UFO
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Astronomy & Space
| Stands for | Unidentified flying object |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
UFO stands for Unidentified flying object, an astronomy & Space abbreviation.
Anything seen in the sky that an observer cannot identify, popularly associated with alien spacecraft. Most reported UFOs turn out to be aircraft, balloons, satellites, planets, birds or optical effects, and no sighting has been confirmed as extraterrestrial technology.
Example: Locals reported a UFO hovering over the lake, which turned out to be a cluster of drone lights.
Usage notes
The term was coined by the US Air Force in the early 1950s, after pilot Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting gave rise to the phrase "flying saucer." The Air Force's Project Blue Book investigated about 12,600 reports between 1952 and 1969. Pronounced as letters or as "you-foe." Official US usage has shifted to UAP.
Related abbreviations
More astronomy & Space abbreviations
- AGN – Active galactic nucleus
- ALMA – Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array
- AU – Astronomical unit
- BBN – Big Bang nucleosynthesis
- BH – Black hole
- CMB – Cosmic microwave background
- CME – Coronal mass ejection
- CNSA – China National Space Administration
- COBE – Cosmic Background Explorer
- CSM – Command and Service Module
- DART – Double Asteroid Redirection Test
- DE – Dark energy