Phantom Airships of 1896–97: Lights, Hoaxes, and Martian Tales

This episode explores the 1896–1897 mystery airship wave across the United States: thousands of reported nighttime lights and dramatic accounts of airborne craft, alleged crews, and even Martian visitors. It traces the sightings from Sacramento through the Midwest, examines explanations (hoaxes, misidentifications, secret inventors, and early aviation), and looks at how newspapers and later UFO enthusiasts shaped the story.