More than 257 million Americans believe aliens exist, according to a bombshell new survey.
A staggering 78% of the nation – which boasts a population of 330m – are certain that extra-terrestrials are real.
One in three are convinced aliens have abducted humans in the past and 37% reckon US scientists have secretly been in contact with alien life.
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But they are divided on whether the space explorers are friends or foe – exactly 50% think they are friendly and come in peace while the other half think aliens are currently plotting the Earth’s destruction.
Researchers for eyewear giants MyVision quizzed 1,013 female, male and non-binary Americans aged 18 to 80 during their study.
They also analysed the National UFO Reporting Center Database to work out where Americans are most likely to spot an alien and calculated California has the most close encounters – with twice as many as nearest rival Florida.
Scientific website StudyFinds said two states traditionally linked to alien conspiracy theories turned out to be among the least likely places to have a close encounter.
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Nevada – home to the US Air Force’s ultra-secretive Area 51 base which is rumoured to hold wreckage from a crashed alien ship – is only ranked 27th out of the 50 states.
While New Mexico – home to Roswell, where the UFO is said to have crashed in 1947, came 28th.
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The survey emerged as US space agency NASA launched the most determined alien hunt in world history, spearheaded by a former astronaut.
Scott Kelly, 58, who has made four trips into space, is part of a 16-strong team of boffins tasked with probing a string of UFO sightings by military Top Gun pilots.
The nine-month investigation is designed to get to the bottom of 144 sightings of mystery craft dating back to 2004.
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