UFO Coverage Hits the Mainstream

This week The New York Times reported that two Navy pilots saw “unidentified flying objects” almost daily throughout 2014 into 2015. While the government is not saying that these objects are extraterrestrial in origin, neither do they have an alternative explanation. According to the report, “the objects persisted, showing up at 30,000 feet, 20,000 feet, even sea level. They could accelerate, slow down, and then hit hypersonic speeds.”  The pilots, Lt. Ryan Graves ( a 10-year Navy vet) who reported his sightings to the Pentagon and Congress, and Lt. Danny Accoin noted that objects first became apparent when the military upgraded to an advanced radar system, and said that the craft would be visible for 12 hours at a time, which is, as one pilot noted, “11 hours longer than we’d expect.”

UFO Coverage Hits the Mainstream

The article joins a growing body of mainstream reports on the issue, including a new piece this week from The Washington Post entitled, UFOs Exist and Everyone Needs to Adjust to That FactFox News has covered the sightings, and a new TV show, “Unidentified: Inside America’s UFO Investigation,” will debut on the History channel this Friday.

According to Politico, the U.S. Navy is drafting new guidelines for pilots and other personnel to report encounters with “unidentified aircraft,” a significant new step in creating a formal process to collect and analyze the unexplained sightings — and destigmatize them. The previously unreported move is in response to a series of sightings of unknown, highly advanced aircraft intruding on Navy strike groups and other sensitive military formations and facilities, the service says.

From the Betty Hill abduction story in the 1960’s, to the most recent sightings in California and Mexico, UFOs have has long been a source of great fascination to the public. While serious mainstream coverage is relatively new, the Mutual UFO Network, MUFON, has been taking UFOs seriously for 50 years. The organization has been featured on CNN, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic and other networks. Billed as “the world’s oldest and largest UFO phenomenon investigative body,” the site covers news, sightings, and research, as well as holding member events and conventions. One of their key aims is to elevate the field from anecdotal observations to  science based data and research.

Visit www.mufon.com for more information

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