Berwyn Mountain UFO incident facts for kids
In 1974, something strange happened in the Berwyn Mountains in Wales. People saw bright lights and heard loud noises. Some thought it was a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object). This event happened near Llandrillo, in an area called Merionethshire. Scientists later found out that an earthquake and a bright meteor caused the event.
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What Happened in the Berwyn Mountains?
On the evening of January 23, 1974, people living near the Berwyn Mountains in Wales reported a very loud noise. They also saw a bright light in the sky.
Some people who study UFOs quickly claimed that a UFO had crashed. They even said the British government was hiding a crashed spaceship. Because of these claims, some newspapers jokingly called it "The Roswelsh Incident." This name was a funny way to compare it to the famous Roswell incident in the USA.
The Scientific Explanation
Scientists looked into the Berwyn Mountains event. They found strong evidence for a natural explanation. The strange lights and noises were likely caused by two things happening at the same time. These were an earthquake and a very bright meteor.
The Earthquake
The British Geological Survey is a group that studies the Earth. They reported that an earthquake happened at 8:38 p.m. that night. It was a 3.5 magnitude earthquake. This means it was strong enough to be felt by many people.
The earthquake shook a large area of northern Wales. People as far away as Formby, a town in England, felt it. At first, people did not realize it was an earthquake. This led to police investigating the strange reports. If the event had been an aircraft crash, it would have left a huge hole. No such hole was found.
The Meteor and Lights
At the same time as the earthquake, a very bright meteor was seen. Many people across Wales and northern England saw this meteor. A meteor is a space rock that burns up as it enters Earth's atmosphere. This burning creates a bright streak of light.
The unusual lights people reported might have been this meteor. But they could also have included something called "earthquake light." This is a strange light that is sometimes seen during earthquakes.
Documents from the UK's Ministry of Defence (the government department for defense) also support this idea. They suggest the incident was a combination of an earthquake and a meteor.
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