Black Vault compilation, pp. 91-93

Identified reports are those tor which sufficient speci!ie information h3S been accumulated and
evaluated to permit a positive identification or explanation of the object.
Reports categorized a, Insu!!icient Data are those !or which one or more elements of informa~
tion essential for evaluation are missing. Some examples are the omission of the duration of the
sighting, date, time, location, position in the sky, weather conditions, and the manner of appearance
or disappearance. U an element 1s missing and there is an indication that the sighting may be of a
security, scientific, teehnic:al, or public interest value, the ProjP.ct Blue Book Orfice conducu an
additional investigation and every attempt Ia made to obtain the information necessary for identi!i~
cation. However, iD some instances, essential information cannot be obtained, and no further action
can be takeft.
.
The third and by far the smallest group of evaluations is categorized as Unidentified. A sight~
ing is considered unidentified when a report apparently contains all pertinent data necessary to
suggest a. valid hypothesta concerning the cause or explanation of the report but tM description of
the object or its motion cannot be correlated with any known object or phenomena.
TYPES OF UFO IDENTlFICATDNS AND EVALUATIONS
There are varioua types of UFO sightings. Most common are reports of a.stronomicalsiJht!np,
which include bright stars, planets, comets, flreballs, meteors, auroral streamers, and other celes-
tial bodies. When observed through haze, light to1, moving clouds, or other obscura.tions or unusual
conditions, the planets, J.ncludtng Venus, Jupiter, and Mars have been reported as Wlidentified nytnc
objects. Stellar mirages are also a source of reports.
Satellites are another major source of uro r!pOrts. AD mcrease 1n satellites reported as uros
ha.s come about because of two factors. The f1rst ia the i.Dcrea.se of interest on the part of the public;
the second is the increaainc number of satellites 1n the skies. Posltive knowledge of the location of all
satellites at all times eaahles ra.pid identU1catlon of sa.telltte siehtings. KeepLnc track of man-made
objects in orbit about the earth 1s the responstbWty of the North American Air Defense Command
Space Detection and Trac1r1ng System. This sophisticated electronic: system gathers complex space
traffic data instantly from tracking stations all over the world.
Other space surveillanee acUvities include the use of balliStic tracking and large telescopic c::a.m-
. eras. ECHO schedules are prepared by the NASAGoddardSpaee Flight Center at Greenbelt, Maryland,
and schedules of the South/North equator crossings are prepared by the Smithsonian Institution at
Cambridge, Massachusetts. From the data produced by these agencies, sate llltes mistakenly reported
as UFOs can be quickly identified. Some of these are visible to the naked eye.
Aircraft account for another major source of UFO reports, particularly during adverse weather
conditions. When observed at high altitudes and at some distance, aircraft can have appea.r:mc es rang~
ing from disc to rocket shapes due to the refiectton of the sun on their bright surfaces. Vapor or con-
densation trails !rom jet aircraft will sometimes appear to glow fiery red or orange \\'hen reneettnc
sunlight. A!terburners from jet aircraft are often reported as UFOs since they can be seen !rom great
distances when the aircraft cannot be seen.
The Project Blue Book OUice has direct contact with all elements of the Air Force and the Fed~
eral A·tiation .A.gency civil air control centers. All aerial refueling operations and special training
!lights can be checked immediately. Air traffic of commercial airlines and flights of military aircraft
a.re checked with the nearest control center, enabling an immediate evaluation o! aircraft misbkellly
reported as UFOs. However, since many local flights are not carried, these flights :tre probable causes
o! some reports.
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