, dated September 17, 2020. Displaying snippets similar to the one seen in the first section of the viral clip, the report elaborated, “Was this a UFO in New Jersey? Many thought so but turns out, it was just a Goodyear blimp.”
Following this, we looked up “New Jersey,” “UFO” & “Blimp” on Google which yielded a report by the New York Post, dated September 15, 2020. Carrying the viral footage, the report stated, “An unidentified flying object in the skies of New Jersey Monday had residents believing aliens were about to beam down to the Garden State until it was actually identified — as a Goodyear Blimp.”
Segment 2
A Yandex reverse image search on the keyframes of the viral video led us to an Instagram post by @video_gest, dated September 21, 2020. Carrying the viral footage, the post stated (translated from Russian), “Residents of New Jersey observed an unusual flying object in the sky.”
In the comment section, one user pointed out, “But it turned out to be advertising “airships” of the company goodyear look in the internet. (sic)”
The search also yielded a report by a Siberian-language website, srbijajavlja.rs, dated September 17, 2020. Displaying a screengrab from the footage, the report stated, “A large number of eyewitnesses claimed that it was a UFO, but information on the object that followed solved the mystery. The company Goodyear announced that it was their advertising zeppelin”
Segment 3
A comparison between the keyframes of this segment with other videos of the blimp mistaken to be a “UFO” in New Jersey, led us to conclude that the visuals seen in the last few frames of the viral footage also show the 2020 Goodyear blimp. However, we could not independently trace the origin of this segment of the viral footage.
Conclusion
A compilation of clip showing an advertising blimp by Goodyear is being falsely shared as a videographic evidence of spotting of a “UFO.”
Result: False
Sources
Video By VK, Dated March 7, 2022
Report By Daily Mail, Dated March 4, 2022
Report By Mirror, Dated December 27, 2014
Report By Daily Blast LIVE, Dated September 17, 2020
Report By New York Post, Dated September 15, 2020
Instagram Post By @video_gest, Dated September 21, 2020
Report By srbijajavlja.rs, Dated September 17, 2020
Self Analysis
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Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
