An amateur Astronomers view on UFOs

D B Sweeney

Tim Printy is an American Amateur Astronomer who has been 'watching the skies' since 1972. Here are his views on UFOs based on his experience:

UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object. Note the word UNIDENTIFIED. The individual making the report affixes the label of Unidentified to the object. My opinion on UFOs is that they do exist as UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS in the mind of the observer. In a great many cases they turn out to be normal objects/astronomical events seen under unusual situations by excited observers. In other cases, they are vivid imaginations or simple hoaxes. Even the most hardened UFOlogist (one who studies the phenomena), who believes that there is something behind these reports, will admit that at least nine out of ten cases are misperceptions and hoaxes. The values usually turn out to be more like 3-10% of the reports remaining unexplained. With such a small percentage of remaining cases, one has to wonder exactly what reports are actual observations of objects that are something beyond what we know about the world today. For most UFOlogists, this means that the most likely source is spaceships from another world. This is a bold statement based on reports that are suspect with misidentification. This hypothesis, called the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH), is based on eliminating all possibilities for the source of the report. It is not based on any practical evidence that can be presented.
With over 30 years of amateur astronomy experience, I have yet to see anything I could not explain. I would love to see a genuine alien spaceship but have yet to see one. I have put in more observing time than most people who claim to have seen at least one genuine spacecraft! Am I not a good observer? Do I miss UFOs because they don't want to come near my location? Is it possible that I don't see UFOs because I do not believe in them? I doubt these possibilities. Perhaps the more likely answer is that I do not see UFOs because they are nothing but misperceptions and misidentifications by inexperienced/excited observers. They could also be observations of rare phenomena not known to the observer. Clearly, there are many possible explanations and the least likely is that of little green men in spaceships. However, there is a significant amount of the population who seriously believe that UFOs are actually alien spaceships. Why do they believe this? Probably because they are not very well informed, are selective on what they want to read/hear, or possess a strong desire to believe in something exotic/greater than themselves. The media tends to sensationalize many events and rarely examines a story beyond the minimum required. They add fuel to the fire in order to keep the viewer/reader interested. After all, the headline "Man Bites Dog" sells a lot more newspapers/captures more viewers than the mundane report.
Despite over fifty years of "research", UFO organizations have yet to provide us with any significant data that can backup the claim that UFOs are caused by aliens piloting spaceships. Many of their "investigations" are often suspect and tell only one portion of the story. These investigators will omit/ignore facts that indicate the source of the report was something more mundane. While the gullible media and public swallow "The saucers are coming" headline, it always seems like there is a more reasonable explanation.

http://home.comcast.net/~tprinty/Astronomy/Astronomy.htm

DB

Agentscott · Joined: 08 Feb 2011 Posts: 1042 Location: Essex

The typical debunkers attempt there at explaining it all away, i'm suprised at the fact that most debunkers are sky watchers or plane spotters or weilding many years reaserch into the subject. You never get see a butcher debunking or a plumber??
The start bit is a classic, where he says an explanation of the word UFO, let us remember that this unexplanable phenomena, in it's early days was called flying saucers so I think the secret holders/debunkers must have changed the name more in their favor. Anything can be unidentified as this guy points out but not anything can be called a flying saucer.

I agree though where he says there could be many explanations...one being alien ships and thats the one he won't list when it's the most likley and obvious explanation.
This guy has also admited to not seeing anything himself so how is he going to be able to comment accuratley, he has no idea whats up there.
Likley because he's not suitable for a sighting as many debunkers have never seen a 100% undenyable UFO...or saucer.

The orginisations and groups are bringing in valuble data daily and are constantly building a database of sightings and when studied they can tell us the wheres and whens and what types of craft are visiting differnt lolcations.

Abducties are giving us samples of alien materials and the only reason there supposedly no prof is because it's all denyed.

How does this guy or you DB explane massive acceleration of the spot and hovering? A missidentified balloon?
Don't forget the secret holders control the media too.
Sightings are very exiting and thats about all I agree with there but being exited doesn't mean you lose common scence, good eyes or intuition.

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it" -- Upton Sinclair

"Most 'UFO skeptics' are not skeptical enough - they tend to accept the given wisdom without questioning it." -- Physicist Hal Puthoff, PhD

D B Sweeney · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:29 am Post subject:

The typical debunkers attempt there at explaining it all away, i'm suprised at the fact that most debunkers are sky watchers or plane spotters or weilding many years reaserch into the subject. You never get see a butcher debunking or a plumber??
Oh right, because he's casting doubt on hat UFOs actually are he's automatically labelled as a 'debunker'. I guess that's your mind made up straight after his first few sentences then.
The reason he doubts the alien claims of lights/objects in the sky is exactly because he spends and has spent a lot of time looking skyward, understanding the stars and planets and how they look in various atmospheric conditions. He's no doubt seen his fair share of balloons, aircraft, satellites, meteors and all the other things that get mistaken for space aliens.
Butchers and Plumbers don't make good debunkers because they probably don't put in the hours to the same degree as an amateur Astronomer or understand the heavens to the same degree.

The start bit is a classic, where he says an explanation of the word UFO, let us remember that this unexplanable phenomena, in it's early days was called flying saucers so I think the secret holders/debunkers must have changed the name more in their favor. Anything can be unidentified as this guy points out but not anything can be called a flying saucer. The secret World Government has changed the name of Flying Saucers to UFOs to make them easier to debunk - that's a new one on me but I think you'll find the UFO believers were responsible for the name changes and the press originally coined the term Flying Saucer after Kenneth Arnolds sighting.
It's not an unexplainable phenomenon - granted it's unexplainable to many but to the more rational, knowledgable people such as scientists, astronomers and psychologists it's perfectly explainable.

I agree though where he says there could be many explanations...one being alien ships and thats the one he won't list when it's the most likley and obvious explanation.
Of course there are a variety of explanations and way way down on that list is that UFOs are alien technology. I'm not ruling it out that some sightings may be alien in nature but so far I've seen no compelling evidence to suggest this is so. Therefore I disagree with you completely that "it's the most likely and obvious explanation" when it so obviously is not.

This guy has also admited to not seeing anything himself so how is he going to be able to comment accuratley, he has no idea whats up there.
That's because he knows what's up there not because he doesn't know what's up there Rolling Eyes

Likley because he's not suitable for a sighting as many debunkers have never seen a 100% undenyable UFO...or saucer.
Likely because when he sees a light in the sky he doesn't immediately think it's an alien spacecraft on another unexplainable mission. I suppose you've seen a 100% undeniable UFO alien craft then and you're 100% certain it was aliens then?.
From what I've read, your sightings amount to lights in the sky that YOU can't explain so your conclusion is that they MUST be aliens Rolling Eyes

The orginisations and groups are bringing in valuble data daily and are constantly building a database of sightings and when studied they can tell us the wheres and whens and what types of craft are visiting differnt lolcations.
I'd like to know how they are able to do this Agentscott - I'd love to see how many hypothetical hoops they have to jump through to confidently tell us "wheres and whens and what types of craft" are visiting us Shocked

Abducties are giving us samples of alien materials and the only reason there supposedly no prof is because it's all denyed.
No abductee has provided any physical evidence that has been repeatedly tested by different scientists, the results generating consistent conclusions and peer reviewd. What abductees do give us are remarkably stereotypical accounts usually retrieved via highly questionable hypnosis.

How does this guy or you DB explane massive acceleration of the spot and hovering? A missidentified balloon? Helicopters hover, certain military planes hover, remote controlled drones hover, civilian aircraft can seem like they're hovering when viewed from certain angles.
'Massive acceleration' is usually seen on shaky hand held film where the acceleration is simply down to camera shake. It's also explained (when seen from the space shuttle) quite easily as ice crystals and/or debris in orbit. Then of course we have our prime suspects for 'rapid acceleration' in pure gullibility, the need to believe, confirmation biases and simple misperception.
There's more to UFOs than balloons y'know Wink

Don't forget the secret holders control the media too. Oh yeah, how could I forget that Rolling Eyes

Who are these 'secret holders' Agentscott - I bet you can't name em?.

Sightings are very exiting and thats about all I agree with there but being exited doesn't mean you lose common scence, good eyes or intuition.
I'm sure to the uninitiated and the blind believers any light in the sky can quite easily become an exciting alien visit just like any cold spot or shadow can become a ghost to those that believe in ghosts. Actually when you're excited and in a state of arousal and expectation you do lose a degree of ability to rationalise - especially if you're already convinced that aliens are a reality and swarming all over the skies with mysterious motives.

Nice quotes at the end and very true Very Happy

DB

thecactus · Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 3196 Location: Northern Ireland

D B Sweeney,

D B Sweeney · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:58 am Post subject:

Every sighting 'might' be alien just as every sighting might be time travellers from the future or dragons but the actual evidence that would support any of those 'mights' is anecdotal, of poor quality and overwhelmingly likely to be the result of cognitive and perceptual errors.

There are cases which are far more interesting and entertaining than others- going way beyond mere lights in the sky, for example the Filiberto Caponi case.

DB

thecactus · Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 3196 Location: Northern Ireland

DB why don't you come over to

www.alien-ufos.com

I would be interested to see you 'discuss' these topics with the members there, some of whom have studied this subject for decades and know all the 'ins and outs' much better than me.

Of course there are skeptics too, who like you want physical evidence - but as I've said before, I consider you verging on being a cynic.

D B Sweeney · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:25 am Post subject:

I see a lot of believers on that site and no sceptics. I read the replies to your thread called 'Have Aliens visited us? and it's full of the stock answers and blind believers I've been going around in circles with for the last ten years. The site looks like it's got its fair share of whack jobs as well.

I may dip my toe in next week Wink

thanks for pointing it out.

DB

thecactus · Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 3196 Location: Northern Ireland

You must have missed 'wrelf' lol - I mentioned you to him earlier today Laughing

http://www.alien-ufos.com/ufo-alien-discussions/41067-have-aliens-visited-us-10.html

D B Sweeney · Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:46 pm Post subject:

That's an interesting thought - that the Governments don't know anymore about it than us.

LOL, Agentscott would disagree with Wrelf on that one Wink

DB

thecactus · Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 3196 Location: Northern Ireland

I too don't believe that to be the case - I definitely think the governments don't know everything that is going on, but I believe they know more than us. For example, I think there is a high chance that the Roswell incident was true.

Agentscott · Joined: 08 Feb 2011 Posts: 1042 Location: Essex

Did you join DB, I will join that forum just to see it!

I see you've debunked my stuff again.
Let me remind you that my sighting were more than lights, they were close some with detail and all doing impossible things showing intelligence. You have played them down to just a couple of lights and an exited observer.

I witnessed acceleration so that can't be a shaky video.
I witnessed huge speed and in formation....were they birds with a new type of record breaking rocket up their behinds??
I witnessed a light show display that was likley communication en large scale.

And yes I beleive the goverments are in on something and know more than they let on but I bet it's the aliens who have the real knolage and will tell us the basic.

It's real DB, I suggest you get out there and see for yourself and then when you do send me your books and I will help you get rid of them.

Agentscott · Joined: 08 Feb 2011 Posts: 1042 Location: Essex

Blind beleivers??What about the sleepers who swallowed the entire cover story like good little boys without question. and went on to belive theres nothing.

D B Sweeney · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 5:07 am Post subject:

I see you've debunked my stuff again.

I don't debunk, I reply to posts Agentscott. You really need to get out of this conspiracy mindset mate, it'll destroy you or at best see you on medication.

Let me remind you that my sighting were more than lights, they were close some with detail
I'll ask this just once - if 'they' were so close that you could see 'detail', please describe in detail the 'detail' that you saw.

That's all I ask...so Agentscott...it's over to you....

DB

thecactus · Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 3196 Location: Northern Ireland

D B Sweeney · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 5:39 am Post subject:

I love your new Avatar Agentscott Wink

very tongue in cheek, very open minded.

DB