How can I share information with AARO or report a UAP?

• Military personnel should report through their command or service in accordance with GENADMIN Joint Staff J3 Washington DC 191452ZMAY23 “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Reporting and Material Disposition."
• Civilian pilots are encouraged to promptly report UAP sightings to air traffic control.  AARO receives UAP-related Pilot Reports (PIREPs) from the Federal Aviation Administration.
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• General public - We will announce when a reporting mechanism is available for others to use.

What are the leading explanations to account for UAP reports?

No single explanation addresses the majority of UAP reports. We are collecting as much data as possible, following the data where it leads, and sharing our findings whenever possible.  We will not rush to conclusions in our analysis.  In many cases, observed phenomena are classified as ‘unidentified’ simply because sensors were not able to collect enough information to make a positive attribution.

Common objects/causes frequently reported as UAP include:

• - Airborne clutter

• - Commercial or scientific balloons

• - Commercial or military aircraft

• - Unmanned aerial vehicles (i.e., drones)

• - Space launches

• - Satellites

• - Celestial objects

What makes AARO different from previous U.S. government efforts focused on UAP?

Both the scope and scientific rigor of AARO’s work set the office apart.  It is the first U.S. government office to be tasked with synchronizing efforts across DoD and the interagency to collect, report, and analyze UAP.  AARO is taking a collaborative, objective, and data-driven approach to its mission, and is partnering with a wide range of stakeholders.

Has the Department found any evidence of extraterrestrial technology?

No.  Examination of UAP sightings is ongoing.  AARO uses a rigorous scientific framework and data-driven approach to better understand UAP.  We will follow the science wherever it leads.

What accounts for UAP that have appeared to observers as very fast moving, but are formally assessed to have been stationary or slow moving?

Optical phenomena, such as motion parallax, can explain how a stationary or slow-moving object can appear to be moving rapidly relative to a fast-moving observer. In such cases, it is the observer's speed and field of view that causes the apparent motion of the background behind the observed object, not the object's speed. This effect is enhanced if the object is closer to the observer or if the sensor is viewing the object within a small field of view.

What kind of UAP reports are most scientifically useful?

Click on the button to view a slide that provides a general overview of the information that is most useful to AARO in assessing UAP reports. This includes information both about the UAP itself and the observer.

 Useful information for UAP analysis

Some examples of additional data that would be useful for analysis include:  metadata from cell phone pictures (GPS coordinates, time stamps, etc.);  higher resolution video with associated metadata;  any measured (and recorded) RF data with GPS location and time stamps from HAM radio and amateur radio operators. In addition, night vision camera footage can be useful, but only if it is of high enough resolution and associated with GPS data.  To be helpful, camera data needs to be uncompressed and include the camera specifications, noting that data compression adds artifacts to the data.  In addition, one of the most important considerations for providing scientifically useful data is to ensure data is recorded, time stamped, and geolocated for both the observer and observed object (if possible).  This enables comparison of the public information to known public databases such as air traffic, balloon tracking, and satellite tracking databases to eliminate known sources.

What constitutes firsthand knowledge of a UAP-related U.S. government program or activity?

Firsthand knowledge refers to an individual who participated in, was involved with, or was directly supporting a U.S. government program or activity related to UAP.