A close encounter in ufology is an event where a person witnesses an unidentified flying object. This terminology and the system of classification behind it was started by astronomer and UFO researcher J. Allen Hynek, and was first suggested in his 1972 book The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry. He introduced the first three kinds of encounters; two more sub-types of close encounters were later added by others, but these additional categories are not universally accepted by UFO researchers.^[1] This article is about the film; for the definition of the UFO related phenomenon, see Close encounter. ... Artistic representation of UFOs Ufology is the study of unidentified flying object (UFO) reports, sightings, alleged physical evidence, and other related phenomena. ... UFO redirects here. ... Josef Allen Hynek (May 1, 1910 - April 27, 1986) was a U.S. astronomer, professor, and ufologist. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sightings more than 500 feet from the witness are classified as "Daylight Discs", "Nocturnal Lights" or "Radar/Visual Reports". Sightings within about 500 feet are subclassified as various types of "close encounter." Hynek and others^[2] argued a claimed close encounter must occur within about 500 ft (160 meters) to reduce or eliminate the possibility of misidentifying conventional aircraft or phenomena.

First kind

A sighting of one or more unidentified flying objects: UFO redirects here. ...

• Flying saucers
• Odd lights
• Aerial objects that are not attributable to human technology

UFO redirects here. ...

Second kind

An observation of a UFO, and associated physical effects from the UFO, including:

• Heat or radiation
• Damage to terrain
• Human paralysis
• Frightened animals
• Interference with engines or TV or radio reception.
• Lost Time: a gap in one's memory associated with a UFO encounter.^[3]

For other uses, see Heat (disambiguation) In physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is energy transferred from one body or system to another due to a difference in temperature. ... For other uses, see Radiation (disambiguation). ... Paralysed redirects here. ... For other uses, see Interference (disambiguation). ...

Third kind

An observation of what Hynek termed "animate beings" in association with a UFO sighting. Hynek deliberately chose the somewhat vague term "animate beings" to describe beings associated with UFOs without making any unfounded assumptions regarding the beings' origins or nature. Hynek did not necessarily regard these beings as "extraterrestrials" or "aliens", and in his 1972 book, he further expressed discomfort with such reports, but felt a scientific obligation to include them, at the very least because they represented a sizable minority of claimed UFO encounters.

Bloecher subtypes

The UFO researcher Ted Bloecher proposed seven subtypes for the close encounters of the third kind in the Hynek's scale. Ted Bloecher (born 1929) is an American ufologist. ...

A: An entity is observed only inside the UFO

B: An entity is observed inside and outside the UFO

C: An entity is observed near to a UFO, but not going in or out.

D: An entity is observed. No UFOs are seen by the observer, but UFO activity has been reported in the area at about the same time

E: An entity is observed. But no UFOs are seen and no UFO activity has been reported in the area at that time

F: No entity or UFOs are observed, but the subject experiences some kind of "intelligent communication"

G: Abduction (same as close encounter of fourth kind)

Subtypes D, E, and F may be unrelated to the UFO phenomenon.^[4]

Fourth kind

A human is abducted by a UFO or its occupants. The Abduction Phenomenon is as umbrella term used to describe a number of kidnap individuals--sometimes called abductees--usually for medical testing or for sexual reproduction procedures. ...

Fifth kind

Named by Steven M. Greer's CSETI group, these purported encounters are joint, bilateral contact events produced through the conscious, voluntary and proactive human-initiated or cooperative communication with Extraterrestrial intelligence. This is very similar to some "contactees" of the 1950s, or Bloecher's subtype F for Third Encounters. Steven Macon Greer (June 28, 1955) is an American physician best known as a claimed contactee. ... Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to understanding Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI). ... Extraterrestrial life refers to forms of life that may exist and originate outside of the planet Earth. ... Contactees are persons who claim to be in regular contact with extraterrestrials. ...

References

Allan Hendry (1950—) is an American astronomer and ufologist. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... It has been suggested that The Crime Club be merged into this article or section. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Abduction phenomenon
• Extraterrestrial life
• Unidentified flying object
• List of UFO sightings

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