DO-IT-YOURSELF UFO IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

Unidentified Flying Objects / Project Blue Book

THE IDENTIFICATION CHECKLIST

These are drawn from actual training materials used to help civilian and military witnesses identify what they saw in the skies.  They are extremely helpful in understanding how to identify those cases of unidentified flying objects described in case files and verify those that cannot be readily identified as ordinary or natural objects misidentified.

BALLOONS

Shape: Round, cigar, pinpoint or bowling pin

Size: Up to 100 ft. size (generally appears pinpoint to pea held at arm’s length)

Color: Silver, white, or tints of color. Dark against clouds.

Speed: Speed-large scale erratic speed ruled out. In general, hovering to slow apparent speed.

Formation: Single to cluster

Train: No train or trail of exhaust

Sound: No sound

Time in Sight: Longer time

Course: Straight with gradual ascent unless falling

Lighting: Usually at sunset or sunrise

AIRCRAFT

Shape: Conventional to circular or elliptical

Size:  Pinpoint to actual

Color: Silver to bright yellow. Jet exhaust may be yellow to red.

Speed: Angular speeds.  Small objects crossing major portion of sky in less than a minute can be ruled out. Aircraft will not do such; meteors will.

Formation: 2- 20; more than 20 likely birds.

Train: May or may not have train, trails or exhaust

Sound: Loud to shrill. Zero to loud; loud to low depending on altitude or winds aloft. High enough – no sound.

Time in Sight: More than 15 seconds; usually 1-2 minutes

Course: Steady. Straight or gently curving. Not erratic – may appear still if approaching head one.

Lighting: Night or day

METEORS

Shape: Round to elongate form

Size: Pinpoint to size of moon

Color: Flaming yellow, red, green, or blue possible (and combinations with white)

Speed: Crosses expanse of sky in a few seconds, except of coming head-on

Formation: 1: Can break apart; occasionally can appear as small group

Train: Luminous trail may appear briefly (seldom lasting longer than 30 minutes). Usually day but can be visible at night under right conditions

Sound: None

Time in Sight: Longest 30 seconds; generally less than 10 seconds

Course: Generally straight down but not necessarily. Can rarely curve up slightly (giving a slight rise to movement)

Lighting: Mostly night but can be seen in day

Other: Exceptionally bright ones are “fireballs” or “bolides”. Rare and very spectacular, occasionally known to light up large areas to daylight levels. Origin of these is still debated.

STARS/PLANETS

Shape: Pinpoint to star like

Size: Never appreciable

Color: Yellow, white to rainbow variations

Speed: Stars apparent speed carry them East to West; may seem erratic due to air fluctuations and psychological factors as the mind compensates

Formation: No clusters (beyond well-known night time constellations); a report of 4-5 bright clustering lights would rule out stars.

Train: None

Sound: None

Time in Sight: Clear stars are visible. Rise and set over course of the night

Course: Always described in 24 hr. cycle around pole; in sky moving E-W; stars in the west sky set within 1 – 2 hours; stars in the east, always go higher in the sky

Lighting: Night but can – rarely – be visible in the day

 SEARCH LIGHTS

Shape: Round to elliptical

Size: Pea size at arm’s length to large luminous glows; depend on cloud height

Color: White fluorescent

Speed: Stationary to fantastic

Formation: Usually one but occasionally 2-3

Train:  No train, trail or exhaust

Sound: No sound

Time in Sight: Generally long

Course: Circling, stationary, erratic; small tight arcs; scattered clouds can give the impression of movement

Lighting: Night

OPTICAL PHENOMENA

In this category fall reflections, sundogs, mirages and they vary in form by category.

Size: Star like to luminous glow

Color: Generally yellow

Speed: Stationary to fantastic

Formation: Any

Train: No train, trail, or exhaust

Sound: No sound

Time in Sight: Any

Course: Any

Lighting: Day and night

Other: One of the standard types is a “sundog”, with one to four images placed alongside the sun with a halo circle at intervals of 90 degrees. Another report is often a bright planet or even the moon shining through the light overcast clouds. Mirage reflections are said to occur frequently when temperature inversions exist in the atmosphere.