A little over a month after former President Barack Obama re-opened the door to discussions about extraterrestrial life, a new study shows how frequently people think they could have spotted aliens.
The report sponsored by Casino.ca looks at the rate of sightings of UFOs — officially now called UAPs, or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena — in each state. Nationally, it says there is an average of one sighting per 1,770 people
The study was based on some 150,000 sightings entered in the National UFO Reporting Center database, combined with social media posts. The per capita rates for each state were then calculated.
The study was released in conjunction with National Alien Abduction Day on March 20. And while not every sighting is an abduction report, the study uses those reports as a proxy. (Presumably a flying saucer is just as likely to pick up a passenger that sees it in each state.)
Colorado has been a hotbed for alien activity reports, but are they more common here than in other states?
How common are alien abduction reports in Colorado?
Colorado has the 18th most frequent reports of alien sightings — and possible abductions — in the U.S., according to the study. It has an average of one report per 1,596 residents.
What states have the highest rates of reported alien abductions?
While Louisiana has the lowest rate of UFO/UAP sightings (one per 3,464 residents), they are much more frequent in the north and on the coasts.
Delaware, one per 928 residents
Washington, one per 977 residents
In New York, one in 1,003 residents
Oregon, one per 1,054 residents
Florida, one per 1,102 residents
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado among top states for alien abduction reports, study says