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The sightings like yours (saw a distant light or dot moving in the distance) are typically not the interesting ones, for the reasons you describe. There are jus

The sightings like yours (saw a distant light or dot moving in the distance) are typically not the interesting ones, for the reasons you describe. There are just so many unfalsifiable prosaic explanations, and just a dozen or so will account for 95% of accounts from reliable observers. The interesting ones are "close encounters" like the Nimitz incident with multiple observers, where either the observers are making an exceptional effort to lie, or something extraordinary was truly witnessed. Extra point for those including multiple data points like radar tracks, visual recordings, or radiation burns. Also, nit: the "flying saucer" phenomenon was popularized by the Rainier Kenneth Arnold sighting, but it was far from the first recorded sighting [0] [1]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1561_celestial_phenomenon_over_Nuremberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1561_celestial_phenomenon_over... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_fighter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_fighter

zw123456 5y ago
Yes, I understand your nit picking about the "first" UFO sighting being Mt Rainier, although, I feel like it was pretty clear that wasn't the main point I was making. As for 1561, I am wondering if they had better optics and telescopes maybe it would have revealed what the phenomenon was. Maybe it was an Ancient Alien visitation, or maybe not, we don't know. And probably never will. So, it might be interesting, but it is not proof. Foo Fighters (good band BTW), maybe if they had better radar or other tools maybe they could have detected what it was, maybe not. So, again, interesting but, just that. For now, I remain a skeptic. Believe me, when I saw what looked like a disc, it looked like a lot more than just a dot of light, and a lot of other people thought so too, I was excited. I was hoping it was a visitation of nice aliens coming to save us from ourselves and not predators with a cookbook. But, it turns out it was just a guy in a hang glider with a motor on it. Had I not had a lot of good optical equipment, I might have been convinced I saw a flying saucer. I am a skeptic, but with proper proof of course I can be convinced, I am even hoping for it (I just hope they aren't bearing cookbooks).

zw123456 5y ago

Yes, I understand your nit picking about the "first" UFO sighting being Mt Rainier, although, I feel like it was pretty clear that wasn't the main point I was making. As for 1561, I am wondering if they had better optics and telescopes maybe it would have revealed what the phenomenon was. Maybe it was an Ancient Alien visitation, or maybe not, we don't know. And probably never will. So, it might be interesting, but it is not proof. Foo Fighters (good band BTW), maybe if they had better radar or other tools maybe they could have detected what it was, maybe not. So, again, interesting but, just that. For now, I remain a skeptic. Believe me, when I saw what looked like a disc, it looked like a lot more than just a dot of light, and a lot of other people thought so too, I was excited. I was hoping it was a visitation of nice aliens coming to save us from ourselves and not predators with a cookbook. But, it turns out it was just a guy in a hang glider with a motor on it. Had I not had a lot of good optical equipment, I might have been convinced I saw a flying saucer. I am a skeptic, but with proper proof of course I can be convinced, I am even hoping for it (I just hope they aren't bearing cookbooks).