Vancouver 'UFO sighting' exposed as promotional hoax

An unidentified flying object was spotted near Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver on Sept. 4, 2013. (YouTube)

A purported UFO sighting during a Vancouver Canadians baseball game has been revealed as an elaborate hoax to draw visitors to the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre.

Video was uploaded to YouTube last week depicting an object covered with bright lights hovering between two trees outside Nat Bailey Stadium.

The short clip, as well as a few Twitter photos snapped of the strange craft, made the rounds on local and international news outlets, as well as UFO believer blogs and publications such as Open Minds Magazine.

On Tuesday, the Space Centre revealed it masterminded the “close encounter” to hype up its $500,000 digital upgrade for the Planetarium Theatre, which was completed over the summer.

“We want to show Vancouver, B.C. and the world that you can truly have a rare experience by exploring the exciting new shows and state-of-the-art projection system,” centre director Rob Appleton said in a statement.

The UFO was actually a drone in the shape of the Space Centre, which was photographed not only at the baseball game, but at Deep Cove, Jericho Beach, and the intersection of Burrard and Cornwall streets.

Images and video of the sightings were purposefully spread online by an ad agency.

The Space Centre said it’s seen a 65 per cent bump in attendance with the new Planetarium projection system. For information on upcoming programs at the theatre, visit the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre website.