sighting
Glimpse of something
A sighting is an instance of seeing something, especially something rare, elusive, or notable: a UFO sighting, the first sighting of the comet, celebrity sightings in Los Angeles.
The word implies the thing seen was glimpsed rather than studied at length.
Birdwatchers log sightings; tabloids report them.
Wildlife observation journey
- birdwatchingObserving wild avians recreationally
- binocularsHandheld dual-lens magnifier
- trackingMonitoring location over time
- spottingPerceiving or identifying visually
fauna · habitat · field guide · species · endangered · rare · migration · trail camera
Icy orbiting body
- meteorGlowing atmospheric space rock
- eclipseCelestial body blocks another
- auroraAtmospheric light display
- constellationNamed pattern of celestial bodies
shooting star · supernova · telescope · astronomy · stargazing · planetary · lunar · solar
Disc-shaped alien vehicle
- alienNon-native being
- extraterrestrialBeing from outer space
- unidentifiedNot yet recognized
- spacecraftVehicle for outer space
encounter · Roswell · Area 51 · close encounter · abduction · anomaly · skywatching · conspiracy
Legendary North American ape-man
- Loch NessScottish lake, alleged monster
- ChupacabraGoat-draining cryptid
- elusiveHard to find
- legendaryFamous beyond ordinary measure
mysterious · folklore · hoax · blurry · grainy · eyewitness · unexplained · creature
Sighting announcement at sea
- shipwreckDestroyed vessel at sea
- lighthouseCoastal beacon tower
- landmarkNotable point of reference
- explorerOne who investigates unfamiliar regions
expedition · voyage · navigator · horizon · discovery · coastline · iceberg · whale
Information-gathering before action
- stakeoutProlonged covert observation
- targetObject of pursuit
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
- trackingMonitoring location over time
intelligence · spy · shadowing · undercover · operative · tail · suspect · watchlist
safari
Wildlife observation journey
- birdwatchingObserving wild avians recreationally
- binocularsHandheld dual-lens magnifier
- trackingMonitoring location over time
spotting · fauna · habitat · field guide · species · endangered · rare · migration · trail camera · nature reserve
comet
Icy orbiting body
- meteorGlowing atmospheric space rock
- eclipseCelestial body blocks another
- auroraAtmospheric light display
constellation · shooting star · supernova · telescope · astronomy · stargazing · planetary · lunar · solar · transit
flying saucer
Disc-shaped alien vehicle
- alienNon-native being
- extraterrestrialBeing from outer space
- unidentifiedNot yet recognized
spacecraft · encounter · Roswell · Area 51 · close encounter · abduction · anomaly · skywatching · conspiracy · cover-up
Bigfoot
Legendary North American ape-man
- Loch NessScottish lake, alleged monster
- ChupacabraGoat-draining cryptid
- elusiveHard to find
legendary · mysterious · folklore · hoax · blurry · grainy · eyewitness · unexplained · creature · monster
land ho
Sighting announcement at sea
- shipwreckDestroyed vessel at sea
- lighthouseCoastal beacon tower
- landmarkNotable point of reference
explorer · expedition · voyage · navigator · horizon · discovery · coastline · iceberg · whale · flotilla
reconnaissance
Information-gathering before action
- stakeoutProlonged covert observation
- targetObject of pursuit
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
tracking · intelligence · spy · shadowing · undercover · operative · tail · suspect · watchlist · patrol
lifer
Prisoner without release
chase · ornithology · checklist · flyway · roost · rarity · vagrant · hotspot · scope · identification
paparazzi
Aggressive celebrity photographers
candid · public · fan · autograph · viral · social media · photograph · TMZ · incognito · disguise
- encountersencounter, meeting, chance encounter, run-in, close encounter
- missing personsmissing person, disappearance, missing children, missing child, vanished
- sightvision, view, glimpse, glance, gaze
- Extraterrestrialsalien, aliens, extraterrestrial, ET, UFO
- safarisafari, safari park, game reserve, game reserves, safari lodge
- swim trainingswim lessons, swimming lessons, swim coaching, freestyle, laps
sightingdisappearance
Act of going missing
invisibility · concealment · vanishing · hiding · obscuration
sightingscrutiny
Close, careful examination
examination · inspection · study · analysis · surveillance
sightingloss
Being without something
disappearance · vanishing · losing · losing track · concealment
- UFO sightingsReported observations of unidentified craft
- ghost sightingsClaimed encounters with spirits
- celebrity sightingsEncounters with famous people
- Bigfoot sightingAlleged cryptid observation
- monster sightingsAlleged observations of legendary creatures
- first sighting