Britannica AI Icon

J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies

American organization
Also known as: CUFOS

Quick Summary

The J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) is an American organization dedicated to investigating unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Founded by astronomer J. Allen Hynek, who was involved in early U.S. government UFO investigations like Project Blue Book, CUFOS continues to study the phenomenon.123

UFOs, or unidentified flying objects, are aerial objects or optical phenomena that observers cannot readily identify. Public interest in UFOs surged after World War II, with some researchers suggesting they could be evidence of extraterrestrial life visiting Earth. The term "flying saucer" originated from a misreported sighting in 1947. While many sightings are later explained by natural phenomena, aircraft, or optical illusions, a small fraction remain unexplained, fueling ongoing research and public fascination.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.