Unidentified flying object

An unidentified flying object (UFO) is something seen in the sky that cannot be identified or explained right away. The term was created when the United States Air Force looked into reports of flying saucers and found that people described them in many different ways. UFOs are also called unidentified aerial phenomena or unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). When investigators look into these sightings, most can be explained as known objects or natural happenings, but a few remain mysterious.

People have reported unusual things in the sky since ancient times, but UFOs became well-known after World War II, especially during the Space Age. Governments like the United States with Project Blue Book and the United Kingdom with Project Condign have studied these reports. Some people, called ufologists, believe UFOs might be from outer space or from other places. However, there has not been strong proof to support these ideas.

Scientists and groups that study evidence carefully, like the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, say that UFOs usually have simple explanations, such as natural events, human-made technology, or mistakes in seeing things. Even though some people have turned these ideas into new ways of thinking, experts say the continuing interest in UFOs is similar to old stories and myths that people tell.

Today, the United States government has groups like NASA's UAP independent study team and the Department of Defense All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office that collect and study information about UFOs. These groups work to understand what these mysterious sights might be.

Terminology

In the late 1940s and 1950s, people called mysterious things in the sky "flying saucers" or "flying discs." This name came from a report by Kenneth Arnold. In 1947, a captain named Edward J. Ruppelt created the term "unidentified flying object" or UFO. He thought this name was better because "flying saucer" didn’t fit all the different shapes people saw.

The word UFO became well-known in the 1950s. In the late 1960s, people started using "unidentified aerial phenomenon" or UAP. UAP became more popular in the 21st century because some people didn’t like the idea of UFOs. Sometimes UAP is also called "unidentified anomalous phenomenon." Today, many people think UFOs might be alien spacecraft, but they can also have explanations that don’t involve space.

Identification

Main article: Identification studies of UFOs

Most UFOs, when looked at closely, are usually everyday things or natural events. A big study by the United States Air Force from 1952 to 1955 grouped UFO reports into things like balloons, stars, airplanes, and lights in the sky. Things people often mistake for UFOs include:

• Airplanes (including military, civilian, and special test planes, as well as things like advertising in the sky, missile and rocket launches, satellites, the International Space Station, returning spacecraft, space junk, kites, and unmanned flying machines often called "drones")
• Objects in space (bright stars, burning pieces of space rocks called bolides, bright planets, and the Moon)
• Balloons (balloons used for watching things, toy balloons, weather balloons, big science balloons, and floating lanterns)
• Made-up reports
• Light effects in the sky (mirages, special light patterns called Fata Morgana, bright spots from the sun called sundogs, strange balls of light called ball lightning, lights from the moon called moon dogs, bright flashes from satellites called satellite flares, light shining through a camera lens called lens flare, and lights from the ground like searchlights)
• Other things in the air (birds, strange clouds, bright flashes, a special kind of air called plasma)

A study from 1979 found that almost all UFO reports were just people seeing ordinary things and not realizing what they were. A scientist named Andrew Fraknoi believes UFOs are not spaceships from other planets. He encourages students to think carefully about these stories and says that the more you look into them, the less mysterious they usually become.

History

Early history before the 20th century

People have always looked up at the sky and sometimes seen things that seem unusual. These can include bright stars, planets, comets, or natural phenomena like rainbows and clouds. For example, Halley’s Comet, which visits Earth every 76 years, was once thought to be a mysterious guest light in the sky.

In ancient times, unusual sights in the sky were often seen as signs from the gods or messages from a higher power. Some old stories from Rome and China describe objects moving through the air, which people at the time found strange and surprising.

20th century

During World War II, pilots reported seeing strange, glowing objects in the sky, which they called “foo fighters.” After the war, many people in Europe and the United States reported seeing unusual things in the sky. These were sometimes called “ghost rockets.”

In 1947, a pilot named Kenneth Arnold reported seeing objects that moved very fast and looked like saucers skipping on water. This started a lot of interest and many people began reporting similar sightings. One famous event was the Roswell incident, where people found pieces of a weather balloon.

In the 1950s and 1960s, books and movies began to talk about these sightings. People still talk and wonder about what these objects might be, and they continue to capture our imagination.

21st century

In recent years, more attention has been given to these sightings, especially after some videos were shared by the military. Scientists and government groups have started new projects to study these objects more closely, using better technology to learn more. People still talk and wonder about what these objects might be.

Investigations of reports

Governments and researchers in many countries have studied reports of objects seen in the sky that cannot yet be identified. These investigations have taken place in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Peru, France, Belgium, Sweden, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico, Spain, and the Soviet Union at different times. No official investigation has ever said that these objects are definitely real, from outer space, or a danger to safety.

Some well-known studies include investigations by the Swedish military, Project Blue Book by the U.S. Air Force from 1947 to 1969, secret U.S. projects looking into unusual lights in the sky, and Brazil's Operation Saucer in 1977. France has had ongoing studies since 1977, and Uruguay has had studies since 1989.

Studies

UFOs, or unidentified flying objects, are things seen in the sky that can't be explained right away. People have studied them a lot, but many scientists think most of these sightings are just everyday things like planes, weather balloons, or stars that look unusual.

Some people think UFOs might be from outer space, but most scientists say we need more information. Governments have looked into UFO reports too, but they often find simple explanations. There are still a few mysteries left that we don't fully understand yet.

In popular culture

Main article: UFOs in fiction

Since the 1950s, UFOs have become a big part of culture around the world. Many people have heard about them. In movies and TV shows, UFOs appear often. Some famous examples are the C57D from Forbidden Planet, the ship Jupiter 2 from Lost in Space, and the part of the USS Enterprise from Star Trek.

A place in Nevada called Area 51 is often talked about in stories. In 2019, many people talked about going there on social media, which led to fun events nearby.