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.
tlw.t life could appear, there life actualty wi 11 app~ar.
It is regarded by scientists today as esscntiHlly certain that ILE
exists, but with eS5ent~ally no possibility of contact between the can-
munities on planets associated with different stars. We therefore con-
clude that there is no relation betlveen 1LE at other solar systems and
the UFO phenomenal: as observed on Earth.
There remains the questiOl, of ILl: within our solar system. Here
only the planets Venus and Ma:os need be given consideration as possible
abodes of life.
~Iercury, the planet nearest the Sun, is certainly too hot to
support life. The side of ~1crcury that is turned toward the
Sun ha~ 311 average temperature of 660 0 r. Since the o1'bi t is rather
eccentric this temperature b,,,comes as h':'gh as 770'\·) hot enough to
melt lead, I"hen Mer.;ury is closest to the Sun. '1'he cpposite side is
e.xtremely cold, its temperature not being \';)IO'"n.'IoLnt. It is quite impossi-
ble that life &s found on Earth could exist on Mercury.
,Jupi teJ', S"turn, Uranus) Neptune e.nd Pluto are so far from the
Sun that they are too cold for life to exist there.
Although it has long bee;) thought that V~mus might provide a suit-
able lbode for life, i.t is now known tha': the sL"rface of Venus is also
too hot for adviiilccJ forms of life, al thoughi t 1:; possible that some
primitive: forms may eX1St. SOI1lC IJIH.:ertaipt.y and controvf~rsy exists
a.bout the intclprctation of observat Ion:; of Vt:mus hccausl' the elanet
is alwa)'s enveloped in tl~)rlsc clouds so that Ute soliJ surface is never
se~n. The absorpt i on spectrum of sunLight comi ng frolll Venus indicates
that the principal cOI1:,tituent of the atlnosphere is carb01~ dioxide.
There is no evidence of f)XygC1\ or water vapor. With so little o.xygcn
in the atl1losphere there could !10·~ be animal life there resembling that
on Eal'th.
~lerCUl'r rotates in ;:i~) d,l)'S and th~' crldlal period is f;S day~, ~10
t hcre is a s 1o'" 1'1.' 1at i v~' 1'ot;t ti Oil .
·11
tlwt life .::ould appear, then' life actually wi II appear.
I t is regarded by scit>nt~sts touay as csscnti .. Jly certain that ILE
exists, but with essent·ally no possibility of contact between the can-
munities on planets associated with different stars. \~e therefore con-
clude that there is no relation between lLE at other solar systems and
the UFO phenomenal: as observed on Earth.
There reml'.ins the questiOl, of ILl: IVithin our solar system. Here
only the planets Venus and ~lars need be given consideration as possible
abodes of life,
~Iercury, the planet nearest the 5u'1, i5 certainly too hot to
support life. The side of ~krcHry that is turned towarJ the
2iun has 311 average t,'mperaturc of 6(10°}'. S iJlce the orbj t is rather
eccentric this temperature b.?corles as h!glt as 770\)", hot enough to
melt lead, when Mer..:ury is close:;t to the Sun. ';'he cpposi te side is
c..:t.rerylely COld, its temperature not being h,own.' (;ravity on t,jercury
is about one-fourth that on Earth. This [;,tet combined wi th tile high
temperatJ.!::'e makes it cert"in that Mercury has no atmosphere, which is
cons i s t!~n t with ob.:;ervat i ona1 dat il on this ;)oint. I t .is quite imposs i-
ble thilt life d.~ found on Earth CQuld exist OTt Mercury.
,Jupiter, S1'turn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are so far from the
Sun that they are too c'Jld for llfe t;) exist there.
Al though it has long beea thought that V(.mus n:ight provide a sui t-
able lb,)tie for life, l.t 1s now known thu'; the sl"rfu(;c of Venus is also
too hot for adVaj)ccd forms of 1 i fe., al though i l i ,; possible that some
primi tH(, forms may eXlS t. SOIll(, uncI' rta; PLy and controv'~rsy exi sts
about the- interpretation of observat lOllS of Vtmus because the fllanet
is always envelopec) .!n d.'r.sc clouds so that tile solid ~u!'face is never
seen. Tb,' absorpt i (Ill spe<.:tnlln of sunl igltt (;ollli ng from Venus indicat.es
that the principal con;:titucnt of the atIJ1o~,phere is carbol~ dioxide,
There is 110 evidence of oxygen or water vapor, With so little o.xygcn
in the atlllosphcrt' there coule: no" he animal life tlwrc resembling that
on Eal·th.
~lerl'lIl'r rotatc'~ il\ ;,:) <L:ys alld tIl\' oxlli l:t I I'('ri uti is kS days, :iCJ
till're i,; a 510\\' rL'lativ(' J'otatic)!].
·11 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.