An Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon (UAP) is a sighting that has not yet been identified and may occur in the air, at sea, or in space.
The term UAP is an acronym for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. In US government and NASA usage, it is broader than the term UFO, encompassing sightings in the air, at sea, and in space. NASA defines UAP as observations in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective.
The official term changed from "aerial phenomena" to "anomalous phenomena" following a US law. The Department of Defense examines UAP reports and treats them as phenomena for which a scientific explanation has not yet been found, pending identification. NASA convened a scientific research team, and its report stated that no evidence was found that reported UAP sightings are of extraterrestrial origin.
In the United States, AARO—the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office—is responsible for examining and resolving such cases. Some reports, after investigation, were classified as non-anomalous; the mere reporting of a UAP is not considered by authorities to be proof of alien technology.
It is an acronym for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. The term is used to describe sightings that have not yet been identified.
UAP is a broader term that may include sightings in the air, at sea, and in space. UFO refers to unidentified phenomena specifically in an aerial context.
No. According to NASA, no evidence has been found that reported sightings are of extraterrestrial origin.
AARO, the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, is the central body responsible for examining and resolving cases.