Nasa's UFO report reveals how public can help hunt for potential alien life


Sarwat Nasir
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A Nasa report on “unidentified anomalous phenomena”, popularly known as UFOs, has suggested ways for the US government to detect flying objects, including mobile apps through which the public can report sightings.

It is the first report published by the agency following the formation of a panel in June last year to examine the phenomena, after the US Defence Department released videos of UFOs during a congressional hearing.

Released online on Thursday, the 36-page document says that existing technology limits the way UFOs can be detected due to “poor sensor calibration and lack of multiple measurements”.

“This is the first time Nasa has taken concrete action to study UAP,” Nasa administrator Bill Nelson said during a briefing on the report.

“There are billions of galaxies and each of them, including our own, has billions of stars.

“If you ask me if there is life in a universe that is so vast it is hard to comprehend – my personal answer is yes.”

But he said that so far, there is no proof that UFOs have an “extraterrestrial origin”.

How the public could play a role

The report said that the public could form “a critical aspect of understanding UAP”.

It also suggested that mobile apps can be used to report sightings all over the world.

“The panel sees several advantages to augmenting data collection efforts using modern crowdsourcing techniques, including open-source smartphone-based apps that simultaneously gather imaging data and other smartphone sensor metadata from multiple citizen observers worldwide,” it said.

Nasa argued that it could use also a variety of existing and planned technology to study UFOs.

These include Earth observation satellites and remote-sensing technologies to detect mysterious objects.

Countless UFO sightings reported over the years

Nasa said that about 100,000 UFO sightings by pilots, air traffic controllers and other aviation staff are received per year.

Over the past 47 years, Nasa's Aviation Safety Reporting System has received a total of 1,940,000 reports.

Last year, a UFO was seen over Iraq and a declassified video of the sighting was released.

In the footage, an object can be seen moving near an MQ-9 drone, which attempts to follow the fast-moving object with its camera.

The object appears to be silver in colour and metallic.

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Mr Al Qassimi is 37 and lives in Dubai
He is a keen drummer and loves gardening
His favourite way to unwind is spending time with his two children and cooking

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

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if you go

The flights

Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.

The hotel

Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850

 Events and tours

There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com

For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art. 

More information

For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com

Surianah's top five jazz artists

Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.  

Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.

Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.

Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.

Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.

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25 visual effects (VFX) studios

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.   

Updated: September 14, 2023, 5:50 PM