Editing Unidentified flying object (section)

{{Short description|Airborne entity that has not been identified or explained}}
{{Redirect|UFO|other uses|Unidentified flying object (disambiguation)|and|UFO (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|Unidentified submerged object}}
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[[File:Gimbal The First Official UAP Footage from the USG for Public Release.webm|thumb|330x330px|"GIMBAL" [[Pentagon UFO videos|Pentagon UFO video]], January 2015]]

An '''unidentified flying object''' ('''UFO''') is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into [[flying saucer]]s found too broad a range of shapes reported to consider them all saucers or discs. UFOs are also known as '''unidentified aerial phenomena''' or '''unidentified anomalous phenomena''' ('''UAP''').<ref name="ODNI">{{cite web |title=Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. Preliminary Intelligence Assessment |url=https://www.intelligence.gov/publics-daily-brief/public-s-daily-brief-articles/1077-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-preliminary-intelligence-assessment |website=www.intelligence.gov |publisher=Office of the Director of National Intelligence |access-date=22 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=UAP FAQs – NASA Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Study Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://science.nasa.gov/uap/faqs/ |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=[[NASA]] |date=October 21, 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=50 U.S. Code § 3373 – Establishment of All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office |url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/3373 |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=[[Cornell Law School|law.]][[Cornell.edu|cornell.edu]]|publisher=LII / [[Legal Information Institute]] |language=en |archive-date=May 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520125549/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/3373 |url-status=live }}</ref> Upon investigation, most UFOs are [[Identification studies of UFOs|identified as known objects or atmospheric phenomena]], while a small number remain unexplained.

While unusual sightings in the sky have been reported since at least the 3rd century BC, UFOs became culturally prominent after [[World War II]], escalating during the [[Space Age]]. Studies and investigations into UFO reports conducted by governments (such as [[Project Blue Book]] in the United States and [[Project Condign]] in the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]), as well as by organisations and individuals have occurred over the years without confirmation of the fantastical claims of small but vocal groups of [[ufologists]] who favour unconventional or [[pseudoscience|pseudoscientific]] hypotheses, often claiming that UFOs are evidence of [[Extraterrestrial hypothesis|extraterrestrial intelligence]], [[Cryptoterrestrial hypothesis|technologically advanced cryptids]], [[demon]]s, [[Interdimensional UFO hypothesis|interdimensional contact]] or [[Time-traveller UFO hypothesis|future time travelers]]. After decades of promotion of such ideas by believers and in popular media, [[Sagan standard|the kind of evidence required to solidly support such claims]] has not been forthcoming. Scientists and skeptic organizations such as the [[Committee for Skeptical Inquiry]] have provided prosaic explanations for UFOs, namely that they are caused by natural phenomena, human technology, delusions, and hoaxes. Although certain beliefs surrounding UFOs have inspired parts of [[UFO religion|new religions]], social scientists have identified the ongoing interest and storytelling surrounding UFOs as a modern example of [[folklore]] and [[mythology]] understandable with [[Psychosocial UFO hypothesis|psychosocial explanations]].

The problems of temporarily or permanently non-knowable anomalous phenomenon or perceived objects in flight is part of the philosophical subject [[epistemology]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kuenzle|first1=Dominique|location=[[University of Zurich]]|date=2017 |chapter=Towards a New Epistemology 1.2 Second development: Naturalising Epistemology Stroud's objection|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w34oDwAAQBAJ&dq=ufo+epistemology&pg=PA22|page=22 |title=Refurbishing Epistemology A Meta-Epistemological Framework|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w34oDwAAQBAJ|publication-place=Berlin, Boston|publisher=[[De Gruyter]]|publication-date=26 June 2017 |isbn=9783110525458|issn=2512-5168|series=<small>Epistemic Studies Philosophy of Science, Cognition and Mind</small>  |access-date=18 March 2025|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Robertson|first1=David G.|year=2016|chapter=Introduction: Aquarian conspiracies|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=450yEAAAQBAJ|page=9|location=[[Open University]]|title=UFOs, Conspiracy Theories and the New Age Millennial Conspiracism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=450yEAAAQBAJ|series=<small>BLOOMSBURY ADVANCES IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES</small>|edition=1|publication-place=<small>LONDON OXFORD NEW YORK NEW DELHI SYDNEY</small>|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Academic]]|publication-date=2016|isbn=9781350044982|access-date=18 March 2025|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

The [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. government]] currently has two entities dedicated to UFO data collection and analysis: [[NASA's UAP independent study team]] and the [[Office of the Secretary of Defense |Department of Defence]] [[All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office]].

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