Jonathan McDowell
Jonathan McDowell is a British–American astronomer who, until his retirement in 2026, worked at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and is one of the best-known data compilers of space activity. In the UAP debate he appears as a skeptical commentator with a scientific approach.
Jonathan McDowell (1960) is a British–American astronomer and astrophysicist. From 1988 to 2026 he was a researcher at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, from 1994 as a staff member of the Chandra X-ray Observatory's science center. His field of expertise is the study of black holes, quasars and X-ray sources in galaxies, but he became known for documenting space activity. He retired in 2026, has since lived near London, and is an honorary professor at Durham University.
Work
In 1989, McDowell launched the newsletter Jonathan’s Space Report, which publishes the technical details of satellite launches. On his website he maintains the world's most complete public database of launches and space objects, starting from Sputnik, for which he also processes original sources, including declassified military documents and Russian-language publications. His collections are a frequent point of reference among researchers and journalists when the satellite or rocket origin of a phenomenon in the sky needs to be determined. The asteroid (4589) McDowell is named after him.
Role in the UAP topic
In UFO/UAP matters, McDowell typically appears as a skeptical, expert voice. He often points out that many conspicuous sights in the sky have mundane causes: satellite trains (for example, Starlink), reentering rocket stages, space debris or other known space objects. His statements are based on comparing orbital data with the available measurements.
Position
According to McDowell, most phenomena presumed to be of unknown origin can be identified by conventional means, and in the exceptions the quality of the data is decisive. This is consistent with the skeptical approach that expects more thorough evidence for extraordinary claims.