Artistic representation of UFOs

Ufology is the study of unidentified flying object (UFO) reports, sightings, alleged physical evidence, and other related phenomena. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (818 × 817 pixel, file size: 484 KB, MIME type: image/png) illustration made by myself. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (818 × 817 pixel, file size: 484 KB, MIME type: image/png) illustration made by myself. ... UFO redirects here. ...

Background and legitimacy

While many ufologists strive for legitimacy, and some are respected scientists in other fields, ufology has never been fully embraced by the scientific community, for a number of reasons. Despite involvement of some respected scientists, the field has seen very little attention from mainstream science.

One cannot obtain a "ufology" degree from any college or university, though there have been a few college or university courses on the subject, often from a folklore perspective. Several Ufologists, such as Thomas J. Carey and Donald R. Schmitt, who investigated the Roswell incident, have dedicated their whole lives to their studies and informing the public on the worldwide UFO cover-up. Some amateur ufologists have been criticised for accepting as true stories or tales without demanding supporting evidence or conducting even cursory research, however, this is often proven false. Other amateur ufologists have conducted solid investigations of UFO cases, but their amateur status had led to them being dismissed by professional scientists and investigators. College (Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an educational institution. ... For the community in Florida, see University, Florida. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Ufologists embrace a wide spectrum of approaches, beliefs, and attitudes, from those regarded by some as quacks (e.g. David Icke); to respected mainstream scientists like Peter A. Sturrock, J. Allen Hynek, Jacques Vallee, James E. McDonald, or Auguste Meessen, some of whom argue that UFO reports are as worthy of study as any topic, and deserve case-by-case analysis using the scientific method. Debunkers (such as Philip Klass or Dr. Donald Menzel) have offered their opinions on UFOs, and though their conclusions have been disputed, they too represent an influential perspective in UFO studies. Look up quack in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... David Icke David Vaughan Icke (pronounced IKE //) (born April 29, 1952 in Leicester, England) is a British writer and public speaker who has devoted himself since 1990 to researching who and what is really controlling the world. ... Peter Andrew Sturrock (born 1924) is an British scientist. ... Josef Allen Hynek (May 1, 1910 - April 27, 1986) was a U.S. astronomer, professor, and ufologist. ... Dr. Allen Hynek (back), and Dr. Jacques Vallee (far right, front) at U.N. General Assembly, 1978. ... Dr. James E. McDonald (May 7, 1920 – June 13, 1971) was an American physicist. ... Case analysis is one of the most general and applicable methods of analytical thinking, depending only on the division of a problem, decision or situation into a sufficient number of separate cases. ... Scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. ... A debunker is a skeptic who pursues dispelling false and unscientific claims. ... This article is about Philip Julian Klass, the UFO researcher. ... Donald Howard Menzel (April 11, 1901 – December 14, 1976) was an American astronomer. ...

However, this classification (sometimes presented as "skeptics" vs. "believers") is something of a false dichotomy, as there are other opinions on the subject: prominent scientist Dr. Carl Sagan was quite skeptical of any extraordinary answer to the UFO question, but in 1969, he co-organised a symposium on the subject, thinking that science had unfairly neglected the UFO question. The logical fallacy of false dilemma, also known as fallacy of the excluded middle, false dichotomy, either/or dilemma or bifurcation, is to set up two alternative points of view as if they were the only options, when they are not. ... Insert non-formatted text here Carl Edward Sagan (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer and astrobiologist and a highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics, and other natural sciences. ... Symposium originally referred to a drinking party (the Greek verb sympotein means to drink together) but has since come to refer to any academic conference, whether or not drinking takes place. ...

Overall, ufology might be seen as an interdisciplinary field, as people have examined UFO reports from a number of perspectives. In her critique of the Condon Report, Diana Palmer Hoyt notes that "The UFO problem seems to bear a closer resemblance to problems in meteorology than in physics. The phenomena are observed, occur episodically, are not reproducible, and in large part, are identified by statistical gathering of data for possible organization into patterns. They are not experiments that can be replicated at will at the laboratory bench under controlled conditions." (see external links below) Interdisciplinary work is that which integrates concepts across different disciplines. ... see Condon Committee ... // Meteorology (from Greek: μετέωρον, meteoron, high in the sky; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... For Wikipedia statistics, see m:Statistics Statistics is the science and practice of developing human knowledge through the use of empirical data expressed in quantitative form. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Along these lines, Peter A. Sturrock suggests that UFO studies should be compartmentalized — as are most scientific endeavors — into at least "the following distinct activities: Peter Andrew Sturrock (born 1924) is an British scientist. ...

1. Field investigations leading to case documentation and the measurement or retrieval of physical evidence;
2. Laboratory analysis of physical evidence;
3. The systematic compilation of data (descriptive and physical) to look for patterns and so extract significant facts;
4. The analysis of compilations of data (descriptive and physical) to look for patterns and so extract significant facts;
5. The development of theories and the evaluation of those theories on the basis of facts."^[1]

Study of UFO sightings has yielded results applicable to other fields, such as in weather phenomena (see Hessdalen) and in human perception, such as the study lead by the SOBEPS for the Belgian flap in 1989-'90 or the studies of the GEPAN/SEPRA in France. Hessdalen is a 15 km long valley in Norway, located approximately 120 kilometres south of Trondheim city and approximately 35 km north of Røros mining town. ... SOBEPS is an acronym for Société Belge dEtude des Phénomènes Spatiaux. ... GEIPAN[1] (sept. ...

Some argue the general rejection of ufology by mainstream science is part of the problem: anyone can declare themselves a "UFO researcher", and completely bypass the sorts of scientific consensus building and peer review that otherwise shape and influence scientific paradigms. This has allowed many to stake out territory and disseminate claims, information and analysis of widely varying rigor and quality. Scientific consensus is the collective judgment, position, and opinion of the community of scientists in a particular field of science at a particular time. ... Peer review (known as refereeing in some academic fields) is a scholarly process used in the publication of manuscripts and in the awarding of funding for research. ... For other uses, see Paradigm (disambiguation). ...

Some ufologists consider the general attitude of mainstream academics as arrogant and dismissive, or bound to a rigid world view that disallows any evidence contrary to previously held notions.^{[citation needed]} Others charge that mainstream rejection of UFO evidence is a classic case of pathological science.^{[citation needed]} Astronomer and ufologist J. Allen Hynek's famous comment regarding this subject is, "Ridicule is not part of the scientific method and people should not be taught that it is."^[2] Another comment by Hynek regarding the frequent dismissal of UFO reports by astronomers was, "Close questioning revealed they knew nothing of the actual sightings, of their frequency or anything much about them, and therefore cannot be taken seriously. This is characteristic of scientists in general when speaking about subjects which are not in their own immediate field of concern."^[3] A world view (or worldview) is a term calqued from the German word Weltanschauung (pronounced ) Welt is the German word for world, and Anschauung is the German word for view or outlook. It implies a concept fundamental to German philosophy and epistemology and refers to a wide world perception. ... Irving Langmuir coined the phrase pathological science in a talk in 1953 Pathological science is the process in science in which people are tricked into false results . ... Josef Allen Hynek (May 1, 1910 - April 27, 1986) was a U.S. astronomer, professor, and ufologist. ... Scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. ...

UFO categorization

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Unidentified_flying_object. (Discuss)

Some researchers recommend that observations be classified according to the features of the phenomenon or object that are reported or recorded. Typical categories include: Image File history File links Merge-arrow. ... UFO redirects here. ...

• Saucer, toy-top, or disk-shaped “craft” without visible or audible propulsion. (day and night)
• Rapidly-moving lights or lights with apparent ability to rapidly change direction and then suddenly stop, impossible for conventional aircraft.
• Large triangular “craft” or triangular light pattern
• Cigar-shaped “craft” with lighted windows (Meteor fireballs are sometimes reported this way).
• Other: chevrons, equilateral triangles, spheres, domes, diamonds, shapeless black masses, eggs, and cylinders.

This article is about UFOs: for other uses see the disambiguation page Black triangle. ...

Hynek system

J. Allen Hynek developed another commonly used system of description, dividing sightings into six categories. It first separates sightings into distant- and close-encounter categories, arbitrarily setting 500 feet as the cutoff point. It then subdivides these close and distant categories based on appearance or special features. The three distant-encounter categories are: Josef Allen Hynek (May 1, 1910 - April 27, 1986) was a U.S. astronomer, professor, and ufologist. ...

• Nocturnal Lights (NL): Anomalous lights seen in the night sky.
• Daylight Discs (DD): Any anomalous object, generally but not necessarily “discoidal”, seen in the distant daytime sky.
• Radar/Visual cases (RV). Objects seen simultaneously by eye and on radar.

Subgroups of the distant category of sightings correlate with evidentiary value. RV cases are usually considered to have the highest value because of radar corroboration, whereas NL cases have the lowest because it is so easy to mistake lights seen at night for prosaic phenomena such as meteors, bright stars, or aircraft. RV reports are also fewest in number, while NL are most common.

Hynek also defined three “close encounter” (CE) subcategories: Close encounter in ufology is an event where a person witnesses an unidentified flying object. ...

• CE1: Strange objects seen nearby but without physical interaction with the environment.
• CE2: A CE1 case that leaves physical evidence (e.g. soil depressions, vegetation damage) or causes electromagnetic interference (see below).
• CE3: CE1 or CE2 cases where “occupants” or entities are seen. (Hence the title of Steven Spielberg’s movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.)

From UFO Casebook: Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) is electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by electrical circuits carrying rapidly changing signals, as a by-product of their normal operation, and which causes unwanted signals (interference or noise) to be induced in other circuits. ... Steven Allan Spielberg (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director and producer. ... This article is about the film; for the a definition of the UFO related phenomenon, see Close encounter. ...

• CE4+: aliens communicate with the observer, even abduct, experiment on the observers, others. UFO Casebook lists additional categories, in which the UFO and/or alien is captured/destroyed by military forces and/or civilians.

Like the RV cases, CE cases are considered higher in evidentiary value because they include measurable physical effects, and because objects seen up close are less likely to be the result of misperception. Like the RV cases, these tend to be relatively rare.

Hynek’s CE classification system has since been expanded to include such things as alleged alien abductions and cattle mutilation phenomena. 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. ... Cattle mutilation (also known as bovine excision[1]) is the killing and then mutilation of cattle, under unusual or anomalous circumstances. ...

Vallee system

Jacques Vallee has devised a UFO classification system which is preferred by many UFO investigators over Hynek’s system as it is considerably more descriptive than Hynek’s, especially in terms of the reported behavior of UFOs. Dr. Allen Hynek (back), and Dr. Jacques Vallee (far right, front) at U.N. General Assembly, 1978. ...

Type - I (a, b,c, d)- Observation of an unusual object, spherical discoidal, or of another geometry, on or situated close to the ground (tree height, or lower), which may be associated with traces - thermal, luminous, or mechanical effects. Calabi-Yau manifold Geometry (Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth, metria = measure) is a part of mathematics concerned with questions of size, shape, and relative position of figures and with properties of space. ...

• a - On or near ground.
• b - Near or over body of water.
• c - Occupants appear to display interest in witnesses by gestures or luminous signals.
• d - Object appears to be “scouting” a terrestrial vehicle.

Type - II (a, b,c) - Observation of an unusual object with vertical cylindrical formation in the sky, associated with a diffuse cloud. This phenomenon has been given various names such as “cloud-cigar” or “cloud-sphere.”

• a - Moving erratically through the sky
• b - Object is stationary and gives rise to secondary objects (sometimes referred to as “satellite objects”)
• c - Object is surrounded by secondary objects

Type - III (a, b,c, d,e)- Observation of an unusual object of spherical, discoidal or elliptical shape, stationary in the sky.

• a - Hovering between two periods of motion with “falling-leaf” descent, up and down, or pendulum motion
• b - Interruption of continuous flight to hover and then continue motion
• c - Alters appearance while hovering - e.g., change of luminosity, generation of secondary object, etc.
• d - “Dogfights” or swarming among several objects
• e - Trajectory abruptly altered during continuous flight to fly slowly above a certain area, circle, or suddenly change course

Type IV (a, b,c, d) - Observation of an unusual object in continuous flight. For other uses, see Pendulum (disambiguation). ... This article is about the aerial combat maneuver. ...

• a - Continuous flight
• b - Trajectory affected by nearby conventional aircraft
• c - Formation flight
• d - Wavy or zig-zag trajectory

Type V (a, b,c)- Observation of an unusual object of indistinct appearance, i.e., appearing to be not fully material or solid in structure.

• a - Extended apparent diameter, non-point source luminous objects (“fuzzy”)
• b - Starlike objects (point source), motionless for extended periods
• c - Starlike objects rapidly crossing the sky, possibly with peculiar trajectories ^[4]

Look up point source in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Funding issues

Astrophysicist Peter A. Sturrock suggests that a lack of funding is a major factor in the institutional disinterest in UFO’s: "If the Air Force were to make available, say, $50 million per year for ten years for UFO research, it is quite likely that the subject would look somewhat less disreputable ... however, an agency is unlikely to initiate such a program at any level until scientists are supportive of such an initiative. We see that there is a chicken-and-egg program. It would be more sensible, and more acceptable to the scientific community, if research began at a low level." ^[5] Peter Andrew Sturrock (born 1924) is an British scientist. ... Seal of the Air Force. ...

Hypotheses involving the objective existence of UFOs

These hypotheses speculate that the phenomena derives wholly or in part from a phenomenon, rather than the mind of the observer.

The extraterrestrial hypothesis

The extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH) theorizes that some UFO sightings are alien spacecraft. A photograph taken in Passoria, New Jersey, on July 31 1952 The Extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH) is the hypothesis that UFOs are best explained as being creatures from other planets occupying physical spacecraft visiting Earth. ... “Green people” redirects here. ... The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ...

The staging hypothesis

• A sub-set of the ETH, the Staging Hypothesis, prevalent up until the 1980s, speculated that extraterrestrials have "stage-managed" encounters as a deliberate policy to "educate" humanity. This theory has fallen out of favor, as its proponents then moved on to even less literal-minded interpretations.^{[citation needed]}

The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ...

The hostility hypothesis

• Wilhelm Reich and Jerome Eden have the hypothesis that UFOs - or at least some of them - or the beings traveling in the UFOs - are hostile. They claim that the waste product of the UFO engines is what they call "Deadly Orgone" (DOR) which ruins the atmosphere, dries it out, and is one, if not the most important cause of the development of deserts. They found this during their operations with the Cloudbuster.

See Wilhelm Reich#Orgone accumulators and cloudbusters. Wilhelm Reich (March 24, 1897 – November 3, 1957) was an Austrian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. ... For the record label, see Orgone Recordings. ... This article is about arid terrain. ... Wilhelm Reich (March 24, 1897 – November 3, 1957) was an Austrian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. ...

Eden, just like several other researchers, attributes the Cattle mutilations, cases such as Snippy the horse, to aliens, and claims that these beings abduct persons, manipulate their feelings and thoughts, cause military aircraft to crash or disappear, but they do not make open contact to government or military. That they even try to "educate" mankind in the way that the human beings develop a spiritual attitude towards aliens and UFOs, hoping that the aliens arrive as the saviors for the big problems of mankind and earth, when, in fact, their agenda involves exploiting Earth's natural resources and destroying its water and atmosphere. Cattle mutilation (also known as bovine excision[1]) is the killing and then mutilation of cattle, under unusual or anomalous circumstances. ...

The advanced human aircraft hypothesis

This is a theory that all or some UFO sightings are advanced, secret or experimental aircraft of earthly origin.

• During the 1980s, there were reports of "black triangle" UFOs. Some of these were the secret F-117 Nighthawk, which became known to the public in November 1988.
• Nazi Germany is known to have experimented with circular jet planes using the Coanda effect. At least one of the scientists involved was taken to the USA after WWII. Experiments with these designs and their descendants down the years may explain many sightings of circular UFO's. See Military flying saucers.

There is a theory that the secret groups developing these aircraft in the USA, have been encouraging ufology to follow the "alien spacecraft" line of thought, to cover up for sightings. This article is about UFOs: for other uses see the disambiguation page Black triangle. ... This article is about the stealth fighter. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... The Coanda effect is the tendency of a stream of fluid to stay attached to a convex surface, rather than follow a straight line in its original direction. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The interdimensional hypothesis (a.k.a. "cosmic trickster", "ultraterrestrial" hypothesis)

The Interdimensional Hypothesis has two meanings here. See Interdimensional hypothesis. This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

• That some UFO sightings are alien spacecraft who have come from a parallel dimension or similar, or are human-manufactured craft from the far future.
• The theory, related to the Psychosocial Hypothesis, that angelic, demonic and other supernatural manifestations down the centuries were caused by aliens trying to control human destiny, and that or some UFO sightings are part of this process. (This overlaps considerably with the Staging Hypotheis.)

Parallel universe or alternate reality in science fiction and fantasy is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with our own. ... In ufology, the psychocultural hypothesis, colloquially abbreviated PSH, argues that at least some UFO reports are best explained by psychological or social means. ... This article is about the supernatural being. ... The demon Satan In folklore, mythology, and religion, a demon is a supernatural being that is generally described as an evil spirit, but is also depicted to be good in some instances. ... Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... “Green people” redirects here. ...

Atmosphere beast hypothesis

The theory of Trevor James Constable (a.k.a. Trevor James) speculated that UFO sightings involve the sighting of exotic unknown life otherwise known as Sky Critters, creatures similar or identical to Rods, a theory also held by cryptozoologist Ivan T. Sanderson. Rods, a rather new entry in the field of Cryptozoology, are said to be creatures that flit about in the air at such a high speed as to not be seen by the naked eye. ... Cryptozoology (from Greek: κρυπτός, kryptós, hidden; ζῷον, zôon, animal; and λόγος, logos, knowledge or study – zoology) is the search for animals hypothesized to exist, but for which conclusive proof is missing. ... Ivan Terrance Sanderson (January 30, 1911 – February 19, 1973) was a naturalist and writer born in Edinburgh, Scotland, who later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. ...

Constable also worked with the cloudbuster. However, some have claimed that he does not understand what the DOR ("Deadly Orgone") means. There is the possibility that the infrared photos of the critters in his book are artifacts. Wilhelm Reich (March 24, 1897 – November 3, 1957) was an Austrian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. ...

Aliens as supernatural beings

See Paranormal and Occult Hypotheses About UFOs

There has been a fair amount of crossover between paranormal events and Unidentified Flying Objects. ...

UFOs as perception or illusion

The natural explanation hypothesis

This is a theory that most UFO sightings are misunderstood phenomena such as ball lightning or by a visual illusions. See Identified Flying Objects (IFOs). For other uses, see Ball lightning (disambiguation). ... An optical illusion is any illusion that deceives the human visual system into perceiving something that is not present or incorrectly perceiving what is present. ... An Identified Flying Object, or IFO, is any unusual or puzzling object or optical phenomenon observed in the sky which can be identified as a known or conventional phenomenon after being investigated by qualified persons. ...

Psychosocial hypothesis

This is a theory that some UFO sightings are hallucinations or fantasies and are caused by the same mechanism as various occult, paranormal, supernatural. or religious experiences (compare alleged sightings of the Blessed Virgin Mary). See article, Psychosocial Hypothesis. A hallucination is a sensory perception experienced in the absence of an external stimulus, as distinct from an illusion, which is a misperception of an external stimulus. ... For other uses, see Occult (disambiguation). ... Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Various Religious symbols, including (first row) Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Bahai, (second row) Islamic, tribal, Taoist, Shinto (third row) Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Jain, (fourth row) Ayyavazhi, Triple Goddess, Maltese cross, pre-Christian Slavonic Religion is the adherence to codified beliefs and rituals that generally involve a faith in a spiritual... “Our Lady” redirects here. ... In ufology, the psychocultural hypothesis, colloquially abbreviated PSH, argues that at least some UFO reports are best explained by psychological or social means. ...

The route followed by these misperceptions can be influenced by the environment that the perceiver was brought up in as a child: fairy stories, or one or other religion, or science fiction, etc: for example, one perceiver may see fairies where another sees Greys. A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... by Sophie Anderson For other uses, see Fairy (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see grays (disambiguation). ...

Carl G. Jung, the Swiss analytical psychologist, published a book about UFOs in 1957 (Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies). Jung explained UFOs -- mostly without addressing the question of their existence -- as objects of the collective unconscious and modern archetypes. (In a brief final chapter of his book, however, Jung also expressed his opinion that some UFOs were real "nuts-and-bolts" craft, citing corroborating physical evidence.) Carl Gustav Jung (July 26, 1875 – June 6, 1961) (IPA:) was a Swiss psychiatrist and founder of Analytical Psychology. ...

Groups involved with ufology

• United States Air Force Project Blue Book: Small, public Air Force UFO investigation, from 1952 until discontinued in 1969. Preceded by Project Sign (1947-1948) and Project Grudge (1948-1952).
• Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO) (1952-1988): Early, national U.S. civilian research organization with many PhD consulting scientists.
• National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena (NICAP)(1956-1980), Early, national U.S. civilian research organization, very large and powerful at one time, with many scientists and military consultants.
• Mutual UFO Network (MUFON): Large, international, U.S. based civilian research organization stressing field investigations and data collection. MUFON is the largest civilian UFO research group in the United States today.
• Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS): Founded by Project Blue Book consultant, astronomer and ufologist J. Allen Hynek; stresses scientific investigations; large archives, including old NICAP files.
• Fund for UFO Research: Funds scientific UFO research; many consulting PhD scientists; does photoanalysis.
• Victorian UFO Research Society (VUFORS) Circa 1957: The oldest and largest public UFO group in Australia.
• National Institute of Discovery Science (NIDS): Private, somewhat clandestine organization with insider government scientists and military people stressing scientific forensic analysis of UFO and paranormal phenomena.
• Phenomena Research Australia (PRA): This group has grew out of the Aeronautical Research Laboratory – Melbourne, Victoria c1949.
• Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, (CSICOP), a UFO and paranormal skeptics organization, which classifies ufology as a pseudoscience and claims all UFO reports are ultimately explainable as mundane phenomena or hoaxes. CSICOP is the largest and most prominent group of UFO skeptics and debunkers in the United States.
• UFO-Norge, a Norwegian project dedicated to collect all material on observations and physical traces of UFO activity in Norway.
• Centro Ufologico Nazionale (CUN), big Italian private centre directed by sociologist Dr. Roberto Pinotti, funded in Florence.
• Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici (CISU), big Italian private centre directed by Dr. Edoardo Russo, originated by a branch of CUN, funded in Turin.
• EXO-X ufo research group, by Brazil
• Erich von Däniken's controversial theories (along with Peter Kolosimo), where he combines what he considers historical proof of extraterrestrial visits with a theory on extraterrestrial help in the evolution of humanity.
• UFO Casebook
• SOBEPS: Société Belge d'Etude des Phénomènes Spatiaux(1971-2007). This group gained fame to have investigated the Belgian Wave (see Black triangle incidents).
• Karla Turner
• Malevolent Alien Abduction Research Organization
• Greater UFO Network (GUFON), privately funded organization with subchapters throughout western North America with close ties to numerous retired USAF officers.

NUFORC. National UFO Reporting Center. Large data base of sightings organized by state, date, etc. On-line reporting forms. nuforc.com. “The U.S. Air Force” redirects here. ... Project Blue Book was one of a series of systematic studies of Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) conducted by the United States Air Force. ... Project Sign was an official U.S. government study of unidentified flying objects undertaken by the United States Air Force in late 1947 and dissolved in late 1948. ... Project Grudge was a short-lived project by the U.S. Air Force to investigate Unidentified flying objects. ... The Aerial Phenomena Research Organization was a UFO research group started in 1952 by Jim and Coral Lorenzen. ... The National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena (or NICAP) was a civilian unidentified flying object research group active in the United States from the 1950s to the 1980s. ... The Mutual UFO Network, or MUFON for short, is headquartered in Morisson, Colorado. ... The Center for UFO Studies is an unidentified flying object research group. ... Josef Allen Hynek (May 1, 1910 - April 27, 1986) was a U.S. astronomer, professor, and ufologist. ... The Fund for UFO Research (FUFOR) is a small, Maryland-based, scientifically oriented UFO research group with many Ph. ... The National Institute of Discovery Science (NIDSci) is a small, private, controversial, and somewhat clandestine scientific research group based in Las Vegas. ... Phenomena Research Australia or PRA is one of the oldest and largest UFO and Fortean investigative organizations in Australia that is still in operation. ... The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, or CSICOP, is a U.S. organization founded to encourage the critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific point of view and disseminate factual information about the results of such inquiries to the scientific... Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... A typical 18th century phrenology chart. ... Skepticism (Commonwealth spelling: Scepticism) can mean: Philosophical skepticism - a philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have absolutely true knowledge; or Scientific skepticism - a scientific, or practical... UFO-NORGE, founded in 1972, is a norwegian national UFO research organisation. ... Roberto Pinotti was born in Venice, Italy, in 1944. ... This article is about the city in Italy. ... For other uses, see Turin (disambiguation). ... Erich von Däniken Erich Anton Paul von Däniken (b. ... Cover for Il pianeta sconosciuto (The Unknown Planet), one of Kolosimos most popular international bestsellers. ... “Green people” redirects here. ... SOBEPS is an acronym for Société Belge dEtude des Phénomènes Spatiaux. ... Black triangle may refer to one of the following: A type of UFO-like sighting: see Black triangles. ... Dr. Karla Turner (born 1947) was widely respected in the UFO community for her research on alien abduction. ...

Sources

• Sergey Litsak, Explanatory UFO Dictionary with Equivalents in Russian, English and German. ETS Publishing House and Polyglossum, Inc; ISBN 5-86455-063-9. Dictionary contains 853 articles.
• Roth, Christopher F., "Ufology as Anthropology: Race, Extraterrestrials, and the Occult." In E.T. Culture: Anthropology in Outerspaces, ed. by Debbora Battaglia. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2005.
• Peter A. Sturrock; The UFO Enigma: A New Review of the Physical Evidence; Warner Books, 1999; ISBN 0-446-52565-0
• Jerome Eden; "The Desert Makers", Careywood, Idaho, PPCC, 1981, available from Flatlandbooks.
• Jerome Eden; "Scavengers From Space", Careywood, Idaho, PPCC, 1989, at present time out of print.

See also

• List of ufologists
• Australian ufology
• UFO conspiracy theory
• List of major UFO sightings.
• Robertson Panel: CIA program initiated in 1952.

// Tom Bearden Albert K. Bender Don Berliner, aviation/science author Jerome Clark, UFO historian Richard Dolan, UFO historian Stanton Friedman, nuclear physicist, author-lecturer, ufologist Allen H. Greenfield Steven M. Greer Dr. Richard F. Haines, NASA research scientist specializing in pilot UFO sightings Dr. Bernard Haisch, physicist with an interest... Australian Ufology refers to a historical series of Australian events and or activities pertaining to Government departments, civilian groups or individual Australians, which centre on or around the study of Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) reports, sightings, encounters and other related phenomena, known as Ufology within the Australian context before 1982. ... A UFO conspiracy theory is any one of many often overlapping conspiracy theories which argue that evidence of the reality of unidentified flying objects is being suppressed. ... This is a list of UFO sighting flaps and well-known individual sightings. ... The Robertson Panel was a committee commissioned by the Central Intelligence Agency in 1952 in response to widespread Unidentified Flying Object reports, especially in the Washington DC area. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ...

References

The National Archives building in Washington, DC The United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• UFO Video and News Database
• Diana Palmer Hoyt, "UFOCRITIQUE: UFO's, Social Intelligence and the Condon Committee"; Master's Thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 2000 read it online

This article or section should include material from Virginia Bioinformatics Institute. ...

v • d • e Ufology
Main Areas of Study	Contactees - Crashes - Exopolitics - Exotheology - Extraterrestrials - Locations - Sightings - Topics - Vehicles
Involvement	Culture - Government Personnel - Government Responses - Organizations - Religions - Ufologist