IDENTIFYING PROPERTIES OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS

• BACK AND FORTH FLIGHT
  1. Autokinesis can make astronomical objects do this
  2. Motions of a riding observer can be seen as object motion instead
  3. Insects circle lights
  4. Birds sometimes circle
  5. Model aircraft
  6. Kite
  7. Ad-planes
  8. Searchlights
  9. Crop dusting
  10. Airplanes in a landing pattern
  11. Carnival rides
• DOGFIGHT WITH PLANE
  1. Motions of the pilot's plane can be seen as object motion instead
  2. Object smaller and closer than perceived
  3. Lighted balloon at night is the usual cause
• ERRATIC FLIGHT
  1. Autokinesis and autostasis cause straight flight to appear erratic
  2. Wind distorting contrails can make a straight flight path appear to be crooked
  3. Motions of a riding observer can be seen as object motion instead
  4. Astronomical (moon, star, or planet) seen through moving broken clouds
  5. Military air maneuvers
  6. Birds or insects
  7. Fireflies
  8. Model aircraft
  9. Kite
  10. Fire balloon
  11. Fireworks
  12. Reflections
  13. Mirage
  14. Observer's headlights reflected off of utility wires along the road
  15. An airplane might actually be flying erraticly for some reason
• EXTREME SPEED
  1. Object smaller and closer than perceived
  2. Optical images can be move at any speed
  3. Optical distortions, physiological effects, and mirages can move at any speed
  4. Meteor or re-entry
  5. Low military attack run
  6. Fireworks
  7. Fireflies
  8. Model rocket
  9. Searchlight on clouds
  10. Fire balloon much smaller and closer
  11. LASER gunsight on clouds
• HOVERING
  1. Autostasis can cause a moving object to appear to stop
  2. Object's flight path is along line of sight
  3. Astronomical (star or planet)
  4. Balloon (weather, ad, research, manned hot air, toy, or fire balloon prank)
  5. Helicopter
  6. Kite
  7. Fixed light
  8. Reflection from utility wires
  9. Searchlight on clouds
• PACING THE OBSERVER
  1. Astronomical objects can appear to follow a moving observer
  2. Airplane
  3. Helicopter (police?)
  4. Observer's headlights reflected off of utility wires along the road
  5. Road mirage
  6. Meteor or re-entry
  7. Physiological effects
• REACTING TO OBSERVER'S PRESENCE OR ACTIONS
  1. Astronomical objects can appear to follow a moving observer
  2. Animals smaller and closer than perceived really can react
  3. Subjective thought that independent object motion was a reaction to the observer
  4. Changes in brightness can be perceived as approach or recession of object
  5. Small motions of the observer can be amplified by optical distortions and mirages
• RIGHT-ANGLE TURNS
  1. Autokinesis can make stationary object seem to move erraticly
  2. Motions of a riding observer can be seen as object motion instead
  3. Optical distortions or projections can appear to accelerate at any rate
  4. Astronomical (star or planet) objects are subject to these effects
  5. Maneuvering aircraft seen at a distance or at unusual angles appear to turn sharp
  6. Birds or insects
  7. Model aircraft
  8. Kite
  9. Fire balloon rocking
  10. Mirage
  11. Observer's headlights reflected off of utility wires along the road
• ROTATION
  1. Ad-planes look like rotating disks when seen edge-on
  2. Balloons rotate in the air due to differences in wind speed
  3. Prank fire balloons rotate this way
  4. Optical distortions make stars twinkle, sometimes this appears as rotation
  5. Circling aircraft
  6. Birds or insects circling
  7. Model aircraft
  8. Some kites
  9. UFO kite
  10. Advertizing signs
  11. Mirage of rotating sign or one with the traveling light effect
• STRAIGHT FLIGHT
  1. Astronomical objects can appear to follow a moving observer
  2. Airplane
  3. Other aircraft, including rockets and helicopters
  4. Meteor or re-entry
• TIGHT MANEUVERS
  1. Autokinesis can make stationary object seem to move erraticly
  2. Fire balloon rocking in wind
  3. Motions of a riding observer can be seen as object motion instead
  4. Optical distortions or projections can appear to accelerate at any rate
  5. Astronomical (star or planet) objects are subject to these
  6. Maneuvering aircraft seen at a distance or at unusual angles appear to turn sharp
  7. Search and rescue or crime fighting operations concentrate on small areas
  8. Military air maneuvers
  9. Birds or insects
  10. Model aircraft
  11. Kite
  12. UFO kite
  13. Mirage
  14. Observer's headlights reflected off of utility wires along the road
• TUMBLING
  1. Windblown debris
  2. Balloons rotate in the air due to differences in wind speed
  3. Optical distortions make stars twinkle, sometimes this appears as tumbling
  4. Objects falling from plane or building
  5. Birds or insects
  6. Model aircraft
  7. UFO kite
  8. Mirage
• VERTICAL FLIGHT
  1. Dimming object can be seen to be receding directly away from observer
  2. Balloons rise
  3. Optical distortions make stars bob up and down
  4. Objects falling from plane or building
  5. Birds or insects
  6. Meteor or re-entry (Perspective can make them appear to go up)
  7. Helicopters
  8. Missiles
  9. Exploding pole transformer sends ball of fire into the sky
• WOBBLING, ROCKING, OR "FALLING LEAF" EFFECTS
  1. Autokinesis can make stationary object seem to move erraticly
  2. Balloons, especially small ones, wobble and rock
  3. "Falling leaf" is often used to describe prank fire balloons at night
  4. Birds flapping their wings appear to jitter in daylight
  5. Observer's headlights reflected off of utility wires along the road
  6. Reflections can appear to make any maneuver
  7. Model aircraft
  8. Mirage
  9. Kite

LIGHTING AND COLOR CHARACTERISTICS

• DAZZLING SILVER OR WHITE (day)
  1. Halation expands the image on both film and retina.
  2. Sun reflection off of a plane, balloon, instrument package, or satellite
  3. Sun reflection off of a utility wire or other fixed object
  4. Sundog or sub-sun
  5. Toy mylar balloon
  6. Magnesium flare
  7. Fireworks
  8. Ice crystals in clouds or air
  9. Fireball meteor or re-entry
  10. UFO kite
• DAZZLING SILVER OR WHITE (night)
  1. Dark adaptation magnifies light brilliance
  2. Sun reflection off high altitude object
  3. Headlights or landing lights
  4. Magnesium flare
  5. Searchlight
  6. High candlepower lamp
  7. Strobe light
  8. Meteor or re-entry
  9. Fireworks
• INTENSE RED LIGHT
  1. Reflection of low sun off silvered surface
  2. Road flare (possibly prank balloon)
  3. Power line shorted to tree or other object
  4. Meteor or re-entry
  5. Fireworks
  6. LASER gunsight on clouds
  7. Barium cloud
• RED LIGHT
  1. Reflection of low sun off silvered surface
  2. Airplane light
  3. Radio tower
  4. Meteor or re-entry
  5. Fire balloon
  6. Aurora
  7. Barium cloud
  8. Traffic light
• HALLOWEEN ORANGE LIGHT
  1. Prank fire balloon
  2. Other fires
  3. Meteor or re-entry
  4. Birds reflecting sodium vapor light
  5. Fireworks or flares
  6. Exploding pole transformer
• YELLOW LIGHT
  1. Fireworks or flares
  2. Airplane light at a distance
  3. Prank fire balloon
  4. Traffic light
  5. Fireball meteor or re-entry
  6. Aurora
  7. Barium cloud
  8. Fireflies
• GREEN LIGHT
  1. Fireworks or flares
  2. Airplane light
  3. Traffic light
  4. Green fireball meteor or re-entry
  5. Aurora
  6. Barium cloud
  7. Fireflies
  8. Fire balloon with green or blue bag
  9. Phosphorescent plastic
• INTENSE BLUE-GREEN LIGHT
  1. Fireworks or flares
  2. Wet copper power lines shorting
  3. Fireball meteor or re-entry
  4. Arc welding
  5. Mercury vapor lamp
  6. Fire balloon with blue bag or flare
• BLUE LIGHT
  1. Fireworks or flares
  2. Aurora
  3. Corona discharge
  4. Green fireball meteor or re-entry
  5. Barium cloud
  6. Liminescent fungi
• CLUSTER OF LIGHTS (night)
  1. Aircraft
  2. Ad-planes
  3. Meteor or re-entry that broke apart in atmosphere
  4. Flock of birds or swarm of insects
  5. Prank balloons
  6. Fixed lights
• FLASHING LIGHT(S)
  1. Airplane
  2. Ad-plane
  3. Radio tower
  4. Strobe light on airplane or tower
  5. Traffic light
  6. Advertizing gimmick
  7. Fire balloon
• SPARKLING EFFECT
  1. Ad-plane
  2. Radar target balloon
  3. Advertizing gimmick
  4. Mylar balloon
  5. UFO kite
  6. Fire balloon
  7. Fireworks
• RAINBOW COLOR EFFECT
  1. Small portion of rainbow from rain, fountain, waterfall, or hose
  2. Sundog
  3. Diffraction effect from grating, thin film, insect parts, or other materials
  4. Balloon launch for special events
  5. Effect of looking through certain arrangements of windows or glass
  6. UFO kite with diffraction grating
• RAPIDLY CHANGING COLORS
  1. Astronomical (star or planet) scintillating
  2. Spinning object
  3. Advertizing gimmick
  4. Mirage
  5. UFO kite
  6. Color changeable message sign
• DIM GLOW (night)
  1. Phosphorescent paint
  2. Reflection of ambient light
  3. Luminous plants
  4. Fire balloon
  5. Moondog
  6. Birds reflecting streetlight glow
  7. After-image
• BRIGHTER THAN SKY (day)
  1. Sun reflecting off light object
  2. Reflection off of window observer looking through
  3. Aircraft
  4. Flare
  5. Meteor or re-entry
  6. UFO kite
• DARKER THAN SKY (day)
  1. Aircraft
  2. Bird or insect
  3. Kite
  4. Day fire balloon (tissue paper type)
  5. Other dark objects
• BLACK OR ALMOST BLACK black (day)
  1. Aircraft, especially military
  2. Bird or insect
  3. Kite
  4. Other dark objects close to observer

SHAPE OF OBJECT

• DISK
  1. Ad-plane seen edge-on
  2. Airplanes heading on observer's line of sight look like a domed disk
  3. Optical distortion of airplane
  4. Specular sun reflections look rounded
  5. Prank fire balloons look disk shaped, especially if they rotate
  6. Birds seen edge-on look like a domed disk
  7. Meteor or re-entry
  8. Spotlights on clouds
  9. LASER gunsight on clouds
  10. Astronomical
  11. UFO kite
• CIGAR (horizontal)
  1. Specular sun reflection from airplane
  2. Airplane, wings seen edge-on
  3. Optical distortion of airplane
  4. Missile
  5. Meteor or re-entry
  6. Escaped toy sausage balloon
  7. Prank fire balloon seen edge-on
  8. Comet
  9. Contrail
  10. UFO kite
• CIGAR (vertical)
  1. Missile
  2. Meteor or re-entry
  3. Airplane headed toward or away from observer
  4. Escaped toy sausage balloon
  5. Prank fire balloon, if the entire bag reflects light
  6. Comet
  7. Contrail
• SPHERE
  1. Specular sun reflection
  2. Distant plane reflecting sun
  3. Balloon
  4. Astronomical
  5. Satellite
  6. Prank flare or fire balloon
  7. UFO kite
• POINT LIGHT SOURCE
  1. Astronomical (star or planet)
  2. Lighted balloon
  3. Prank balloon
  4. Aircraft light
  5. Satellite
  6. Fixed light
• CHANGES SHAPE
  1. Astronomical (star or planet) scintillating
  2. Rotation of object to show different aspects of it
  3. Optical distortions and illusions can change to any shape
  4. Physiological effect (single witness only)
  5. Multiple independent lights seen as one object
  6. Fire
  7. Prank fire balloon, or cluster of fire balloons
  8. Mirage
  9. Industrial foam or soap blown away
  10. Balloon launch for special events
  11. Windblown debris
  12. UFO kite

ANGULAR SIZE

• I. POINT SOURCE
  1. Astronomical (star or planet)
  2. Aircraft light
  3. Lighted balloon
  4. Prank balloon
  5. Specular reflection
  6. Satellite
  7. Toy balloon
  8. Insects
  9. Fixed light
  10. Meteor
• II. DISTANT PLANE
  1. Aircraft
  2. Model aircraft
  3. Balloon
  4. Prank balloon
  5. Kite
  6. Meteor
  7. Electric arcs
  8. Windblown debris
  9. Birds
  10. UFO kite
• III. FULL MOON
  1. Moon
  2. Close aircraft
  3. Ad-plane
  4. Re-entry
  5. Close kite
  6. UFO kite
  7. Cluster of fire balloons
  8. Close fire balloon
  9. Fireball meteor or re-entry
  10. Specular sun reflection from aircraft or balloon
  11. Large or close balloon
  12. Flock of birds
• IV. MULTIPLE MOONS
  1. Cluster of objects seen as one object
  2. Low close aircraft (military attack run)
  3. Weather effects
  4. Re-entry
  5. Cluster of fire balloons
  6. Ad-plane
  7. Hot-air balloon
  8. Cluster of aircraft
  9. Close ultralight aircraft

DURATION

• LESS THAN TEN SECONDS
  1. Meteor
  2. Small re-entry
  3. Fireworks
  4. Insect
  5. Specular reflection
  6. Low military attack run
  7. Explosions
  8. Lightning
  9. Brief optical distortion
  10. Reflection of something in a window
  11. Sweeping headlights
  12. Phosphenes
• MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES
  1. Astronomical (star or planet)
  2. Fixed light
  3. Circling aircraft
  4. Balloon
  5. Fire or flare balloon
  6. Aurora
  7. Mirage
  8. Weather effect
  9. Barium cloud
  10. Kite
  11. UFO kite

EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT

• POWER FAILURE
  1. Many times people look for the cause of the failure, see mundane objects as UFOs
  2. Many times the power failure causes the UFO, not the other way around
  3. Exploding pole transformer
  4. Power line short circuit to grounded object
  5. Wind whips power lines together
  6. Auto accident topples pole
  7. Cracked power line insulator
  8. Corona discharge
  9. Power equipment failure
  10. Operating too near safety cutout limits
• AUTO ENGINE FAILURE
  1. Many times, surprise of seeing a UFO causes the driver to let the engine die
  2. Other times, strangeness of engine failure makes mundane objects seem strange
  3. Heavy dampness can cause both engine failure and power line corona
  4. Cars with stick shifts can be killed by letting the engine slow down enough
  5. High frequency electric field, or ionized air
  6. Coincidence
  7. Object noticed only because engine failed
• RADIO AND TV FAILURE
  1. Intermittent contact in receiver
  2. Lightning damage
  3. Power failure or blown fuse
  4. Faraday cage effect of structure
  5. Nearby transmitter or RADAR set overloading receiver
  6. Computers
  7. Defect in antenna or receiver
  8. Old receiver in use nearby leaking its oscillator frequency
  9. Skip from distant transmitters competing with local broadcast
  10. Sunspots and solar flares
  11. Illegal transmissions
• RADIO AND TV INTERFERENCE
  1. Intermittent contact in any electrical equipment
  2. Cracked power line insulator
  3. Brush motors and generators
  4. Defective auto ignition systems
  5. Neon signs, light dimmer, or medical equipment nearby
  6. Nearby transmitter or RADAR set overloading receiver
  7. Computers
  8. Beat between two nearby transmitters
  9. Defect in antenna or receiver
  10. Old receiver in use nearby leaking its oscillator frequency
  11. Multipath e.g. signal reflected from airplane
  12. Skip from distant transmitters competing with local broadcast
  13. Storms, Sunspots, and solar flares
  14. Illegal transmissions
  15. Electric power leakage
  16. Old tungsten or carbon bulb
• MAGNETIZATION AND EFFECTS ON A COMPASS
  1. Anything iron or steel can be magnetized at any time by moving magnetic fields
  2. Collisions and dents change the magnetic signature on automobiles
  3. A compass needle will be attracted to any iron or steel object, not just a magnet
  4. Ore concentrations and invisible underground structures can affect a compass
  5. Some tools are magnetized, and magnetize anything they rub against
  6. Iron and steel can be magnetized by pounding on them in a magnetic field
  7. Recording tape can be erased by strong magnetic fields
• SOUNDS
  1. Sometimes the sound heard has nothing to do with the sighting
  2. Various hums, buzzes, squeaks, crackles, bangs, and booms accompany power failures
  3. Traffic makes motor and swishing noises that sound like they come from the object
  4. Factories, railroads, and freight yards make their own peculiar noises
  5. A noise attributed to the object may in fact come from a nearby aircraft
  6. Television sets and stereos contribute a fantastic range of sounds
  7. Fireworks, missiles, aircraft, and insects are objects that make sounds
  8. Man carrying hot-air balloons make intermittent loud roars
  9. Psychological effect
• HEAT
  1. Strong or focussed reflection from the sun
  2. Sudden weather effects
  3. Mundane heat source not noticed in the excitement of a sighting
  4. Missile crash, incendiary bomb, magnesium flare, or other military devices
  5. Effects of other events (e.g. fires) attributed to UFOs by witnesses
  6. Fireworks
  7. Man carrying hot-air balloon
  8. Prank balloons if close enough
  9. Engine exhaust
  10. Psychological effect
• COLD
  1. Sudden weather effects
  2. Icefall from plane
  3. Ice or dry ice lost by vehicle
  4. Refrigerant leak
  5. Trash left from fast food
  6. Stream, spring, or cave in area
  7. Door open at air conditioned building
  8. Psychological effect
• CIRCLES, BURNS, HOLES, AND MARKS ON THE GROUND
  1. Crop circles are pranks made with boards, poles, and rope
  2. A black ring on the ground is a fungus. Mushrooms may appear there later.
  3. Pranksters pour flammable liquids on the ground and light them
  4. A teen riding a motorcycle in circles waiting for his date made a bare circle
  5. Pranksters make blast craters and pad prints, to look like a UFO has landed
  6. Some burned areas are the results of campfires
  7. Arm lift utility trucks leave large rectangular pad prints in the ground
  8. A man carrying hot-air balloon can leave pad marks if it touches down
  9. Fire balloons can set fires if they lose lift
  10. Blasting or pranksters with firecrackers can leave blown out places
  11. Lightning and tornados leave holes in the ground
• DAMAGED VEGETATION
  1. Branches may be broken by workmen, vehicles, animals, wind, or old age
  2. Pranksters faking a UFO landing may break branches for effect
  3. Fungus can damage a tree and leave black marks
  4. Swamp plants that have grown back after a swamp fire may have charred roots
  5. Some damage may be a result of a campfire or forest fire
  6. Crop circles are pranks made with boards, poles, and rope
  7. Soil may be unable to grow plants because of residues of prior uses of the land
  8. Stock feeding and watering devices leave rings of residue around them
  9. Some pranksters use weed killer to make designs or damage
  10. Fire balloons can set fires
• EFFECTS ON ANIMALS
  1. Some pets react to their master's distress rather than the object
  2. Man carrying hot-air balloons scare animals when flying low
  3. Animals may be reacting to something entirely different, such as a scent
  4. Bright lights, such as fire balloons, can scare an animal at night
  5. Pranksters do all sorts of things to frighten animals
  6. Reductions in game in a sighting area are due to the flood of investigators
  7. Cattle mutilations are usually due to satanists, pranksters, or insurance frauds
• PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS ON HUMANS
  1. Many effects are actually psychological reactions to strange situations
  2. Sometimes the sighting is caused by the physiological effect (single witness only)
  3. Tingling may be nervous excitement, or strong electric fields from storms
  4. Metal fillings in teeth can receive radio programs, making "voices" be heard
  5. Strobe lights can cause temporary blackouts
  6. In the excitement of a sighting, the passage of time is not reckoned correctly
  7. Halation makes a very bright object seem bigger than it is
  8. Ultraviolet sources, such as arc welding or short circuits, cause sunburn effects
• PHYSICAL TRACES OR ARTIFACTS
  1. Unusual materials do not necessarily come from space
  2. It is impossible to prove something is extraterrestrial
  3. Slag comes from smelters, blast furnaces, and foundrys
  4. There are so many alloys and plastics that it is impossible to check them all
  5. Fire and corrosion change chemical compositions
  6. Evidence of gunpowder, nitrates, or radium dioxide is evidence of a prank or hoax
  7. Fibers that fall from the sky and disappear are usually webs of ballooning spiders
  8. UFO damage to items may be claimed to get insurance payments for acts of God
  9. Hot rusted objects usually fall from internal combustion engines
  10. Damage may also be caused by meteors, tornados, wind, lightning, and vehicles
  11. Hot-air balloons, utility trucks, helicopters, and camera tripods have footpads
  12. Liquids with strange smells or colors can leak out of many man-made devices
  13. Some airplane and railroad toilets drop wastes on whatever is below

RADAR EFFECTS

• SOME RADAR EFFECTS MAKE AN OBJECT APPEAR SEVERAL PLACES ON THE SCREEN
  1. The beam may bounce off more than one object before returning to the RADAR set
  2. The object may reflect energy well enough to be detected in an antenna side lobe
  3. Atmospheric conditions may reflect the beam to the object by multiple paths
• SOME RADAR EFFECTS MAKE BLIPS APPEAR WHERE THERE ARE NO OBJECTS
  1. Atmospheric skip causes targets beyond the horizon to be detected
  2. The beam may return after a new pulse is sent, displaying the target much closer
  3. Anomalous Propagation causes buildings, the ground, and ships to appear as blips
  4. One RADAR set may pick up the beam of another, making high speed blip trails
  5. A malfunction can produce anything on the screen
  6. Older MTI (moving target indicator) scopes tended to display anomalous propagation
  7. MTI can amplify weather targets, birds, and bugs to plane sized blips
• SOME RADAR EFFECTS MAKE INSIGNIFICANT TARGETS LOOK LIKE AIRCRAFT
  1. Sometimes insects, birds, and windblown debris appear as blips
  2. Clear air turbulence can cause a blip
  3. Birds tagged with metal identification tags are detected quite well
  4. Some weather conditions produce blips
  5. Moving Target Indicators (MTI) detect stationary vibrating targets too
  6. MTI can amplify weather targets, birds, and bugs to plane sized blips

DETECTING TRICKERY

• DETECTING HOAXES (false stories)
  1. Details fail to match recorded events (weather, clouds, news, sports, etc)
  2. Witness took a strange or unnecessarily long route
  3. Story changes over time
  4. Story "improves" with each retelling
  5. Witness trying to make money from the experience (not always a hoax)
  6. The case is submitted to a tabloid magazine contest
  7. The story "rectifies" a situation that otherwise might result in penalty
  8. Photos or story contain inconsistencies
  9. Witness goes on TV or writes a book
  10. Is the witness covering up negligence or malfeasance
  11. Something in the event implies use of English, common customs, or other mundane items
  12. Religious, social, or economic platitudes (usually liberal) delivered by aliens
  13. Mysterious men forcibly take evidence or warn the witness not to talk
  14. Evidence did exist, but is missing or was destroyed
  15. The witness has reported UFOs before, and continues to report them
• DETECTING PRANKS (objects or traces left for others to see and report)
  1. Either a flying object or a landing site seen by others
  2. Characteristics of fire balloons, kites, or flare balloons in sighting reports
  3. Possible LASER aimed at clouds
  4. Landing spot is determined to be a staged scene
  5. Attempts by the prankster to make money from the prank
  6. Gunpowder or magnesium residue at scene of landing
  7. Repetition, if the prank device flies
  8. Found objects made of cheap materials
  9. Attempt to get others to "discover" the object or evidence
• ABDUCTIONS AS HOAXES
  1. The case is submitted to a tabloid magazine contest
  2. The abduction may come out without hypnosis
  3. Witness trying to make money from the experience (not always a hoax)
  4. The story "rectifies" a situation that otherwise might result in penalty
  5. The story changes over time
  6. Witness goes on TV or writes a book
  7. Religious, social, or economic platitudes (usually liberal) delivered by "aliens"
• ABDUCTIONS AS PRANKS
  1. The event may be a post-hypnotic suggestion from an earlier "party" hypnosis
  2. A hypnotist may either purposely or accidentally add an abduction to a sighting
  3. The abduction comes out without hypnosis
  4. Students with a fake UFO and costumes gassed people with nitrous oxide
  5. Criminals have faked abductions to get information or rob abductees
  6. The story does not change over time
  7. Lie detector tests will report truth telling, because the subject experienced it
  8. The witness does not want the report published except to warn others
• ABDUCTIONS AS PSYCHOLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS
  1. Hypnosis can generate an abduction case from the subconscious
  2. Many UFO reports from a witness indicate psychological problems
  3. A frightening sighting experience can generate fantasy under hypnosis
  4. Lie detector tests will report truth telling, because the subject believes it
  5. Drug abuse can create such fantasies
  6. Religious, social, or economic platitudes (usually liberal) delivered by "aliens"

DETECTING PHOTOGRAPHIC TRICKERY

• DETECTING PHOTOGRAPHIC ACCIDENTS
  1. UFO not centered in the photo
  2. UFO not subject of photo
  3. UFO not seen by photographer
  4. A bright UFO, the frame center, and a strong light are in straight line
  5. The UFO might be a bird or insect frozen in flight
  6. The background is visible through the object
  7. Use copying machines and photographic techniques to coax out the object's identity
  8. Look for the obvious, the obscure, and the obsolete.
  9. The UFO looks like a lamp, night light, Christmas light, or other light source
  10. The picture was taken through a window (possible reflection)
  11. Faint detail in the picture indicates a flashbulb failed to fire
  12. Details that do not belong in the scene indicate double exposure
  13. Some double exposures happen when photographers reuse a failed flashbulb frame
• DETECTING TRICK PHOTOGRAPHY
  1. UFO focus is different than background focus
  2. UFO touches any part of the frame
  3. Part of a daylight UFO is darker than the background
  4. Atmospheric scattering is evident on background, but not on object
  5. The negative is not available
  6. Black and white film was used without a reason
  7. Multiple photos show the UFO under the same object
  8. With multiple photos, the camera moved between shots
  9. The camera has to be in an unusual place to reproduce the photo
  10. The background is visible through the object
  11. The UFO could be a time exposure of something
  12. Light direction and shadow disagrees between the UFO and the background
  13. Light direction and shadow disagrees between the photo and the story
  14. Any one photo of a set of multiple photos fails under scrutiny
  15. The photos don't match the story
  16. Frame numbers are out of reported sequence
  17. The photographer is gaining money or attention from the photo
  18. Use copying machines and photographic techniques to coax out the object's identity
  19. Look for the obvious, the obscure, and the obsolete.