What Are UFOs?

Aliens From Outer Space?

UFO simply stands for unidentified flying object. The term was first used by the United States Air Force in 1952 after numerous people reported strange objects flying in the sky.

UFOs appear in ancient drawings and may even be mentioned in the Christian Bible that talks about “chariots of fire. There are drawn pictures in ancient tombs of Egypt that show what look like flying objects. Similar drawings and stone carvings have been found in other civilizations, including the powerful Mayan culture that lived in what is now Mexico and Central America.

Many cultures continue to believe in ancient myths of flaming objects coming down from the sky.

The Mystery of Roswell, New Mexico

On July 8, 1947, residents of the tiny village of Roswell, New Mexico reported seeing a bright light in the sky crash to Earth. Crash debris from the desert was collected. At first, officials reported that the debris was unusual and, for the first time, the term flying saucer appeared in the Roswell Daily Record, the local newspaper in a headline that read “RAAF Captures Flying Saucer On Ranch in Roswell Region.”

At first, the United States Army agreed that the debris collected from the Roswell crash site was unusual. However, this “evidence” was quickly whisked away. The U.S. military quickly put out a story claiming the object was nothing but a high altitude weather balloon that fell to Earth.

To this day, there’s evidence to show that whatever crashed near Roswell all those years ago was not a weather balloon. Many people believe that our government has covered-up the Roswell mystery. Can you think of reasons why an alien space craft would be kept a secret for all of these years?

Scientific Study

There have been hundreds of scientific studies of UFO sightings and “evidence,” usually in the form of grainy pictures. Many of these pictures have been proven to be hoaxes. However, some UFO sightings remain unexplained.

In our culture, the term UFO has taken on a special meaning. To many, a UFO can only be an alien space craft. For those men and women who have seen these flying objects up close, it is the only explanation.

However, most scientists remain unconvinced that UFOs are space craft from other plants. The skies are filled with mysteries. Swamp gas, which is released in boggy areas, is often mistaken for UFOs. Weather balloons, airplanes, helicopters and even clouds have all been mistaken for alien space craft.

But make no mistake about this. There are numerous examples of true UFOs – unidentified flying objects. Scientists and the government admit that these mysterious sightings can’t be explained. So, is that proof that aliens have arrived on Earth?

No, that’s not the way science works. To a scientist, a UFO is simply an unidentified flying object. It does NOT mean that it is an alien space craft. It simply can’t be identified as anything.

Now, what about you? Do you think that the Earth has been visited by alien space craft? Thousands of sightings have been reported. Even ex-President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, claims to have seen a UFO.

Are we alone? There’s plenty of good information on the world wide web to help you make up your own mind. And if you find real proof that some UFOs are, indeed, alien space craft, please tell someone right away.

Wouldn’t it be great if you were the one who found the proof science needs to figure out what some UFOs really are?

The world of science is filled with mysteries waiting to be solved by someone just like you. To learn more about the fun facts behind science, visit us at Science With Me! We make science fun for everyone )even space aliens if they’re reading this along with you).Whether you are researching a elementary science project or are being homeschooled, Science With Me makes an excellent resource.