Reaching out to see something with our own eyes
The concept of sighting is used in our language to refer that in fact we are seeing something with our eyes, that is, that through our sight we are able to see something.
Observation of singular or unexpected phenomena
The concept is especially associated with the observation of some singular or unexpected phenomenon, such is the case of the sighting of a UFO (unidentified flying object) or of some particular event such as the sighting of a marine animal, such as whales, that are seen in some regions at certain times of the year.
UFO sighting, believe or not believe?
In the case of the UFO sighting, we could say that it sends the surprise and that is why the word is linked to this situation. It is considered a very unusual situation that an unidentified craft that is not an airplane can be seen in the sky. The sighting of this type is usually surrounded by a halo of mystery and also tends to awaken at the same time fervent beliefs and a lot of disbelief.
Now, regardless of whether this is credible or not, we must say that the sighting of UFOs is usually recurrent on our planet and this has generated the development of a discipline, ufology, which deals with its study and collecting the testimonies of those people who claim to have seen UFOs.
Sighting of marine animals, an attraction that gathers many followers
For its part, the sighting of marine animals or cetaceans is a practice that gathers many followers and curious people around the world and that involves the observation of whales and other marine animals in their natural environments with all the magic that this implies.
Even around this practice an incipient tourist industry has developed that precisely promotes and offers tours to those areas where these animals can be seen.
Geographical discoveries
Also, the word is often used at the level of geographical explorations to indicate that a territory has been discovered. The Spanish and Portuguese navigators who repeatedly came to the American continent after the discovery of Christopher Columbus, used to shout that they were sighting land when they could see the mainland from the ship.
