He describes the light as "clearly the brightest object in the sky by a factor of many magnitude (say 20X brighter than the brightest star which was visible)".

Could it be the landing lights of an aircraft? But Dutta saw no blinking lights of the wing tips, nor did the intensity change.

Could it be a helicopter? But they neither heard engine sound nor rotor noise.

Although he makes room for the possibility that what he saw was just a star or planet, he turned to the Internet for an answer: "I would be interested to hear from anyone else who may have seen this object or can offer some explanation," he wrote to an Indian Web site devoted to extraterrestrial phenomena.

As with all other things on the Net, he found he wasn't alone. UFOIndia.org lent him a ready ear and featured his experience on their site.

Run by Prashant Solomon, a journalist from Delhi, the site chronicles such sightings. "Reports of UFOs in India have been quite rare. The objective of this site is to record such sightings," says Solomon.

He himself has never seen a UFO. Although he does claim to have seen a strange looking object over the skies of New Delhi, he admits, "it could have been a weather balloon".

He built the site because UFOs have fascinated him from childhood and he refuses to believe that sightings never took place in India: "I feel that a forum needed to be created. In the present day scenario, there is just about no place that they can report to. The police and press themselves may not be very familiar with this phenomenon. My aim is that they should contact UFO India.org and their sighting will be listed."

To this end, Solomon believes the Internet is essential because "it enables people to communicate and access information almost instantaneously. It helps in spreading knowledge to people in an exponential manner. Soon thousands of people know that there is a forum where they can report their experiences. So, the Internet is really the backbone to collect information and make people aware of this phenomenon."

A major section of the site is devoted to people's experiences. Going by the accounts posted here such craft have been visiting the four metros as well as places in Rajasthan, Patna, Raipur, Dhubri, Mahabaleshwar, Coorg and Gandhinagar.

Around the world, people who have seen 'unidentified flying objects' are seeking explanations. And the Web, with its community building facilities, promotes bonding. Take Jose from Hyderabad, for instance, who says in his message on UFO India.org, "No one was prepared to listen to us and all these years we just kept it to ourselves rather than being ridiculed. I thought I will share this with other people on the Net."

And Solomon maintains, "You are not alone, there are millions of people around the world who have seen UFOs, had contact with aliens or have experienced something paranormal in nature."

Several of these million people put up their accounts online. UFO Database encourages you to report your experiences, while UFO City has a daily updated section of breaking news concerning secret files, mysterious sightings, blind spots, etc. However, it clearly states 'The opinions and viewpoints available on the UFOcity.com site are solely attributable to the individual authors.'

There's also UFOs Today that has links to online newspaper articles about the paranormal, an online UFO bookstore and a listing of several similar pages.

But when it comes to interactive communities, nothing can beat message boards. UFO Enigma has over a thousand posts debating over life on Mars, reports of UFOs and certain prophecies. Users ask one another for their thoughts on issues and also organise regular chat sessions.

A database of sightings and abductions called UFO Watch allows people to describe their experiences. A girl called Jillian Volks who believes she was abducted by an alien in her backyard describes it in these exact words: "It was bule with 6 hands and 3 eyes ine on the top of its lond oval shaped head one in the middle and bottom and antennias and it was about 11 feet hight and it crawled to walk." After the abduction, she claims the aliens "all kissed me and put me in my bed".

That brings up the question of credibility. The anonymity that the Internet offers is a haven for pranksters. "You cannot verify the accuracy of any UFO report unless and until it is backed by solid evidence," says Solomon, adding "I try to use my judgment through email communications and by seeing the background of the person."

However, anyone capable of falsifying a report is more than capable of fabricating background details.

Solomon goes on, "Also, one cannot rule out the possibility that some of the reported cases may be hoaxes or misinterpretations of things like - stars, planets, satellites, meteors, weather balloons or aircraft."

While many of those interested by the UFO phenomenon are those who say they have had paranormal experiences, people are also hooked onto it after watching television shows that exploit the extraterrestrial angle. In fact, many of the posts on message boards and discussion forums revolve around episodes from such serials, blurring the line between fact and fiction.

A cursory glance at UFO India.org reveals that almost all the sightings reported have taken place late 1990s onward - coinciding with the popularity of the X-Files in the subcontinent. Solomon himself is a "die hard fan of Star Wars" in addition to "Star Trek, Independence Day and other such movies about aliens, UFOs and extraterrestrial life."

However, if aliens do exist, you would want to know something about their disposition, their attitudes towards us. Significantly, many sites are of opinion that such beings would be friendly and try to help humankind.

Solomon believes they are here for a larger purpose. "Some maybe here to study us, some maybe here to try and help us to overcome our own differences and become a part of a galactic culture."

In his article 'Someone to watch over you' published in The Hindustan Times, he talks of the possibility that extraterrestrials are "benevolent advisers who hate to see earthlings destroy one another and their planet". To back this, he says UFO sightings only begun after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and it began in America, the country that dropped the atom bomb. FBI files supposedly reveal a link between danger zones and UFO sightings.

He sounds a warning: "Now that we have gone nuclear, should we expect visits from angry aliens?"