The UFO quiz, and myth or fact
Test yourself. Every answer comes with its source.
How to play. Pick an answer and the fact behind it appears, with a link to where it comes from. Without JavaScript, open “Show the answer” under each question.
The case-file quiz
1 What does UFO stand for?
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Unidentified flying object. UFO is short for “unidentified flying object”, a term that came from the US Air Force. The National Archives
2 When did Kenneth Arnold report his famous sighting near Mount Rainier?
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24 June 1947. On 24 June 1947, private pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying past Mount Rainier in Washington State, USA. Smithsonian Air and Space
3 How many objects did Arnold say he saw?
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Nine. He said the flashes came from nine shiny objects flying in a formation about five miles long, each about 100 feet across with no tail he could see. Smithsonian Air and Space
4 Who first described the objects as saucer-shaped?
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A newspaper report. A newspaper report then wrongly said the objects were saucer-shaped, which is how we got the phrase “flying saucer”. Britannica
5 According to the 1994 Air Force report, the Roswell debris came from…
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Project Mogul, a balloon-borne research project. The 1994 Air Force report concluded that the debris came from a balloon-borne research project code-named Mogul. US Air Force
6 Project Blue Book was named after…
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Blue exam booklets. It was named after the blue exam booklets used in American colleges, to suggest a careful, methodical approach. Britannica, Blue Book
7 Of 12,618 Blue Book sightings, how many stayed “unidentified”?
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701. Of those, 701 stayed “unidentified”. US National Archives
8 Sceptics say a light flashing every five seconds near Rendlesham Forest was…
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The Orford Ness lighthouse. They say the flashing light in the trees was the Orford Ness lighthouse, which stood in the direction the airmen were looking and flashed every five seconds, just like the “UFO”. Skeptical Inquirer, 2014
9 NASA’s team worked out that the GoFast object was moving at roughly…
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40 mph. The object moved about 390 metres in 22 seconds, roughly 40 mph: a typical wind speed at that height. NASA UAP study
10 When did the UK Ministry of Defence shut its UFO hotline?
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1 December 2009. The Ministry of Defence closed its UFO hotline and email address on 1 December 2009. The Independent
11 What is the third brightest thing in the sky, after the Sun and the Moon?
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Venus. Venus is the third brightest object in the sky, after the Sun and the Moon. NASA, Venus
12 In 2004, a “silver disc with solar panels” over Douglas, Isle of Man, turned out to be…
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A Euromanx ATR 42 aeroplane. One 2004 report from Douglas, Isle of Man, described a silver disc with solar panels. It turned out to be a twin-propeller ATR 42 Euromanx aeroplane. MoD UFO reports 2004
Myth or fact?
Eight statements. Some are true, some are myths.
1 Some branches of the UK Ministry of Defence prefer the term UAP.
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Fact. Some branches of the UK Ministry of Defence prefer the term UAP, for “unidentified aerial phenomena”. The National Archives
2 Kenneth Arnold himself coined the phrase “flying saucer”.
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Myth. Arnold strongly denied first calling them “flying saucers”, though stories at the time say he used the words saucer, disc and pie-pan. Smithsonian Air and Space A newspaper report then wrongly said the objects were saucer-shaped, which is how we got the phrase “flying saucer”. Britannica
3 The Roswell “weather balloon” explanation was the full truth.
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Myth. So the book was right about one thing: the weather balloon story was wrong. It was a spy balloon. Britannica, Roswell
4 Lenticular clouds can look a lot like flying saucers.
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Fact. Lenticular clouds form downwind of hills and mountains, look a lot like science-fiction flying saucers, and are thought to be one of the most common explanations for UFO sightings worldwide. Met Office
5 The US Defense Department’s UAP office has found evidence of alien technology.
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Myth. Asked whether it has found any evidence of extraterrestrial technology, the US Defense Department’s AARO answers: “No.” It says examination of sightings is ongoing. AARO FAQ
6 1952 had far more unexplained Blue Book sightings than most years.
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Fact. 1952 had 303 unexplained sightings, many of them over Washington, D.C., that July. Most years had about a dozen. Britannica, Blue Book
7 The UK Ministry of Defence still investigates UFO reports from the public.
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Myth. Ring the old number and a recording told you it was no longer MoD policy to record, respond to or investigate UFO sightings. The Guardian
8 Thousands of balloons are launched around the world every day.
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Fact. The US National Weather Service alone launches hundreds of balloons a day; worldwide, thousands go up every day. AARO FAQ
Seen something yourself?
Try the “What did you see?” explainer: pick what it looked like, and get the most likely everyday cause.