Are we alone in the universe? It's the question that millions of people have asked, and even more people will be asking as the upcoming science fiction flick “Battle: LA” makes it debut tomorrow.

Why has the film sparked even more interest in UFOs? Because the new science fiction film is based on a 1942 UFO sighting that caused Los Angeles to be blacked out and the military to respond. There was even an anti-aircraft artillery barrage which took place from late Feb. 24 to early Feb. 25.

"During the night of 24/25 February 1942, unidentified objects caused a succession of alerts in southern California. On the 24th, a warning issued by naval intelligence indicated that an attack could be expected within the next ten hours. That evening a large number of flares and blinking lights were reported from the vicinity of defense plants. An alert called at 1918 [7:18 p.m., Pacific time] was lifted at 2223, and the tension temporarily relaxed. But early in the morning of the 25th renewed activity began. Radars picked up an unidentified target 120 miles west of Los Angeles." — Office of Air Force History, 1983

More and more evidence continues to be discovered.

Since, the incident has been largely attributed to weather balloons. But whether they were weather balloons or not, the simple facts remains that more and more sightings have been occurring, some of them captured on film. More than 20 this year alone (hat tip UFO sightings), like this one.


Even more compelling have been the continued sightings recorded by NASA cameras. Some have long lead times, but you can see these odd occurrences here or here. Some people say if the government knew about alien contact, there would be no way to deny it. But then again, the government consistently denied Area 51.

How to see Area 51 on Groom Lake from Las Vegas.

There is no longer any question that Area 51 exists. You can even see the full size of the facility on Google Earth. It's huge. There are hundreds of vehicles there. There are commercial planes (those that secretly leave from Las Vegas) parked near hangars.

From Las Vegas, there are rare tours that take people to the very perimeter of Area 51 on Groom Lake. There is intense secrecy on the base and crossing the boundary will lead to your arrest. However, our approved operators know precisely when to turn around.

The tour, which starts at 7 a.m. with a pickup from your hotel room, includes stops to see Indian petroglyphs that look remarkably like aliens, travel along Nevada's infamous Extraterrestrial Highway, and lunch at the Little A’le’ Inn. To give you an idea how close the Little A'Le' Inn is to Area 51, take a look at the map. It's marked with the inn in red and Area 51 in orange.

Incidentally, the other Google Earth snapshot is not that far from Area 51. It's located southwest of the top secret facility, slightly above the craters created by dozens of nuclear tests. The image is largely unexplainable. Some people have suggested a camera flare, but that does not account for the shadows directly beneath the shining object. Anyone can find it.

Not everyone can find Area 51 on the ground. Las Vegas Tour Guy operators know the best routes to the perimeter of the top secret military facility. They also know where and when to possibly take your picture within a stone's throw away from the ominous signs that mark the point of return around Area 51.

Area 51 from Las Vegas is one of the dozens of adventures and eco-tours available from Las Vegas. For other unique Las Vegas attractions that take you above and beyond the Las Vegas Strip, visit TourGuy.com.