Misidentification occurs when an ordinary object, such as an airplane or star, is mistaken for an anomalous phenomenon.
Misidentification happens when an ordinary object in the sky is mistaken for something unusual. Possible examples include airplanes, stars, balloons, satellites, and meteors. The term UFO says nothing about a phenomenon’s source; it means only that the object has not yet been adequately identified.
In 1972, the Apollo 16 crew recorded footage of an object that looked like a “flying saucer.” The footage was later presented as an example in a debate over whether the sighting was genuine or the footage misleading. NASA now recommends checking a light’s direction, speed, duration, and brightness before concluding that it is a UFO or an unidentified anomalous phenomenon. In official cases, security agencies may later examine whether misidentification was the explanation.
It happens when an ordinary object, such as an airplane or star, is mistaken for an anomalous phenomenon.
No. The term means only that the phenomenon has not been adequately identified; it does not establish its origin.
Airplanes, satellites, meteors, and bright planets such as Venus or Mars may be mistaken for anomalous objects.
NASA recommends checking the light’s direction, speed, duration, and brightness.