Virginia Beach Skywatchers: Community Takes Flight
The night sky over Virginia Beach holds many mysteries. On March 31st, a dedicated group of curious minds gathered at "The Garage" in the Vibe District to discuss exactly what might be up there.
Building a Local Community of Skywatchers
As part of Enigma's mission to develop real-time aerial awareness through technology, community, and curiosity, we've begun establishing local Skywatch chapters across the country. Virginia Beach, with its rich aviation history and proximity to Naval Station Norfolk, made it a perfect location for one of our inaugural chapters.
Led by local Skywatchers Jimmy and Robin, the recent event brought together 40 attendees from all walks of life—from casual observers to those in the aerospace industry, including attendees from NASA and military intelligence backgrounds.
Photo by Dominic Peters
What Happens at a Skywatchers Event?
The evening kicked off with an introduction to Enigma and our neutral, evidence-based approach to studying anomalous aerial activity and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs). The presentation walked attendees through:
- How to distinguish common aerial objects like satellites, planes, and weather balloons
- Best practices for recording UAP sightings
- How to use the Enigma app's real-time object identification lens
- Recent notable aerial phenomena reported in the Virginia Beach area
The Q&A session that followed sparked thoughtful discussions about everything from the physics of aerial movement to personal experiences with unusual sightings. What stood out was the level of engagement—these weren't just passive observers but active participants eager to contribute to a greater understanding of our skies.
Photo by Dominic Peters
Attendee Thomas highlighted a particular challenge for skywatchers in the Hampton Roads area: "Here we have a lot of confusion because there's so much military. You're gonna see NASA launches and stuff and if you don't know about it and you witness it, you'd think it's something and it's not." This is exactly the kind of confusion the Enigma app and local chapters aim to address.
Local News Takes Notice
The event caught the attention of local news station WAVY10, who sent a crew to cover this growing community interest in aerial phenomena. Their presence highlighted how the conversation around UAPs has shifted from fringe to mainstream, with more people recognizing the value of citizen observation and real-time alert networks.
"They could be anything. They could be Starlink, they could be an experimental aircraft, it could be a drone, it's things that they don't know," Jimmy explained to WAVY 10, emphasizing the open-minded approach that drives the Skywatchers community.
Join the Community
At Enigma, we believe that aerial awareness starts with engaged communities asking questions and looking up together. Virginia Beach has shown us that the appetite for understanding what's in our skies has never been stronger, with membership in the local group increasing significantly for the recent event.
If you're in the Virginia Beach area and interested in joining this community of curious observers, check out the Virginia Beach Skywatchers Facebook group. Our next local event is already in planning stages. Whether you're a seasoned sky observer or just getting started, there's a place for you in this community.
Want to start a Skywatchers chapter in a different area? Reach out to [email protected] to learn more, we'd love to support you.
