Documents / Report
This is the final report of the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, conducted by the University of Colorado under Air Force contract F44620-67-C-0035, with Edward U. Condon as scientific director and Daniel S. Gillmor as editor. It was submitted to the National Academy of Sciences on 15 November 1968 for review. The report includes field studies, photographic and radar analyses, case studies, historical chapters and appendices such as the Robertson Panel report and the Twining letter.
5. Quality of UrO Photogr<:phic Data The statistical properties or the quantity of photographic data ar'~ less important than the content of a single case that might strongly indicate the existence of R hitherto unrecongi2ed phen- omenon. Nonetheless, it is a part of the problem that most of the Jata are of very low quality. A glance through typical UFO per- ioJicals and books illustrates this. Many of the photographs are blurred, usually due to poor focus. Many arc hadly processed or 1ight -struck. Many, usually because they are fabrications made with small models too close to the camera, show, against sharp backgrounds, objects that are hopelessly out of focus Many photographs do not give the subje'~tive i:npression of a metallic or luminous entity flying through the air at some moderate di~tanLe from the observers. More specifically a large part of the data is inappropriate for analysis. Night-time photogra:jhs that :;how either point sources or amorphous blobs wi. th no backgrounr: or foreground fall in this category. Daytime photographs of objects of very smull angular size are also of little value, A large number 0 f reports consist of only aile photograph, and single photof,raphs are of much It.-55 photogl'ammetric value than sets. Damage to negatives frequentl)' renders them valueless for i/1- vestigative purposes. An investigator Y.isitinl.~ one witness found a baby playing on the floor with the lIe gat i ves. (Mcf\'linnvi lIe. Case 40) A crucial spot on another set of negatives was hurned out by a dropped match, assertedly by accident. (North East~rn, Case 53) loss of original negatlvPs or pr~nts is reported, as in Santa Ar\:l (Case 5;; ). Accurate descriptive testimony, even in photographic cases is also Jifficult to ohtaill. ~or cX3mplc, a witness described an UFO as "half as large as the moon"; his photograph flnd sketch show a disk having all angular diameter of about IS". 112 s. Quality of UFO Photogrcphic Data The statistical properties or the quantity of photographic data ar'.:' less important than the content of a 5inglc case that might strongly indicate the existence of <1 hitherto unrecongized phen- omenon. Nonetheless, it is a part of the problem that most of the ~ata are of very low quality. A glance through typical UFO per- ioJicals and books illustrates this. Many of the photographs are blurred, usually due to poor focus. Many are nadly processed or light-struck. Many, usually because they are fabrications made with small models too close to the camera, show, against sharp backgrounds, objects that are hopelessly out of focus Many photographs do not give the subje':tive i:npression of a metallic or luminous entity flying through the air at some moderate distance from the observers. More specifically a large part of the data is inappropriate for analysis. Night-time photogra~hs that show either point SOUTces or amorphous blobs wi. th no backarouD" or fOI'eground fail in this category. Daytime photographs of objects of very small angular size are also of little value. A large number Of teports conSIst of only one photograph, and single photor.raphs are of much 1t.-5S photogl'ammetric value than sets. Damage to negatives fl'equently renders them valueless for in- vestigative purposes. An investigator Yisitin~ one witness found a baby playing on the floor with the ),egatives, (~lcfv!innville. CaSt! <It,) A i.:ruclaJ spot on ::mother set cf ncgat.ivcs was hurned out by a droppcJ match, asscrtedly by accident. (North East~rnJ Case 53) L~S5 of original negatlvPs or prints is reporteJ, as in Santa :\n;.1 (Case S 2 ). Accurate descriptive testimony, even in photographic cyses is also Jj ffIc~l t to I)htain. !'or example, a witness described an UFO as "half as large as the moon"; his photograpll und sketch show a disk having an angular diameter of about IS". 112
Report, from the classic collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 1497 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.