SUBJECT: A UFO CLASS FILE: UFO2192 Contrary to popular opinion, UFOlogists do not study UFOs. They study UFO reports. Which makes a lot of sense when you figure that no one (except possibly Uncle Sam) has a real live UFO to study. The first step in studying any anomaly is to classify the data in as many ways as possible, so that correlations can be drawn and priorities set. The most frequently used system for classifying UFO reports is the system developed by J. Allen Hynek of Northwestern University, a famous astronomer and UFO debunker for the Air Force, who later became a believer and founded the Center for UFO Studies in Chicago. His system, which later gave rise to a famous movie title, is summarized below. *** UFO reports are divided into two major groups: Long-Range Sightings (LRS), which occur at 500' or more from the witness, and Close Encounters (CE), which occur at a range of less than 500'. Long Range Sightings are further broken down as follows: Nocturnal Lights (LRS-NL). By far the most common type of sighting. Basically lights in the sky, most can be explained as bright planets or aircraft with unfamiliar lighting arrangements. Most. Daylight Disks (LRS-DD), which may or may not be disk shaped. This category includes any sighting in which an object's rough shape can be made out, such as cigars, triangles, teardrops, etc. In addition, there are the Radar/Visuals, in which an object seen by a ground or air observer is independently tracked on ATC or military radar. *** Close Encounters are further broken down as follows: Close Encounters of the First Kind (CE-I). Mere sighting of Object. Close Encounters of the Second Kind (CE-II). Object interacts with environment in some manner. This can include ground traces such as scorch marks and circular depressions, radiation anomalies, animal excitement, photographs, and the intriguing electromagnetic (EM) effects. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (CE-III). Sighting of entities associated with object. Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind (CE-IV). This category was added after Hynek's death, to include instances of contact between percipient and entity, whether physical, verbal, telepathic, or otherwise. The most perplexing CE-IVs are the so-called "abductions," in which the percipient claims to have been forcibly brought on board the craft, sometimes being subjected to medical examinations. *** In addition to LRSs and CEs are cases that involve Crash/Retrievals, such as the Roswell Incident, and documents, such as the MJ-12 brouhaha. All these different types of cases are categorized in ParaNet files, and given a rating according to the quality of the evidence and their departure from the norm. This rating system is discussed under the entry for "ParaNet/Hynek Rating System," under the DataBank menu. ********************************************** * THE U.F.O. BBS - http://www.ufobbs.com/ufo * **********************************************