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{{main|List of major UFO sightings}}
Unusual aerial [[phenomenon|phenomena]] have been reported throughout history. Many of these phenomena were undoubtedly astronomical in nature: [[comet]]s, bright [[meteor]]s, one or more of the five planets which can be seen with the naked-eye, planetary conjunctions, or atmospheric [[Optical phenomenon|optical phenomena]] such as [[sun dogs|parhelia]] and [[lenticular cloud]]s. Other historical reports seem to defy prosaic explanation, but assessing such accounts is difficult at best, since the information in an historical document may be insufficient to make a sensible evaluation. Additionally, the degree to which an historical report does not accurately describe, or even embellishes upon, an observed phenomenon is very difficult to evaluate.
* During the reign of [[Pharaoh]] [[Thutmose III]] around 1450 BC, there is a description of multiple “circles of fire” brighter than the Sun and about 5 metres in size that appeared over multiple days.<ref>From the papers of the late Professor Alberto Tulli, former Director of the Egyptian section of the Vatican Museum. See also: [http://www.burlingtonnews.net/redhairedmummiesegypt.html]</ref> They finally disappeared after ascending higher in the sky.
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Beginning in the 1950s, UFO-related [[spiritual]] [[sects]], sometimes referred to as [[Contactees|contactee cults]], began to appear. Most often the members of these sects rallied around a central individual, who claimed to either have made personal contact with space-beings, or claimed to be in [[telepathy|telepathic]] contact with them. Prominent among such individuals was [[George Adamski]], who claimed to have met a tall, blond-haired [[Venus]]ian named “Orthon,” who came to warn us about the dangers of [[nuclear proliferation]]. Adamski was widely dismissed, but an [[Adamski Foundation]] still exists, publishing and selling Adamski’s writings. At least two of these sects developed a substantial number of adherents, most notably The [[Aetherius Society]], founded by [[United Kingdom|British]] [[mystic]] [[George King]] in 1956, and the [[Unarius Foundation]], established by “Ernest L.” and [[Ruth Norman]] in 1954. A standard theme of the alleged messages from outer-space beings to these cults was a warning about the dangers of nuclear proliferation. More recent groups organized around an [[extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]] theme include [[Ummo]], [[Heaven's Gate (cult)|Heaven’s Gate]], [[Raelism|The Raëlian Movement]], and the [[Ashtar Galactic Command]]. Many of the early UFO sects, as well as later ones, share a tendency to incorporate ideas from both [[Christianity]] and various [[eastern religion]]s, “hybridizing” these with ideas pertaining to extraterrestrials and their benevolent concern with the people of Earth.
The notion of contactee cults gained a new twist during the 1980s, primarily in the [[United States|USA]], with the publication of books by [[Whitley Strieber]] (beginning with ''[[Communion]]'') and [[Jacques Vallee]] (''Passport to Magonia''). Strieber, a [[horror fiction|horror]] [[writer]], felt that aliens were harassing him and were responsible for “[[missing time]]” during which he was subjected to strange experiments by “[[Greys|grey aliens]]”. This newer, darker model can be seen in the subsequent wave of “[[Abduction phenomenon|alien abduction]]” [[literature]], and in the background [[mythos]] of ''[[X-files|The X Files]]'' and many other TV series.
However, even in the alien abduction literature, motives of the aliens run the gamut from hostile to benevolent. For example, researcher [[David M. Jacobs|David Jacobs]] believes we are undergoing a form of stealth invasion through [[genetic assimilation]]. The theme of genetic manipulation (though not necessarily an invasion) is also strongly reflected in the writings of [[Budd Hopkins]]. The late [[Harvard University|Harvard]] [[psychiatrist]] [[John Edward Mack|John Mack]] (1929-2004) believed that the aliens’ ethical bearing was to take a role as “[[tough love]]” [[gurus]] trying to impart wisdom. [[James Harder]] says [[abductee]]s predominantly report positive interactions with aliens, most of whom have benevolent intentions and express concern about human survival.
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* 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]])
Hynek's CE classification system has since been expanded to include such things as alleged [[Abduction phenomenon|alien abductions]] and [[cattle mutilation]] phenomena.
====Vallee system====
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Nevertheless, many cases remained unexplained. An Air Force study by [[Identified flying object#Battelle Memorial Institute breakdown of cases|Battelle Memorial Institute]] scientists from 1952-1955 of 3200 USAF cases found 22% were unknowns, and with the best cases, 33% remained unsolved. Similarly about 30% of the UFO cases studied by the 1969 USAF [[Condon Committee]] were deemed unsolved when reviewed by the [[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics]] (AIAA). The official French government UFO scientific study ([[GEIPAN]]) from 1976 to 2004 listed about 13% of 5800 cases as very detailed yet still inexplicable (with 46% deemed to have definite or probable explanations and 41% having inadequate information).<ref>http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc1190.htm</ref>
Despite the remaining unexplained cases in the cited scientific studies above, many skeptics still argue that the general opinion of the [[mainstream]] [[scientific community]] is that all UFO sightings could ultimately be explained by prosaic explanations such as misidentification of natural and man-made phenomena (either known or still unknown), hoaxes, and psychological phenomena such as [[optical
Other skeptical arguments against UFOs include:
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Other explanations:
* "shiny-bodied insects"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.footnote.com/page/424/#entry739 |title=UFO Sightings Outside the Project Blue Book by sjackman - Footnote, Original Documents Online |accessdate=2007-03-22 |format= |work= }}</ref>
* The [[Atmospheric beast|Extraterrestrial energyzoa theory]]
Usually a combination of explanations is cited to explain all cases, and even proponents will sometimes invoke skeptical explanations, such as man-made military aircraft, to possibly account for some unsolved cases.
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* In 1967, Greek physicist Paul Santorini, a [[Manhattan Project]] scientist, publicly stated that a 1947 Greek government investigation that he headed into the European [[Ghost rockets]] of 1946 quickly concluded that they were not missiles. Santorini claimed the investigation was then quashed by military officials from the U.S., who knew them to be extraterrestrial, because there was no defense against the advanced technology and they feared widespread panic should the results become public. (Good, 23)
* Various European countries conducted a secret joint study in 1954, also concluding that UFOs were extraterrestrial. This study was revealed by German rocketry pioneer [[Hermann Oberth]], a member of the study, who also made many public statements supporting the ETH.
* During the height of the flying saucer epidemic of July 1952, including highly publicized radar/visual and jet intercepts over [[Washington, D.C.]], the [[FBI]] was informed by the Air Force Directorate of Intelligence that they thought the "flying saucers" were either "optical illusions or atmospheric phenomena" but then added that, "some Military officials are seriously considering the possibility of interplanetary ships." [http://www.rense.com/general30/inter.htm FBI document]
* The [[CIA]] started their own internal scientific review the following day. Some CIA scientists were also seriously considering the ETH. An early memo from August was very skeptical, but also added, "...as long as a series of reports remains 'unexplainable' (interplanetary aspects and alien origin not being thoroughly excluded from consideration) caution requires that intelligence continue coverage of the subject." A report from later that month was similarly skeptical but nevertheless concluded "...sightings of UFOs reported at [[Los Alamos National Laboratory|Los Alamos]] and [[Oak Ridge National Laboratory|Oak Ridge]], at a time when the background [[radiation]] count had risen inexplicably. Here we run out of even 'blue yonder' explanations that might be tenable, and we still are left with numbers of incredible reports from credible observers." A December 1952 memo from the Assistant CIA Director of Scientific Intelligence (O/SI) was much more urgent: "...the reports of incidents convince us that there is something going on that must have immediate attention. Sightings of unexplained objects at great altitudes and traveling at highs speeds in the vicinity of U.S. defense installation are of such nature that they are not attributable to natural phenomena or known types of aerial vehicles." Some of the memos also made it clear that CIA interest in the subject was not to be made public, partly in fear of possible public panic. (Good,331-335)
* The CIA organized the January 1953 [[Robertson Panel]] of scientists to debunk the data collected by the Air Force's [[Project Blue Book]]. This included an engineering analysis of UFO maneuvers by Blue Book (including a motion picture film analysis by Naval scientists) that had concluded UFOs were under intelligent control and likely extraterrestrial. (Dolan, 189; Good, 287, 337; Ruppelt, Chapt. 16))
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