Unidentified flying object

See also: Extraterrestrial intelligence

Unidentified flying objects, commonly called UFOs or U.F.O.s, are any aerial phenomena that cannot be identified. IFOs, UFOs that have subsequently been identified, can be aircraft, birds, heavenly bodies, and other everyday objects; they can also be errors produced internally to a radar, electro-optical, or other sensor. Since first coming to the world's attention in 1947, they have been conflated by many in cultures throughout the world with so-called "flying saucers" or other vehicles that might be directed by extraterrestrial intelligences either from other planets in this Solar System or from other stars. There is, however, a distinct difference between unidentified aerial objects and these theoretical constructs. All mainstream investigators and scientists readily concede that the cause of some aerial sightings remain unidentified even after the most intense examination. Most, or perhaps close to all of them, however reject the notion that there is any concrete evidence that Earth is being, or has been, visited by creatures from other worlds.

UFO Classification

UFO sightings are classified according to shape, type, and distance from the observer. Some sightings are classified based on interaction with the environment or possible entities. Some of these classifications, however, specifically assume not only an object that could not be explained, but also indications of a nonhuman intelligence, either extraterrestrial or terrestrial but paranormal. These, of course, are entirely speculative.

Hynek's Classification

Dr. J. Allen Hynek was the chairman of astronomy at Northwestern University and offered technical assistance for the United States Air Force Project Bluebbok. He was a UFO skeptic but went onto to believe in the UFO phenomena. He later founded the Center for UFO Studies in Chicago, Illinois.

• Nocturnal Disks: Objects seen in the night sky. This is the most commonly reported UFO sighting.
• Daylight Disks: UFOs that could be seen flying high in the sky or close to the ground. Oval or round disks are commonly seen with this type of UFO sighting.
• Radar Visual: UFOs that are seen on radar screens while also being visually confirmed by eyewitnesses on the ground.
• Close Encounter of the First Kind: UFOs that are seen within 200 yards of the witness. There is no interaction between the witness and the UFO.
• Close Encounter of the Second Kind: Electrical equipment such as a car ignition may operate strangely. Other electrical equipment may malfunction while the UFO is present. Other forms of interaction may include physical effects to plants, animals or human beings. There could be traces of burned grass for example in a Close Encounter of the Second Kind.
• Close Encounter of the Third Kind: Seeing humanoid like creatures associated with the UFO. There is usually no interaction between the human witness and the humanoid. In some reports there have been interactions reported between the UFO witness and the humanoids.
• Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind: Interaction between the UFO witness and abduction by humanoid entities.

Jacques Vallée's UFO Classification

Jacques F. Vallee is an astronomer who was born in France. He received a B.S. in mathematics at the Sorbonne and an M.S. in astrophysics at Lille University. He later received a doctorate in computer science at Northwestern University.Vallée co-developed the first computerized mapping of Mars for NASA and helped create ARPANET the forerunner of the Internet. Vallée was mentored by Hynek and they both studied the UFO phenomena for many years.

• AN1: Viewing anomalous lights or explosions in the sky that do not affect the witness or the environment.
• AN2: Reports that show lasting effects such as flattened grass, poltergeist activity or anomalous photographs.
• AN3: Cases that include entities. This could include ghosts, yetis (Abominable Snowman), elves, spirits and crytozoology.
• AN4: The witness reports interaction with the entities within the reality of the entities themselves. This type of experience could include Near Death Experiences, religious visions and out-of-body experiences (OBEs).
• MA1: A UFO that drops, maneuvers, loops.
• MA2: A UFO that includes a physical interaction with the environment while performing drops, maneuvers or loops. An example of this would be seeing a UFO near a power plant.
• MA3: Witnessing entities on board a UFO while performing the above mentioned maneuvers.
• MA4: The UFO witness observes the listed actions and goes through a transformational experience during the event.
• MA5: The UFO witness suffers serious or injury as a result of seeing a UFO in the sky.

UFO shapes

UFOs have been reported in varying shapes and colors. According to the National UFO Reporting Center statistics, 12,023 lights were reported, 6,020 triangles were reported, 5,181 circles and 4,784 disks were reported as of July 2010. The following statistics will change based on what's reported to the National UFO Reporting Center.

UFO groups

There are two major and well known UFO groups in the United States. They are the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) founded by J. Allen Hynek, who was the chairman of astronomy at Northwestern University; and the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) lead by Allen Utke, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Wisconsin State University. Hynek was originally a skeptic but later changed his mind about UFOs during his research with Project Bluebook. . CUFOS collects UFO reports, maintains a UFO research library, and offers two publications concerning the UFO phenomena. One of the publications is a scholarly review and is called the Journal of UFO Studies. Hynek appointed Dr. Mark Rodeghier to head CUFOS. MUFON collects UFO reports, sponsors a yearly UFO symposium and offers a monthly journal called The MUFON UFO Journal. MUFON has written and published a recognized UFO investigation manual. MUFON field investigators are required to study the MUFON Field Investigator's Manual and pass a test before they can investigate UFO reports.

Skeptics

• Carl Sagan: Sagan thought scientists should study the UFO phenomena and some interest in the subject. In fact, Sagan had several conversations with Vallee concerning UFOs. He thought the chances of an extraterrestrial visitation as extremely small.

Sagan also believed in the Drake Equation, which argues for extraterrestrial intelligence, and the Fermi Paradox.

History

Since the advent of aviation, there have been both instrumental and visual detections of things that could not be explained at the time. When the AN/ FPS-50 Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) radar went into service in 1960, it soon reported a massive Soviet missile attack on the U.S., which proved to be due to unexpected reflections of the radar beam from the Moon. There are also many misidentifications, such as the interpretation of the radar detection of the incoming Japanese force at the Battle of Pearl Harbor as incoming friendly B-17 bombers.

UFOs also became popularly known as flying saucers after Associated Press reporter Bill Bequette that the objects behaved like a rock or saucer. This was in reference to airplane pilot Kenneth Arnold's 1947 UFO sighting. A headline writer coined the term Flying Saucer and the name stuck. The objects Arnold reported were crescent, not saucer, shaped but the name Flying Saucer was used to describe them. According to the Mutual UFO Network, there is conflict about both the UFO and flying saucer terms.

(U.S. Air Force) Capt. Edward J. Ruppelt says unequivocally that "UFO is the official term that I created to replace the words 'flying saucers'" . Presumably, this would have been sometime between 1951, when Ruppelt took over Project Grudge, later renamed Blue Book, and September of 1953, when he left the agency and the Air Force. Elsewhere in the same book, however, Ruppelt says of Project Grudge's final 600-page report, released in December of 1949, that it was "officially titled 'Unidentified Flying Objects - Project Grudge, Technical Report No. 102-AC-49/15-100. But it was widely referred to as the Grudge Report." This would mean that some long forgotten anonymous Air Force staffer coined the phrase at least two years before Ruppelt did. But perhaps Ruppelt is only claiming credit for the coinage of the acronym itself? "

Arnold self-published reports of the incident, which have been called hysteria by an affiliate of the Skeptical Inquirer.

Government investigation

After the Second World War, the U.S. and other government investigated reports.

Central Intelligence Agency

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) documents indicate that the agency monitoried the unidentified flying object (UFO) situation starting in 1952. Air Force specialists met, in 1967, with Art Lundahl, the dean of photographic interpretation.

Early CIA interest

Although it had monitored UFO reports for at least three years, CIA reacted to the new rash of sightings, in 1952, by forming a special study group within the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) and the Office of Current Intelligence (OCI) to review the situation. Edward Tauss, acting chief of OSI's Weapons and Equipment Division, reported for the group that most UFO sightings could be easily explained. Nevertheless, he recommended that the Agency continue monitoring the problem, in coordination with the Air Force Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). He also urged that CIA conceal its interest from the media and the public, "in view of their probable alarmist tendencies" to accept such interest as confirming the existence of UFOs.

Upon receiving the report, Deputy Director for Intelligence (DDI) Robert Amory, Jr. assigned responsibility for the UFO investigations to OSI's Physics and Electronics Division, with A. Ray Gordon as the officer in charge. Each branch in the division was to contribute to the investigation, and Gordon was to coordinate closely with ATIC. Amory, who asked the group to focus on the national security implications of UFOs, was relaying DCI Walter Bedell Smith's concerns. Smith wanted to know whether or not the Air Force investigation of flying saucers was sufficiently objective and how much more money and manpower would be necessary to determine the cause of the small percentage of unexplained flying saucers. Smith believed "there was only one chance in 10,000 that the phenomenon posed a threat to the security of the country, but even that chance could not be taken." According to Smith, it was CIA's responsibility by statute to coordinate the intelligence effort required to solve the problem. Smith also wanted to know what use could be made of the UFO phenomenon in connection with US psychological warfare efforts.

Lundahl meets with Air Force contract team

In 1967, the Air Force issued a contract, to the University of Colorado, for the study of unidentified flying objects. BG Edward B. Gillers, USAF, was the contract monitor, Dr. Thomas Rachford was the senior Air Force Scientist on the project, and the principal investigator from the University was Dr. E.U. Condon.

"On 20 February 1967 at 0915 Dr. Condon and four members of his investigative team visited NPIC. With Dr. Condon were Dr. Richard Love, University of Colorado, Dr. David Saunders, University of Colorado, Dr. William Price, Executive Director of APRST, and Dr. Rachford, USAF. The purpose of this visit was to familiarize Dr. Condon and members of his team with selected photogrammetric and photographic analysis capabilities of NPIC. Lundahl met with investigators of UFO reports ."

The meeting was allowed to discuss classified material through the SECRET level. NPIC established ground rules:

"Any work performed by NPIC to assist Dr. Condon in his investigation will not be identified as work accomplished by CIA. Dr. Condon was advised by Mr. Lundahl to make no reference to CIA in regard to this work effort. Dr. Condon stated that if he felt it necessary to obtain an official CIA comment he would make a separate distinct entry into CIA not related to contacts he has with NPIC.

"NPIC will not prepare any written comments, will not analyze information with the intent of drawing a conclusion, nor prepare written reports. NPIC personnel will be available to assist Dr. Condon by performing work of photogrammetric nature, such as attempting to measure objects imaged on photographs that may be part of Dr. Condon's analysis. Work performed by NPIC will be strictly of a technical nature using services and equipment generally not available elsewhere."

In summary, "At about 1235 the group adjourned to lunch and following lunch they left NPIC for a meeting with Brig.Gen Gillers at the Pentagon.

"Most all the discussion during the morning was of an unclassified nature dealing with primary basic fundamentals of photogrammetry, photographic analysis and problems related to the acquiring of enough information to conduct meaningful analyses."

Condon and the same group met again in May 1967 at NPIC to hear an analysis of UFO photographs taken at Zanesville, Ohio. The analysis debunked that sighting. The committee was again impressed with the technical work performed, and Condon remarked that for the first time a scientific analysis of a UFO would stand up to investigation.