Unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, have been human being’s fascination for decades. They were once documented as divine portents signaling the coming of the end of the world. Only at the end of World War II did scientists take a stance and begin investigating UFO phenomena. It was around this time that the term “UFO” was coined – and, not much later, UFOlogy was born.
UFOlogy, or the study of UFOs, seeks to investigate the identity and technology of sky apparitions which move fast, have bright lights, and yet can't be identified or traced to any known earthly object. UFOlogy isn't an academic research program, but it has been supported, to some extent by research institutions interested in astrobiology, or life on other planets; as well as intelligence agencies from countries such as Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union.
Thanks to popular books such as Chariots of the Gods, and TV shows such as The X-files, UFOlogy has since been tied with other fields such as occultism, or the study of the occult and the supernatural; cryptozoology, or the study of creatures whose existence and origin are uncertain; and parapsychology, the scientific investigation of paranormal phenomena.
An elementary concept of UFOlogy is UFO categorization. A typical classification scheme may include the following basic aspects:
• UFO shape – is the object shaped like a saucer, triangle, dome, or is it an amorphous mass?
• UFO appearance – did it appear in the morning, or at night?
• UFO effects – what happened after the UFO appeared? Was the ground burned? Did people nearby get sick?
A categorization scheme called the Hynek system divides UFO phenomena into six categories, with proximity first, followed by subdivision of special features of the sighting:
• Nocturnal lights, or objects seen at night
• Daylight discs, or objects seen in the daytime
• Radar or Visuals, or objects seen both by eyewitnesses and radar
• Close Encounter 1: UFO sighting without physical interaction
• Close Encounter 2: UFO sighting with electromagnetic interference (cars breaking down, compasses failing, or electronic equipment shutting off)
• Close Encounter 3: UFO occupants or entities are seen or interacted with by eyewitnesses
A more precise classification scheme is the Vallee system, which looks at UFO shapes, sighting locations, and secondary objects in greater detail. Recent investigations have also looked into the physical evidence accompanying UFO sightings, such as radar contact with the craft, burned landing sites or ground impressions, cattle mutilation, and even sickness in eyewitnesses.
UFOlogy, though a young science, may be an interesting field to pursue, if only for the excitement that comes with discovery.
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