IFO CLASSIFICATIONS

In the field of UFO research, an individual must have a bible of facts about flying objects. These would serve as a guidebook to label any sighted object – whether it is terrestrial or extra-terrestrial in origin.

Artificial and Natural IFOs
To identify a flying object or any sky anomalies, we must have a guide for identifying them.
But the problem is other man-made flying objects are kept classified although some research groups have their own handbook of identified flying objects.
But the simplest method I believe of identifying unknown flying objects is to categorize them into two – the artificial and natural IFOs.

Of course I admit this method is not a hundred percent accurate because this would depend on a person’s knowledge of flying objects, whether they are man-made crafts, naturally occurred or extraterrestrial in origin.

a. Artificial IFOs – These are flying objects sent to skies and space by man. A number of sightings were mistakenly attributed to extraterrestrials but in fact they were terrestrial or earthly in origin. Artificial IFOs include: rockets, spy planes, air ships, balloons etc.

b. Natural IFOs – These are natural occurrences or anomalies in the skies
These include cloud formations, lighting, meteorites, stars and planet anomalies and others.

Menzel IFO Classification

Dr. Donald Menzel, former Professor of Astrophysics at Harvard University, revealed his list of “identified flying objects”.

His list is more detailed classification of IFOs and he claimed that they would eventually explain every flying saucers report.

His IFO list was presented to UFO researchers and investigators in 1969. Menzel divided his IFOs in 7 categories:
a. Material – aircraft, balloons and fireworks
b. Immaterial – cloud formations, meteorological phenomena
c. Astronomical – misidentified stars, planets, comets, meteorites
d. Physiological – eye problems, after images burned on to the retina
e. Psychological – hallucinations, mass hysteria
f. Photographic – double exposures, processing defects
g. Radar Anomalies

Certainly, UFOs made by the hoaxers are classified as IFOs since they were identified after investigation.

I mentioned here some identified flying objects. Among them are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) utilized by governments to spy enemies, meteorites that regularly hit the surface of the Earth and ball lightning that are usually mistaken as spaceships.