How to report a UFO sighting

It's all about the details!

I get at least one UFO report per week on average. Some people provide a good description and it might be enough to solve the mystery, but often people just write to me and say: "I saw a strange light in the sky above Hamilton. What do you think it was?"

Unfortunately this is like saying to a zoologist "I saw a strange animal in a paddock. What do you think it was?"

I can guess what the light was and I can say which of my guesses are more likely to be true than others. But to make a good guess I need lots of information.

Step 1: Write down your description

Write down what you saw as soon as possible. Human memory is badly flawed and your memory of the event will change in time, so writing it down is a good way to be sure your report stays accurate. Get other witnesses to do the same, without collaborating—it's best for each witness to record their own account before comparing them.

The more information you can provide, the better. Include as much of the following as you can:

• Date and time of the sighting.
• Location (including latitude & longitude if possible).
• Size and shape of the object(s).
• Direction of the object(s).
• Distance to object(s).
• Direction and speed of movement, including any changes of direction/speed.
• Duration of the sighting.
• Weather conditions including cloud cover, wind speed and direction, etc.

Step 2: Check if there's already a resolution

In some cases the mystery has already been solved. Search the Internet for reports made around the same date and location. If you're doing this just after the sighting, there obviously won't have been much time for other people to report the same sighting. Use your search engine's advanced tools to show only recently published pages.

Remember to make sure you've written your own report before you start looking for other reports, otherwise your memory can be influenced by their versions. Honestly this is a bigger problem than you might think.

Step 3: Report it

There are several organizations that might be interested in your report:

• Your local astronomical society
• Local news agencies
• UFO websites
• Police (maybe—please consider whether it's really worth involving the police)

You can phone or send a written message. It's usually best to send a written message with all the details listed above, and include your phone number in case someone wants to ask for more information.

Note: You can report sightings in the Waikato region of New Zealand by contacting me or posting a message on the Te Awamutu Space Centre Facebook page.