# Unidentified Aerial Phenomena: What's going on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 28, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759 "2020-04-28T18:21:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2020, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/81 "2020-05-02T14:23:54Z")
Here’s [Astronomer Phil Plait’s take on the subject.](https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/navy-videos-showing-ufos-not-aliens) ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/82 "2020-05-03T11:26:30Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > **Radar contacts, infrared detections, and visual sightings by the pilots and weapon systems officers** have been reported with Lt. Accoin stating that “multiple sensors [were] reading the exact same thing.” Lt. Graves stated that the objects were showing up at 30,000 feet as well as sea level and could accelerate, slow down and hit hypersonic speeds with manoeuvres **“beyond the physical limits of a human crew.”** Lt. Graves has publicly stated that these things didn’t start showing up until they upgraded their radar systems from the AN/APG-73 to the [AN/APG-79](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/APG-79). I wonder why the aliens waited for that. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/83 "2021-05-29T04:19:29Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > Lt. Graves has publicly stated that these things didn’t start showing up until they upgraded their radar systems from the AN/APG-73 to the [AN/APG-79](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/APG-79). I wonder why the aliens waited for that. Hypothetically, maybe the newer systems can detect things that the older systems couldn’t. That said, I know next to nothing about radar systems and I’m skeptical about the whole UAP / UFO thing anyway. ETA: I just realized that this thread is a year old. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/84 "2021-05-29T05:15:42Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The pilot says the UFO isn’t being detected on radar and assumes it must be using stealth technology. Another reason that radars don’t detect things is because they’re not there. Or too small, like birds or drones. > [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > Lt. Graves stated that the objects were showing up at 30,000 feet as well as sea level **and could accelerate, slow down and hit hypersonic speeds with manoeuvres “beyond the physical limits of a human crew.”** Yes, to _his point of view._ Venus seems to move very quickly as a UFO. That does not mean what he thought he saw actually did that. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/85 "2021-05-29T05:17:42Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Forget about Congress. How could anyone think Trump would keep his mouth shut if he was told aliens have been contacted or been proved to exist? Maybe the aliens had a pee tape of him? 🤪 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/86 "2021-05-29T05:21:19Z")
They only eat guys who move luggage around? Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/87 "2021-05-29T09:00:18Z")
I am as skeptical as the next man, but I’m looking forward to the declassification if it indeed happens. I feel that there will be some interesting info, bearing in mind that, for me, a radar system fuckup and optical illusions would be interesting. One thing I was wondering: regarding “secret test planes”, what if they’re _American_? What I mean is, one thing that people have assumed, is that since it’s American pilots making these reports, they can’t possibly belong to the American military. But, such test projects need to be kept _very_ secret. During the time of the sr-71 or stealth bomber tests, were there any reports filed of crazy fast, sleek aircraft? ---
**Author:** ![eburacum\_45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum_45/32/3385_2.png) [@eburacum\_45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum_45)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2021, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/88 "2021-05-29T09:37:58Z")
The most likely explanation is that these new detection systems are _too_ sensitive, and are detecting ordinary objects that the pilots would not normally notice. Graves reckons they were seeing these things every time they went on a sortie; that suggests to me they are ordinary phenomena that were previously unobservable, such as distant planes, stray balloons, and large birds. The new radar systems are probably prone to glitches too, which is why many of the detections have occurred when new systems have recently been introduced. I’m interested to see what the results of the official report will be, but sometimes these reports are slightly too credulous and assume that military observers are more accurate than other witnesses, when that may not always be the case. In particular, pilots are more likely to identify an unknown as a mystery craft, because they are trained to expect them. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/89 "2021-06-08T12:45:56Z")
There is a semantic component to the problem. If the reports were labeled ‘Unresolved Display Artifacts’ they would get less attention than ‘Unidentified Arial Phenomena’. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum\_45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum_45/32/3385_2.png) [@eburacum\_45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum_45)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/90 "2021-06-13T21:27:01Z")
That’s right; it is a semantic nightmare. The term Unidentified Aerial Phenomena implies that these events occur inside the Earth’s atmosphere; however, at least one of the movie clips (the so-called Pyramid UFO clip) seems to show out-of-focus bokeh caused by stars and the planet Jupiter (among other things). This would be celestial, rather than aerial phenomena. Add to this that a very small number of sightings in the past have been explained by entirely physiological events, such as hallucinations, strokes or Charles-Bonnet Syndrome, the most accurate description would be simply Unidentified Stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/91 "2021-06-14T07:57:24Z")
> [@eburacum\_45](#): > > the most accurate description would be simply Unidentified Stuff. Most accurate but also useless, absent context. I’m fine with UAP, as I consider the unidentified part to implicitly include “apparent” i.e. the viewer _thought_ it was some object moving through Earth’s atmosphere. But I guess making it explicit (UAAP) would be even better. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/92 "2021-06-14T11:49:19Z")
These are unidentified artifacts that may or may not be in the atmosphere. The impossible nature of their actions point to electronic rather than physical origins. This stuff may have been created by the night shift on the simulator. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/93 "2021-06-14T16:51:29Z")
We’re left with Unidentified Aerial Phenomena being… unidentified. Maddeningly so, in that they cannot all be explained as swamp gas, the planet Venus, ice halos, camera artifacts, etc.; but if they are some sort of aerial object, nature unknown, it has proven maddeningly impossible to obtain clear, unambiguous footage of them. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/94 "2021-06-14T17:17:47Z")
I don’t remember where I saw it, maybe in this very thread, but there was a YouTube video by a guy very familiar with cameras and he used math, numbers on the HUDs, camera tech and examples of other air-to-air images to show how most, if not all, of these more recent releases can by explained. He was very convincing. I’ll look around for the video. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/95 "2021-06-14T17:33:04Z")
This? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-3NYowlCoDc/hqdefault.jpg "GOFAST UFO Analysis (yeah no, probably just a balloon)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3NYowlCoDc) ---
**Author:** ![eburacum\_45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum_45/32/3385_2.png) [@eburacum\_45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum_45)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/96 "2021-06-15T15:16:51Z")
That’s probably Mick West. He is not always right, but he is willing to look at the evidence, and change his mind as necessary. > **[I study UFOs – and I don’t believe the alien hype. Here’s why | Mick West](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/11/i-study-ufos-and-i-dont-believe-the-alien-hype-heres-why)** > > This month the Pentagon will release its much-awaited UFO report. Extraterrestrial buffs think they’ll be vindicated - but they’ve gotten a bit ahead of themselves > [@](#): > > “Go Fast” was not actually going fast, and was consistent with a balloon drifting in the wind. “Tic Tac” did not show a craft moving like a ping-pong ball, but instead looked more like a distant plane with the apparent movement caused by the camera switching modes and performing gimbal rolls. “Green Pyramid” looked like “the best UFO footage of all time” for two days, then I pointed out it looked exactly like an out-of-focus airliner shot in night vision with a triangular aperture. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/97 "2021-06-17T09:23:31Z")
From the time I first saw them, I did not find the leaked videos the least bit convincing. But the media is reporting that the coming report will say that the Pentagon believes these things are real but they have no idea what they are and consider them to be a national security threat. Apparently at least some other countries have similar opinions, and some people who would seem to be in positions to be in the know are taking it seriously . If so, then I hope they’re not basing this on those lame videos and have better evidence. I’m finding this whole flap to be confusing. Hopefully this report will clarify things. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum\_45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum_45/32/3385_2.png) [@eburacum\_45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum_45)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/98 "2021-06-17T10:01:53Z")
Well, to me the most interesting evidence is from the _USS Omaha_, which shows radar traces of at least fourteen objects surrounding the ship at one time. Either the radar was very unreliable on this occasion, or some sort of spoofing technology was being deployed, or something else; but this event doesn’t lend itself to an easy explanation. I doubt we will be given enough information to solve this mystery ourselves, however. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/99 "2021-06-17T20:28:27Z")
Yeah. I think the report will basically be that this phenomenon is real but they have no idea what it is. Whether or not they really don’t know is another question. Maybe it’s something so bizarre that they fear they won’t be believed, e.g. octopuses have an advanced deep sea civilization. (Note that I say that tongue in cheek.) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2021, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759/100 "2021-07-03T12:58:09Z")
The report was nothing new, which is pretty much what I expected. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-whats-going-on/852759.md?page=6)