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.
was such) could vl'ry \'iI.'l1 have been;) large hlack hl.'ar." llis report
also notes thlt "Juring the week of ,July 2(1 the local TV stations sh:"..;cd
a program clllcd 'Lost in Space.' III this program there welC two fn(;(\-
sters fittin~t their de::;cription controlled by a human being. II
Summarizing, the investigation report says, "There was f,;)od
missing from the picnic table 1,."hich lCllns to the belief that some
animal was responsible for the black shape llortion of the total sight-
inU. There are nu:nerou~, bear:.. alld raccoons in the area."
Another photograph i,resented in the Look Special is of a penta-
gonal imag~. though called hexagonal. Photographic images of Lids
kind arise from a m,.lfunctioning of the big of the camcra and are
quite commo~place. It is hard to understand how the editors of a
national illustrated ma,l.;azine could be unfamiliar with this kind of
c4I1lera defc'::t.
13. Direct and Indirect Physical EVid_~l\cc_
A wide vari cty of phys i caJ (~ffe::b of UFOs have been claimed i J~
the UFtJ literature. The most d.ir.ed
as direct ~vidence ar~ those of the findin~ of pieces of material
whi ch allegedl~' came from outer s}Jace bl;!cause it is a ploduct of a
different technology, S~ it is said, than any known on earth. Another
kind of direct evidencc.' studied '.... erc allegations that disturlnmcc of
vegetation on the ground, or of the soil wa;; due to an UFC' haVing
landed at the pluc(~ in lIUl'st i,on.
The clai:f\('d indircct ph:':.>ical evidence of tlw prescIlcc \)1' an UFO
is of the nature of effects rrm!uccu tlt a distunce by the lire. ,\c:counts
of sounds, or thl' lack of sound~, a~soc.:iatcJ with UFOs, ("'cn though
reportfl of visual olJ;;ervation indicated speeds of thc' UFO far_n LXC('S';
of thL' vd oei ty of sound \~crc COllll\1on. IV!llmcvcr a tcrn~s t r i:J 1 .,,)] i J
nbjcct travels throup.h the atmosphere fast0r thall thc.' sl'c\·,j vf sound.
a sonic boom is g('nerated. The argum(mt has be";11 advanced thtlt the
S2
was such) could very 1,1.'11 have bt'CIl :l largl' bL,((;k b'.'ar." IIi.s report
also notes thlt "Juring the wt'ck of ,Iuly 26 the local TV stations sh:'·";cd
a program clilcd 'Lost in Space,' III thls program there were two lfIu,,-
sters fittin!: their description controlled by a human being."
Summarizing, the investigation report says, "There was f.~od
missing from the picnic table l•• hich leans to the belief that some
animal was responsibl1? for the black shape l)ortion of the total sight-
inG, There are nun\'rou~· bear:.. and raccoons i.n the area,"
Another photugraph presented in the j~ook Special ls of a penta-
gonal image, though called hexagonal. Photographic images of Lids
kind arise from a m:.l functioning of the iIi" of the camcra and are
qui te commo.lplace. rt is hard to unders tand how the edi tors of a
national illustratl'd ma,.;azine could be unfamiliar with this kind of
c..tl1lera defe~t,
13. Direct and Indirect Physical EvicJ~l\ce_
A wide vari.ety of physicaJ ('ffe::ts of UFOs have been claimed in
the UF0 literature. The most dir';,ct phy~ical (,vidc'1ce, of course,
would be the actual discovery of 3 flying S9ucer, with or with0ut
occupants, llving or dead, None I.';'re found, Claims wh.:ch we stu"'.ed
as direct ~videnec ar", those of th.e findin~ of pi'~CC5 of ;.lateri ill
wid ch allegedl;' call1l;' from outer space b~cause it is a ploduct of a
different technology, S~ it is said, than any known on earth, Another
kind of direct evldcnc(' studied were allegations that rHsturb"mc:e of
vegetation on thl' ground, or of the soil wa~ due to all UFC haVing
landed at the pluet· in questi.on,
The claLned i nJi reet phI':'> Leal evidence of till' prescllcc \)1' an UFO
is of the nature of ('ffct:t~ proJuccu cit a di.stance by the Ui I,. ,\ce0unts
of sounus, or thl' lack of 50und5, assoc i atcJ wi th lIF()s J ("'cI1 though
rcportfl of vislIal ob~e]"vation inuicattCtl speeds of' tllr.c UFO far,n (XC('S';
of the vdocity of sound I~()re COlll1l10n, Whf!nl'ver a t()rl'('~;triil: .,,)liJ
()bjcct travels throup.h the atnlosphere fast0r thall thl' spc",] 01" 50l1l1tl.
a sonic boom i~ generated. The argumlmt hug bCl:1i adv1lJ1.ccd that the
;'2 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.