Within Suburban Clusters
Why do suburban UFO clusters catch fire?
Repeated sightings often grew when many residents were already outdoors, comparing notes and filming ambiguous lights in busy suburban skies.
On this page
- Outdoor crowds, neighbourhood visibility, and repeat reports
- How media attention and databases shape a cluster
- Why formation lights can look more connected than they are
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Introduction
Suburban UFO clusters in Illinois often spread for social reasons as much as visual ones. The best-known example, the Tinley Park Lights of 2004–2006, became a regional phenomenon not simply because people saw red lights in the sky, but because large numbers of residents were already outdoors, watching the same stretch of sky, discussing what they saw in real time, and then reinforcing one another’s interpretations through local media and UFO databases. In dense south-west Chicago suburbs, a light seen by one family could quickly become a neighbourhood event. NUFORC [Chicago Magazine]chicagomag.comChicago MagazineDo You Believe? – Chicago MagazineCreepy detail: One witness said that some buildings had been lit up with spotlights ori…
That pattern matters within Illinois UFO history because it helps explain why some sightings become major “flaps” while others vanish after a single report. The Tinley Park episodes show how suburban geography, traffic patterns, seasonal events, camcorder footage, police calls, and later internet circulation could transform ambiguous lights into one of the state’s most famous UFO clusters. At the same time, the same conditions that spread reports also made misidentification and shared suggestion more likely. [Blaze TV]blaze.tvThe 'Tinley Park Lights' Halloween UFO encounterOne of the 77 described the sighting as: 'Three horizontal equally spaced red lights in t… [Pollstar News]news.pollstar.comufo in tinley parkPollstar NewsUFO In Tinley Park21 Nov 2008 — As the fans were caught up in a traffic jam, three lights in a triangular pattern hovered ab…
Outdoor crowds, neighbourhood visibility, and repeat reports
The south suburbs around Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Orland Park, Frankfort, and Mokena provided unusually good conditions for a mass sighting. The area combined dense residential neighbourhoods with wide sky visibility, busy roads, and large numbers of people outside during summer nights and Halloween evenings. When the first major 2004 cluster occurred, many witnesses were reportedly leaving Ozzfest at the Tweeter Center, later First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, and were already sitting in traffic looking upward. [Pollstar News]news.pollstar.comufo in tinley parkPollstar NewsUFO In Tinley Park21 Nov 2008 — As the fans were caught up in a traffic jam, three lights in a triangular pattern hovered ab…
That setting changed the scale of the reports. A single observer seeing unusual lights may hesitate to report them, but dozens of motorists or families reacting simultaneously creates immediate social confirmation. Witnesses start pointing, comparing descriptions, and calling relatives outdoors. In Tinley Park, reports rapidly spread between adjacent suburbs rather than remaining isolated to one street or household. [Blaze TV]blaze.tvThe 'Tinley Park Lights' Halloween UFO encounterOne of the 77 described the sighting as: 'Three horizontal equally spaced red lights in t… Patch Halloween was especially important to the spread mechanism. On 31 October 2004 [patch.com]patch.comtinley park lights still a southland mysteryTinley Park Lights' Still A Southland Mystery9 Jun 2011 — Tinley Park Patch interviewed local eyewitnesses and experts about this phenom…, residents across several suburbs were already outside accompanying trick-or-treaters. That meant large numbers of people were looking around neighbourhood streets at roughly the same time. Chicago Magazine later described “entire blocks of trick-or-treaters gaping up at the sky”. [Chicago Magazine]chicagomag.comChicago MagazineDo You Believe? – Chicago MagazineCreepy detail: One witness said that some buildings had been lit up with spotlights ori…
This matters because UFO clusters often depend on synchronised observation. The more witnesses there are in a visible public space, the faster a sighting acquires legitimacy. A resident who might privately dismiss strange lights may react differently after hearing neighbours say they also saw a triangular formation. The suburban layout of south-west Chicago helped this process because witnesses could easily compare what they saw across nearby communities separated by only a few miles. [Blaze TV]blaze.tvThe 'Tinley Park Lights' Halloween UFO encounterOne of the 77 described the sighting as: 'Three horizontal equally spaced red lights in t…
The repeated timing of the sightings also strengthened the sense of a pattern. Reports appeared in August 2004, October 2004, October 2005, and again in 2006. Repetition encouraged residents to interpret new lights through the memory of earlier events. By the mid-2000s, the phrase “Tinley Park Lights” already existed locally, giving later sightings a ready-made narrative framework. [Enigmatic Ideas]enigmaticideas.comEnigmatic Ideas Revisiting the Tinley Park LightsRevisiting the Tinley Park Lights - Enigmatic Ideas27 Feb 2026 — Witnesses across Tinley Park and neighboring towns reported three red li…
How media attention and databases shape a cluster
Suburban UFO clusters spread much further once local media and reporting databases become involved. Tinley Park is a strong example because the sightings moved rapidly from eyewitness conversations into NUFORC reports, television coverage, newspaper articles, and online discussion boards. NUFORC [Chicago Magazine]chicagomag.comChicago MagazineDo You Believe? – Chicago MagazineCreepy detail: One witness said that some buildings had been lit up with spotlights ori…
NUFORC, the National UFO Reporting Center, gave scattered witness experiences a visible archive. Once residents could read reports matching their own observations, the sightings appeared more credible and coherent. Multiple entries described similar red lights changing between triangular and linear formations, often hovering silently before fading away. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 38901Occurred: 2004-08-21 23:00 Local; Reported: 2004-08-26 11:42 Pacific; Duration: 30 MINUTES; No of obser… [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORC UFO Sighting 403242 Nov 2004 — The triangular formation of red lights witnessed on Aug.21st in Tinley Park, IL reappeared on Oct… [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORC UFO Sighting 39833Three red lights seen hovering and moving. My wife and I, who live near the Tinley Park Post Office at 171st Str…
This feedback loop matters. Public databases can preserve genuine evidence, but they can also encourage later witnesses to describe events using already familiar language. Once “three red lights in a triangle” became the dominant description, subsequent reports often repeated the same framing. That does not necessarily mean witnesses were dishonest; it means human memory and interpretation are influenced by shared narratives.
Television exposure amplified the effect further. The case appeared in documentaries and on programmes such as UFO Hunters. Local witness footage gained a second life online and on cable television, turning a regional suburban incident into a nationally recognised UFO case. [Wikipedia]WikipediaBlack triangle (UFOBlack triangle (UFO [Patch]patch.comtinley park lights still a southland mysteryTinley Park Lights' Still A Southland Mystery9 Jun 2011 — Tinley Park Patch interviewed local eyewitnesses and experts about this phenom…
Importantly, media attention also encouraged sceptical investigation. As the sightings spread, proposed explanations multiplied: aircraft formations, military exercises, balloons, flares, lanterns, and perspective distortions all entered the debate. The more famous the case became, the more investigators attempted to recreate or debunk the lights. Patch [Beardy History]beardyhistory.comufo sightings investigated by tony mcmahonBeardy HistoryUFO hotspots, sightings, and triangles21 Jan 2024 — Essentially claiming that this UFO was in fact state-of-the-art militar…
That tension between reinforcement and scrutiny is central to understanding Illinois suburban UFO clusters. Publicity can make weak sightings stronger socially while simultaneously exposing them to more criticism and technical analysis.
Why formation lights can look more connected than they are
One reason suburban red-light clusters spread so effectively is that separate lights can appear psychologically connected, especially at night. Witnesses often reported seeing triangular craft rather than three independent points of light. Yet video footage usually showed bright red lights against a dark sky without a clearly visible solid object between them. [Wikipedia]WikipediaList of reported UFO sightings in the United StatesA triangular formation of reddish lights were seen at low to intermediate altitude…
Human perception naturally links nearby lights into geometric patterns. In suburban skies with little visible reference detail, three hovering lights can easily appear attached to a single structure. Small changes in spacing may then seem like deliberate manoeuvres. Witnesses in Tinley Park frequently described formations shifting from triangles into straight lines or angled patterns. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 40379NUFORC UFO Sighting 40379 · Occurred: 2004-10-31 20:30 Local · Reported: 2004-11-01 14:09 Pacific · Durati… [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORC UFO Sighting 51995Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides no contact information. Sightings over Tinley Park occurred…
Atmospheric conditions may also have contributed. One NUFORC witness specifically described a “damp and hazy night”. Haze can soften light edges, obscure altitude, and make stationary lights appear larger or stranger than they are. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 38901Occurred: 2004-08-21 23:00 Local; Reported: 2004-08-26 11:42 Pacific; Duration: 30 MINUTES; No of obser…
Busy suburban airspace complicated matters further. The south Chicago suburbs lie beneath heavily travelled aviation corridors connected to Midway and O’Hare airports. Witnesses often compared the lights with visible aircraft nearby, concluding the red formations behaved differently. However, night-time judging of altitude, distance, and speed is notoriously unreliable, especially when observers lack stable reference points. [Sentient Orbs]sentientorbs.comSentient Orbs Tinley Pk Red lightsSentient OrbsTinley Pk Red lights - have video - Sentient OrbsThree red lights in triangle formation, low altitute, moving very slowly, n…
Researchers and sceptics have repeatedly pointed out that groups of flares, lanterns, or balloons can appear coordinated from a distance even when they are drifting independently. Because the lights were usually seen at night, with no confirmed radar evidence released publicly, interpretation depended heavily on witness perception and video quality. [Beardy History]beardyhistory.comufo sightings investigated by tony mcmahonBeardy HistoryUFO hotspots, sightings, and triangles21 Jan 2024 — Essentially claiming that this UFO was in fact state-of-the-art militar…
This helps explain why the Tinley Park cluster remained unresolved rather than conclusively solved or confirmed. The reports were numerous and sincere enough to sustain interest, but the available evidence never fully established whether observers were watching a single structured object, multiple unrelated lights, or a combination of ordinary aerial sources interpreted collectively.
Why Illinois suburbs produced stronger clusters than isolated rural sightings
Illinois has many rural UFO stories, but suburban red-light clusters spread differently because suburbs create denser witness networks. In a rural setting, unusual lights may be seen by only a handful of people separated by miles. In suburbs, dozens of households can observe the same sky simultaneously and share reactions instantly.
Tinley Park and nearby communities also sat at the intersection of several reinforcing factors:
- Large populations with open residential sightlines.
- Constant evening traffic and outdoor activity.
- Heavy local news coverage in the Chicago media market.
- Early consumer camcorder use during the mid-2000s.
- Existing UFO interest groups such as Illinois MUFON.
- Easy circulation of stories through internet forums and television. Patch [Chicago Magazine]chicagomag.comChicago MagazineDo You Believe? – Chicago MagazineCreepy detail: One witness said that some buildings had been lit up with spotlights ori… Patch Once the area acquired a reputation as a [patch.com]patch.comtinley park lights still a southland mysteryTinley Park Lights' Still A Southland Mystery9 Jun 2011 — Tinley Park Patch interviewed local eyewitnesses and experts about this phenom…“UFO hotspot”, later reports became easier to spread. Residents already expected unusual lights to be meaningful. Patch later described Tinley Park as having developed a reputation as a “UFO magnet”, showing how a local identity can form around repeated sightings. [Patch]patch.comtinley park lights still a southland mystery 2UFO Hunters: "Invasion Illinois." Second Sighting that Halloween. Yet, the sightings weren't over. About two months later on Halloween ni…
That reputation can increase reporting rates even if the underlying number of ambiguous lights remains unchanged. People who know about earlier sightings are more likely to notice, record, and report later ones.
What the Tinley Park pattern really demonstrates
The suburban Illinois red-light clusters are important less because they prove extraordinary craft and more because they reveal how UFO waves form socially. Tinley Park became famous through a combination of genuine witness experiences, suburban visibility, repeated timing, and rapid information sharing. [Pollstar News]news.pollstar.comufo in tinley parkPollstar NewsUFO In Tinley Park21 Nov 2008 — As the fans were caught up in a traffic jam, three lights in a triangular pattern hovered ab… [Patch]patch.comufo expert tinley parks 2004 sightings they were not hoaxPatchUFO Expert On Tinley Park's 2004 Sightings: They Were…23 Sept 2019 — An Illinois UFO expert explains the Navy's announcement abou…
The evidence does show that many people across several suburbs observed unusual red lights on multiple nights. Videos and reports confirm that something visible and attention-grabbing occurred. NUFORC [Blaze TV]blaze.tvThe 'Tinley Park Lights' Halloween UFO encounterOne of the 77 described the sighting as: 'Three horizontal equally spaced red lights in t…
What the evidence does not show conclusively is that witnesses observed a single massive structured craft. The leap from “multiple red lights” to “one enormous triangular UFO” depended heavily on interpretation, memory, and group reinforcement. That uncertainty is exactly why the case still occupies a middle ground in Illinois UFO history: too widespread to dismiss casually, but too ambiguous to settle definitively.
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Endnotes
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=38901Source snippet
NUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 38901Occurred: 2004-08-21 23:00 Local; Reported: 2004-08-26 11:42 Pacific; Duration: 30 MINUTES; No of obser...
Published: August 21, 2004
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Source: patch.com
Title: tinley park lights still a southland mystery
Link: https://patch.com/illinois/tinleypark/tinley-park-lights-still-a-southland-mysterySource snippet
'Tinley Park Lights' Still A Southland Mystery9 Jun 2011 — Tinley Park Patch interviewed local eyewitnesses and experts about this phenom...
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Source: blaze.tv
Link: https://www.blaze.tv/series/tinley-park-lights-halloween-ufo-encounterSource snippet
The 'Tinley Park Lights' Halloween UFO encounterOne of the 77 described the sighting as: 'Three horizontal equally spaced red lights in t...
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Source: news.pollstar.com
Title: ufo in tinley park
Link: https://news.pollstar.com/2008/11/21/ufo-in-tinley-park/Source snippet
Pollstar NewsUFO In Tinley Park21 Nov 2008 — As the fans were caught up in a traffic jam, three lights in a triangular pattern hovered ab...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=40324Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 403242 Nov 2004 — The triangular formation of red lights witnessed on Aug.21st in Tinley Park, IL reappeared on Oct...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Black triangle (UFO)
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_triangle_%28UFO%29 -
Source: patch.com
Title: tinley park lights still a southland mystery 2
Link: https://patch.com/illinois/orlandpark/tinley-park-lights-still-a-southland-mystery-2Source snippet
UFO Hunters: "Invasion Illinois." Second Sighting that Halloween. Yet, the sightings weren't over. About two months later on Halloween ni...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=39833Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 39833Three red lights seen hovering and moving. My wife and I, who live near the Tinley Park Post Office at 171st Str...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=40379Source snippet
NUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 40379NUFORC UFO Sighting 40379 · Occurred: 2004-10-31 20:30 Local · Reported: 2004-11-01 14:09 Pacific · Durati...
Published: October 31, 2004
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Source: patch.com
Title: ufo expert [tinley parks]({{ ‘tinley-park/’ | relative_url }}) 2004 sightings they were not hoax
Link: https://patch.com/illinois/tinleypark/ufo-expert-tinley-parks-2004-sightings-they-were-not-hoaxSource snippet
PatchUFO Expert On Tinley Park's 2004 Sightings: They Were...23 Sept 2019 — An Illinois UFO expert explains the Navy's announcement abou...
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Source: Wikipedia
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reported_UFO_sightings_in_the_United_StatesSource snippet
List of reported UFO sightings in the United StatesA triangular formation of reddish lights were seen at low to intermediate altitude...
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Source: patch.com
Title: theyre baaaack did you see ufos on the fourth of july
Link: https://patch.com/illinois/tinleypark/theyre-baaaack-did-you-see-ufos-on-the-fourth-of-julySource snippet
PatchThey're Baaaack! Did You See UFOs on the Fourth of July?8 Jul 2013 — Some people in Tinley Park and around the south suburbs say the...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=51995Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 51995Witness elects to remain totally anonymous; provides no contact information. Sightings over Tinley Park occurred...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: List of reported UFO sightings
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reported_UFO_sightingsSource snippet
List of reported UFO sightings"Lights in sky over Tinley Park have UFO believers looking up". ABC7. Archived from the original on 17 F...
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Source: patch.com
Title: navy confirms ufos could tinley park lights be real
Link: https://patch.com/illinois/tinleypark/navy-confirms-ufos-could-tinley-park-lights-be-realSource snippet
Navy Confirms UFOs: Could The Tinley Park Lights Be Real?20 Sept 2019 — The US Navy confirmed this week that the strange objects pilots c...
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Source: chicagomag.com
Link: https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/march-2007/do-you-believe/Source snippet
Chicago MagazineDo You Believe? – Chicago MagazineCreepy detail: One witness said that some buildings had been lit up with spotlights ori...
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Source: enigmaticideas.com
Title: Enigmatic Ideas Revisiting the Tinley Park Lights
Link: https://enigmaticideas.com/revisiting-the-tinley-park-lights/Source snippet
Revisiting the Tinley Park Lights - Enigmatic Ideas27 Feb 2026 — Witnesses across Tinley Park and neighboring towns reported three red li...
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Source: beardyhistory.com
Title: ufo sightings investigated by tony mcmahon
Link: https://beardyhistory.com/2024/01/21/ufo-sightings-investigated-by-tony-mcmahon/Source snippet
Beardy HistoryUFO hotspots, sightings, and triangles21 Jan 2024 — Essentially claiming that this UFO was in fact state-of-the-art militar...
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Source: sentientorbs.com
Title: Sentient Orbs Tinley Pk Red lights
Link: https://sentientorbs.com/explore/sightings/NUFORC-40361Source snippet
Sentient OrbsTinley Pk Red lights - have video - Sentient OrbsThree red lights in triangle formation, low altitute, moving very slowly, n...
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Source: sentientorbs.com
Title: NUFORC 38790
Link: https://sentientorbs.com/explore/sightings/NUFORC-38790Source snippet
Four bright white lights in a row, descended sharply and...21 Aug 2004 — Four bright white lights in a row, descended sharply and dimini...
Additional References
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/TinleyParkPatch/posts/ufo-sightings-tinley-park-has-been-a-hotbed-for-ufo-sightings-over-the-past-deca/1551764598169511/Source snippet
UFO SIGHTINGS: Tinley Park has been a hotbed...Has anybody seen that strange smoke like light in the sky tonight in the east direction o...
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Source: medium.com
Title: do aliens only work weekdays crunching the numbers on ufo sightings c523a326ade7
Link: https://medium.com/%40Azzville/do-aliens-only-work-weekdays-crunching-the-numbers-on-ufo-sightings-c523a326ade7Source snippet
Do Aliens Only Work Weekdays? Crunching the Numbers...The 2004 incidents have been dubbed the “Tinley Park Lights” and feature in numero...
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Source: edition.pagesuite.com
Link: https://edition.pagesuite.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=fc9a4a63-bf51-4595-bcdf-5ffb9e990e28Source snippet
The phenomenon was the subject of an episode of the History Channel show “UFO Hunters,”...Read more...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/gcqqq/guys_i_just_debunked_the_aug_21_2004_tinley_park/Source snippet
Guys, I just debunked the Aug 21, 2004 Tinley Park, IL UFO...Please note that I'm a complete believer in UFO's, but I live in Tinley Park...
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Source: theclio.com
Title: First Sighting of the Tinley Park Lights
Link: https://theclio.com/entry/141743Source snippet
ClioA strange phenomenon where Illinois residents widely reported witnessing unexplained lights in the sky during the early 2000s.Read more...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/HighStrangeness/comments/yykok6/calling_all_people_who_have_witnessed_a_black/Source snippet
red. I saw i flying literally right above a house and was...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01GT4oK4feUSource snippet
cross suburban Chicago. For years, one question has lingered...
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Source: animated-character-database.fandom.com
Title: Black Triangles (UFO)
Link: https://animated-character-database.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Triangles_%28UFO%29Source snippet
Three red lights hovered in a triangular formation were seen by multiple witnesses in Tinley Park and Oak Forest, Illinois, on...Read more...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Did Illinois Police Officers Really Chase Down A UFO? | Unsolved Mysteries
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixqNeQum-IwSource snippet
Police Confirmed UFO Sighting | National Geographic...
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Source: yahoo.com
Title: Chicago Tribune
Link: https://www.yahoo.com/news/vintage-chicago-tribune-close-encounters-190000190.htmlSource snippet
'Close encounters' with UFOs in Illinois!!!!!12 May 2022 — Multiple sightings of three red or white lights in a triangular pattern were r...
Published: May 2022
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