UFOs come in all shapes and sizes. Some are only small spots of light that move in strange patterns across the night sky. These are called nocturnal lights (NLs) and are the most commonly reported type of UFO. Nocturnal lights are not really very interesting because the witness can see little detail; without details, ufologists cannot learn anything new. Faraway objects, often disk- or saucer-shaped, seen in the daytime are called daylight disks (DDs). When UFOs approach much nearer to witnesses (within 500 feet), these sightings are called close encounters. There are three types of close encounters, designated as CE-1, CE-2, and CE-3. (Abductions are sometimes referred to as CE-4s.) During close encounters, witnesses report seeing UFOs that are shaped like saucers, boomerangs, spheres, diamonds, cigars, triangles, or other strange shapes. They have bright lights, sometimes white or red, other times multicolored. The reported speed of UFOs varies dramatically. UFOs can hover silently for a long time then instantaneously fly off at great speeds--certainly much faster than conventional aircraft. They can move slowly across the sky, or perform unbelievable maneuvers, such as right angle turns, at incredibly high speeds. We do not know what powers UFOs, or why they have such maneuverability. There are few unquestionably authentic pictures of UFOs. Many so-called UFO photographs are really natural phenomena (such as strangely shaped clouds) or are light leaks in the camera or flaws that were introduced when the film was developed. Some photos are deliberate hoaxes made by people who want you to believe they have seen UFOs; for any number of reasons, such as fame, money, or to promote a religious or philosophical viewpoint. Some of the best UFO photos were taken in McMinnville, Oregon, in 1950; in Rouen, France, in 1954; off the coast of Brazil in 1958; and in Lubbock, Texas, in 1951. There are also videotapes of UFOs taken in the Hudson Valley region in New York, and in Belgium. These pictures can be seen in many UFO books available in your local library. Photos are not sufficient proof for the reality of UFOs because they are easily hoaxed.
What is a UFO?
UFOs are unidentified flying objects, but no one really knows what they are. Many researchers (called "ufologists") have theories about what UFOs might be, but because no one can examine a UFO in a scientific laboratory, all of these ideas are really only educated guesses. We can offer a definition of UFOs, however, that you may find useful when you study the subject: A UFO is the reported sighting of an object or light seen in the sky or on land, whose appearance, trajectory, actions, motions, lights, and colors do not have a logical, conventional, or natural explanation, and which cannot be explained, not only by the original witness, but by scientists or technical experts who try to make a common sense identification after examining the evidence.
What is an IFO?
An IFO is an Identified Flying Object. In essence, it is a natural or man-made object that people reported as a UFO. About 90%-95% of all UFO reports prove to be IFO,s, after an examination of the evidence by a trained investigator. People report natural or conventional objects as UFOs because they do not recognize them as such, due to unusual environmental conditions, ignorance, or the rarity of a natural event. For example, people have reported the planet Venus as a UFO, unaware of how bright the planet can appear at certain times of the year. Stars near the horizon are sometimes reported as UFOs because atmospheric turbulence and thermals (columns of warm air) cause them to twinkle rapidly in red and blue colors. Stars may also appear to dart back and forth because of auto kinesis. This is a psychological phenomenon in which a person,s eye movements create the illusion that a bright object seen in the dark without a frame of reference is moving. In order to distinguish between UFOs and IFO,s, an investigator must find as much information about a sighting as possible, without leading witnesses into giving false details. It is also important that UFO reports are investigated soon after the sighting, so all-relevant information about possible IFO explanations can be considered.
Who sees UFOs?
All kinds of people see UFOs. It does not matter whether you are rich or poor, educated or uneducated, young or old. In fact, many people who report seeing UFOs were not even looking for them when they had their sighting. The chances for seeing a UFO are greater for those people who live in small towns or in the country and are outside late at night. Although most of us at CUFOS have never seen a UFO personally, some colleagues of ours say that their interest in UFOs was sparked by seeing a UFO when they were children or young adults. Obtaining Reports of UFO Sightings and Events The first step in the scientific method is to collect data. The data on phenomena is not only collected, but is organized by a system of classification. UFO sighting data comes from individuals who make reports. In order to make a report a witness must have a line of communication available to him or her. In a lot of cases most witnesses do not know where to make a report or who to call so they usually call the police. It is best for groups to set-up a local number for witnesses to call then let the police and local radio and television stations record the number for referral. From time to time local media will carry a story on a sighting or encounter and this is a good source to follow up on. For the most part reports will come from establishing a network of sky-watchers who will phone the contact number and report a sighting or encounter. An investigator should follow up on these reports as soon as possible while the experience is fresh in the mind of the witness. It is important to obtain 1) A narrative description of the event and record this by any media available. Then a detailed report should be filled out so specific descriptive information can be captured for future analysis. 2) The witness should draw a sketch. The sketch should show date, time, and compass directions. It can show other detail and colors can be marked on the sketch.
DAYLIGHT DISCS UFOs
Sighted in the daytime are usually called, "Daylight Discs." This is because most of those sighted in the daytime have an oval (disc) shape. The appearance is often reported as metallic looking. A majority of daytime UFO photographs show such disc shaped objects. Nocturnal Lights observed in the daytime could appear, as Daylight Discs, but it is unknown.
RADAR & RADAR-VISUAL SIGHTINGS
This category is for radar indicated UFOs. An important subdivision in this category is radar findings that are supported by visual observations. If it can be established with reasonable assurance that a radar sighting confirms a visual sighting, or vice versa, then obviously this sighting is of major importance.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
There is an important broad category, which consists of those UFO sightings, that occur within a few hundred feet, or at a distance where the witness is able to use his unaided vision (glasses and contacts permissible), and be able to distinguish details. This type of sighting becomes a personal UFO experience.This broad category of UFOs is called "Close Encounters." There are at least three kinds of Close Encounters. They are defined separately. The distinction is in what is observed rather than in any certain fundamental difference.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE FIRST KIND (CE-I)
This is a close encounter with a UFO, where there is no interaction of the UFO with either the observer or the environment. The object must be close enough so that it is in the observer's own frame of reference. Details of the object must be seen. This will help to eliminate identifying Venus or an aircraft as a UFO. Further elimination of a false sighting is when the object is seen by several persons who are of the same conclusion, providing again, that the object is questionable even to the experts.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE SECOND KIND (CE-II)
A UFO that is seen interacting with the environment and frequently with the witness as well, is known as a CE II. Such interaction can be with inanimate matter, as when holes, rings, burn marks, or depressions are made on the ground, or even tree limbs that appeared to have been broken off or away by contact with the object. Interaction can be with animate matter, such as when animals are affected. Animals can become aware of the UFO before humans. (It would appear that cattle mutilations would fit into this category of encounter, but perhaps at a higher level, somewhere between a CE II and CE III. This is, as the other evidence is caused by the craft, cattle mutilation seems to be performed by those in the craft. Therefore, we have a closer encounter.)People can be affected by a close encounter. There have been cases reported of burns (including radioactive in nature), temporary paralysis, nausea, conjunctivitis, memory loss, and other maladies. For a CE II to have occurred, the UFO must be shown to have been at the same location where the physical effects are noted. If a burnt ring on the ground is noted, it must be at the exact place where the UFO was sighted hovering. If a vehicle's ignition system is interfered with, such interference must have occurred at the time and place of the UFO sighting.Observed physical effects in these cases are usually called "Physical Trace Cases" and which cannot be explainable in another obvious way. For example, if landing marks are found, they must be unique and not like marks found elsewhere in the vicinity.Close Encounters of the Second Kind are of particular interest to some scientists, especially those who are becoming interested in the field of Ufology. That is due in part to scientific principals that can be called into play. Samples of burnt grass and of disturbed soil can be tested in an attempt to determine what caused the burn, what pressures were necessary to cause imprints on the ground, to find what chemical changes occurred, and even more.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (CE-III)
This is an encounter, that is not only with the UFO, but with its apparent "occupants." A CE III encounter brings us more into the presence of intelligence other than our own.UFOs seem to demonstrate intelligent action that appears to be planned, not just random actions. UFOs have buzzed airplanes and cars. UFOs seem to prefer the lonely hours of the night. They usually, but do not exclusively avoid crowds and urban areas. They make singularly "local" appearances rather than moving about a wide area of the country.In CE III, where the occupants make their presence known, or are discovered, we find creatures reported to resemble humans, robots, or reptiles. There have been reports of abductions of humans, apparently for "testing purposes." Abductions have usually been recalled through regressive hypnosis. This is because the abduction experience has usually been so traumatic to the witness, that the conscious memory retains only a portion of the experience. The details must generally be obtained from the subconscious. Aliens have been reported to appear in a room and to go through walls. This leads to a belief by some of interdimensional travel.
