Investigator's Guide
A responsible sighting is worth a hundred careless ones. Read this before you file.
Note the exact time
Record the timestamp to the minute in your local timezone. Cross-reference against aviation apps (Flightradar24, ADS-B Exchange) and satellite pass sites (Heavens-Above) before ruling out mundane explanations.
Pin the location precisely
Drop a GPS pin from your phone's compass or maps app. Include your bearing (which direction you were facing) and elevation angle above the horizon in degrees. Rough hand-waving is the enemy of good data.
Capture evidence — but keep it raw
Shoot video, not stills, whenever possible. Keep the original file untouched. Include something in-frame for scale — a horizon line, a treetop, a building. Zoom digitally only after the initial capture.
Find corroborating witnesses
One report is an anecdote. Ten independent reports from different angles is data. Ask nearby people what they saw before you describe what you saw — leading questions contaminate testimony.
Rule out the obvious
Starlink trains, Chinese lanterns, weather balloons, drones with LED rigs, planet Venus, and lens flares account for most reports. Check them off explicitly before submitting — investigators respect a report that says 'I already ruled out X, Y, Z.'
Submit — then let it go
File your report through UAPpering and, if appropriate, NUFORC. Include everything, speculate nothing. The data is the value; the interpretation happens later, in aggregate, by many eyes.
Ready to file?
Submit a sighting