: A visual observation of an unidentified flying object (UFO) at a distance, typically less than 500 feet.
The title is derived from the work of , an astronomer and former scientific advisor to the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book . In his 1972 book, The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry , Hynek proposed a hierarchy to categorize reports of unidentified flying objects based on the proximity and nature of the sighting: subtitle Close Encounters of the Third Kind
: The highest level of encounter in Hynek's original scale, involving the sighting of actual extraterrestrial beings or "animate occupants" in or near the craft. : A visual observation of an unidentified flying