Phoenix UFO conference goes virtual | Coronavirus in

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – They may look to the stars, but a pandemic here on Earth is keeping UFO enthusiasts from meeting in person.

Usually, the event is held at a hotel in downtown Phoenix, but organizers of the five-day “International UFO Congress” have built out studios in their home and are running the whole thing virtually this year because of coronavirus concerns.

A Russian TV crew flying over the Siberian tundra this summer spotted a massive crater 30 meters (100 feet) deep and 20 meters wide — striking in its size, symmetry and the explosive force of nature that it must have taken to have created it.

“We brought in some of the lighting and cameras that we usually use at the conference, that we set up at the hotel, but now we’ve got it in the living room essentially,” said organizer Alejandro Rojas.

They’ll be live-streaming lectures from guest speakers and interviews for virtual attendees.

Usually, thousands come to the event, but Rojas says numbers are down this year — sinking into the hundreds.

“We had to kind of scramble because Arizona wasn’t sure when it was going to open up, if it was going to open up,” Rojas said.

The Pentagon is forming a new task force to investigate UFOs that have been observed by US military aircraft, according to two defense officials.

Still, Rojas is optimistic that they’ll get late sign-ups since folks can attend at the click of a button. Prices start at $15 per lecture and can be purchased on the conference’s website.

“Are we being visited by things from elsewhere? Most people interested in this topic believe that,” Rojas said.

It’s the first time in 29 years that the event has been held virtually. But organizers say they wanted to come as close to the in-person experience as possible, allowing conference attendees to purchase swag online, video conference, and chat with other UFO believers.

“I always thought there has to be something more. You know they always say this is a huge universe,” said organizer Karen Brard.

But Brard says it’s the community that keeps her going.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday called footage from the Pentagon showing “unidentified a…

“A lot of people show up to our conference and they say — no one I know believes me or believes in UFOs and I feel finally I’m at home.”

A kinship that this year will literally be found from the comfort of home.