J. Allen Hynek
J. Allen Hynek was an American astronomer who worked for decades as the scientific adviser to the Air Force's UFO investigations and who, after his initial skepticism, called for serious research into the phenomenon.
J. Allen Hynek was an American astronomer who, starting in the 1950s, served as the scientific adviser to the Air Force's UFO programs, among them Project Sign, Project Grudge and Project Blue Book. His task was to explain reported sightings in terms of astronomical and atmospheric phenomena (planets, meteors, balloons).
Career
Hynek was initially skeptical of the UFO phenomenon and tried to close most cases with a conventional explanation. Over the years, however, as he encountered more and more cases for which he found no satisfactory earthly explanation, his position changed, and he began to call for a more serious, scientifically rigorous investigation of the phenomenon.
Work and influence
Hynek is credited with a classification system for UFO sightings that introduced the "close encounters" categories; this system is still used today by those who study the subject. After Project Blue Book was closed in 1969, he founded an organization called the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS), whose aim was the systematic collection and analysis of cases.
Legacy
In his books, Hynek argued that the UFO phenomenon deserves the attention of the scientific community, and he criticized the methodology and the closure of the Air Force's official investigations. His work remains a point of reference for researchers of the subject and for the history of ufology.