: A visual observation of an unidentified flying object (UFO) at a distance, typically less than 500 feet.
The title is derived from the work of , an astronomer and former scientific advisor to the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book . In his 1972 book, The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry , Hynek proposed a hierarchy to categorize reports of unidentified flying objects based on the proximity and nature of the sighting: subtitle Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The title of Steven Spielberg's 1977 masterpiece, , is not just a catchy phrase; it is a direct reference to a scientific classification system that anchors the film’s narrative in the reality of 20th-century UFO research. The Origin: The Hynek Scale : A visual observation of an unidentified flying
: A UFO sighting accompanied by physical evidence or effects, such as scorched earth, broken branches, or electromagnetic interference in vehicles and electronics. In his 1972 book, The UFO Experience: A