J Allen Hynek

Dr. J. Allen Hynek

A classic UFO Watchdog Article (c) by Royce Myers, III

Noted Astronomer, Dedicated Scientist, UFO Investigator Extraordinaire

The father of rigorous scientific UFO investigation. Dr. Hynek was the chosen scientific consultant for the Air Force's UFO investigation, Project Bluebook. His characterization of one UFO sighting as being 'Swamp Gas' earned him much ridicule, but he took it in good stride and even collected 'swamp gas' cartoons. For the record, he never asserted that ALL sightings in that episode were attributable to swamp gas, but only one out of several. Hynek was considered an Air Force shill by many, but after studying so many credible cases, Dr. Hynek determined the UFO subject to be worthy of scientific investigation and changed his position. Dr. Hynek later founded the Center For UFO Studies (CUFOS). He also invented the classification for UFO sightings, terming the phrase 'Close Encounter' and the famous classification system. (Note: He had a walk-on part in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.) He is the author of the landmark UFO book, The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry (1972) and The Edge of Reality; a progress report on unidentified flying saucers (1975), which he co-authored with Jacques Vallee. Dr. Hynek served as director of CUFOS until his passing in 1986. A more extensive biography is here. (Updates by Schuyler)