The UFO reddit

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The original was posted on /r/ufos by /u/thedarkpolitique on 2024-12-07 14:59:20+00:00.

I don't think I'm alone in my thinking here. Over the past month, r/UFOs has seen a large number of posts featuring videos that, for many of us, are easily identifiable as conventional aircraft or other mundane phenomena. While it’s understandable (and highly encouraging!) that the recent flood of sightings originiating from NJ has inspired people to look up and record things they believe to be anomalous, some of these clear misidentifications (and you can see my previous post showing some examples) dilute the quality of the discussion thread and can lead to ridicule of the entire community.

This isn't meant as a criticism of individuals trying to contribute, we want everyone to get involved, but I don't think it should allow us let our guard downs as individual posters. I think we all have a responsibility to each other, and to ourselves, to undertake a bit of due diligence before we post. I'm not saying people should be undertaking a full investigation themselves, but a careful and diligent few minutes can help in determining whether a video constitutes what many here would deem truly anomalous.

What I would like to see happen:

There is, below, several steps, which if followed, means you'll help the community to focus on genuine anomalous evidence and which in turn will improve the overall integrity of our discussions and help prevent the subreddit from becoming oversaturated with questionable material.

So you've seen something in the sky that's made you question what is was, and you managed to record it. That's a really good thing to do.

Now that you have the recording, you should consider the below.

First Step: Basic Verification

1. Check for known aircrafts:

• Look at this guide explaining the different types of lights. See whether the lights you see accord with any of these. If it does, it is very likely to be a plane. See also the object's shape - is it consistent with a commercial plane?

• Have a look at Flight Radar to see whether there are any scheduled for the time you made the recording. Input your GPS coordinates or your location, and see whether any planes made that journey.

• Check your proximity to airports, military bases or known flight paths.

1. Consider the environment:

• Could lens flare reflecting off lights be it, could it be a planet or star miscontrued as an object? Other known mundane explanations that could account for it are flares, chinese/sky lanterns, star link, other satellites... and the dreaded one that we all have probably miscontrued... balloons.

1. Camera Settings & Quality:

• Could the object's appearance be due to low resolution of the phone or digital zoom?

Second Step: A check against what we know as the "Five Observables"

1. Sudden and Instantaneous Acceleration: Does the object appear to change direction or speed in a way that defies known aerodynamic limits and would be harmful to a biological pilot?
2. Hypersonic Velocities Without Signatures: Is the object moving significantly faster than known aircraft, yet leaving no sonic boom, contrail, or heat signature?
3. Low Observability: Is it genuinely hard to observe details even with proper camera settings and stable footage? Or is the blur simply due to camera quality.
4. Trans-Medium Travel: Does the object seamlessly move between air, space, and/or water without a noticeable transition or loss of performance?
5. Positive Lift Without Traditional Means: Is the object hovering or maneuvering without visible wings, rotors, or exhaust, defying normal aerodynamic principles?

N.B. If your footage does not display at least one of the above, it is likely not a geniune UAP, or not something we can really progress further with given it presents nothing anomalous.

Third Step: Provide context with your post.

This recent post encapsulates this perfectly. If you do decide to post:

• Location and Time: Exact coordinates or, if you're not comfortable, location of the nearest city, date, and time, to help others verify flight records or other possible activities in the area.

• Equipment Used: Camera model, lens, zoom etc. any details like that would also be helpful for people who have a greater understanding of photography and the drawbacks of certain equipment used to record the object.

• Witnesses: Was there anyone else there beside you, and did they make any comments on the object?

My final thoughts:

I am not asking that everyone becomes seasoned investigators - that is ultimately what we will aim to do as a collective here - but a few minutes of diligence and scuritiny can preserve the subbreddit's credibility. By applying this framework and reviewing the Five Observables, we can focus on geniunely anomalous evidence and deepen our understanding. Ultimately, none of us want this topic to be made a mockery of, and we are the first hurdle in preventing that.

By taking these first steps ourselves, we ensure that what rises to the top here is worth everyone's time and attention.