UFOs

Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) is a term for any observed object or phenomenon in the sky that observers cannot immediately identify. The term does not imply extraterrestrial origin.

The modern usage arose in the postwar era after reports of strange aerial objects, with the 1947 Kenneth Arnold sighting popularizing the phrase "flying saucers." Government agencies began collecting reports, and the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book (1952–1969) investigated thousands of sightings, concluding that most were misidentifications or natural phenomena, and that a minority remained unexplained.

In recent decades, the term UAP, for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, has been adopted by military and intelligence communities to emphasize investigation rather than attribution. The Department of Defense established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2022 to study UAP across air, space, and cyberspace. The 2023 intelligence community assessment found that most incidents could not be explained with current knowledge, but did not find evidence of extraterrestrial origin.

Prominent cases have entered public discussion, including widely cited 1947 and 1950s reports, the 1964 Socorro incident in New Mexico, and the 2004–2015 Navy pilot observations captured on video and released publicly in later years (the so-called Tic Tac events). These cases illustrate the spectrum of explanations, from misidentifications and sensor errors to secret or unconventional aircraft.

Scientific analysis emphasizes careful observation, corroboration, and data sharing. While government and independent researchers collect and analyze reports, no conclusive evidence has established an extraterrestrial source for UFOs, and many sightings have plausible conventional explanations.