UFO Defined
First off, UFO stands for U nidentified F lying O bject. By strict definition, an airplane can be a UFO if the observer doesn't recognize it as such; however, UFOs are most often associated with extraterrestrial spacecraft or secret aircraft that are not yet known to the general public. UFOs are also referred to as “flying saucers” because this is one of their commonly reported shapes, but reports exist of UFOs in practically every shape and size.
Famous UFO Cases
Probably the most famous UFO case in U.S. history is the Roswell Incident which occurred in 1947 in Roswell , New Mexico . At that time, the U.S. Air Force issued a press release in which it claimed to have recovered a crashed UFO. Later, the Air Force recanted, although many witnesses (including Jesse Marcel , the Air Force's own head intelligence officer at the time) have claimed that the original story was true.
Another famous UFO case is the sighting of the Phoenix Lights in 1997 over Phoenix , Arizona . This case is very different from the Roswell incident in that it was a mass sighting which was captured on video by numerous people from different viewpoints at the same time. The Phoenix Lights sighting was so popular at the time that video clips were aired on national news. It is undeniable that there was something spotted and documented over Phoenix , but the question of what remains unanswered.
Related Subjects
A subject that is closely associated with UFOs is alien abduction . What reportedly happens in cases of alien abduction is that a person is taken from his or her surroundings (most often from bed in the middle of the night) by extraterrestrial beings and is held aboard a UFO. After that, reports vary as to the details. While some people claim that their abduction experiences are positive, most reports of alien abduction are negative. Two famous cases of alien abduction are that of Betty and Barney Hill in 1961 and that of Travis Walton in 1975. Also check out author Whitley Strieber's personal account in his book Communion .
Another subject that has been linked to UFOs is crop circles . These are formations, sometimes very intricate, found in crop fields all over the world. Before their popularization as an art form, crop circles were thought to be of extraterrestrial origin because of their complexities, unusual patterns, and speeds at which they were formed. Whether they are really alien-made or not, crop circles can keep you looking, like a kaleidoscope.
UFOs in Pop Culture
As with all things unexplained, UFOs have inspired countless books and movies. A couple of movies in which UFOs and aliens are depicted are Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Independence Day . In Close Encounters, aliens are portrayed as cute and cuddly, but in Independence Day, aliens are the bad guys. In addition, a UFO-related television series with high ratings in its day is The X-Files .
Fans and Fascination
I hope that this article has given you a basic picture of what UFOs are all about. There are too many websites on the subject to count, but just try searching for UFO , and you'll be able to see the level of fascination that the subject holds.
