Guide Note:An unidentified flying object, or UFO, is any real or apparent flying object which cannot be identified by the observer and which remains unidentified after investigation. In popular culture, UFO is often used to refer to any hypothetical, or unproven, alien spacecraft. A UFO can also be referred to as a "flying saucer".
Fast Facts:
- UFO sightings have appeared many times over the course of history, including in Ancient India, Egypt, and Japan.
- They have occurred all over the world, including Chile, New Zealand, the Pacific Ocean, China, and many other locations.
- A notable UFO sighting was the Fatima incident of "The Miracle of the Sun", in which there were over 100,000 witnesses. According to many witness statements, after a downfall of rain, the clouds broke and the sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disk in the sky.
- In a 2006 survey, 24.6% of Americans agreed (or strongly agreed) that some UFOs are probably spaceships from other worlds.
- Ufology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study UFO reports and associated evidence.
- UFOs are the subject of many conspiracy theories regarding the U.S. government and their attempt to cover up incidents regarding the flying objects.
- The two major recent controversies are Project Serpo and CHAD Drone.
- Many people consider the Roswell Incident related to or synonymous with the term "UFO".
