When elderly and respected astronomers report UFO sightings?

Question

One of the great debunker urban myths is that astronomers never see UFOs. In fact, no fewer than 150 famous astronomers have reported UFO sightings and provided details.

Lesser scientists and astronomers who post on YQA are fond of pronouncing UFO sightings are 'just a bunch of stupid rednecks', or that 'it's drug-drinking induced', or 'hallucinations' and 'publicity seekers'.

I'm curious. When the lions of the field of astronomy report UFO sightings are those astronomers, 'just a bunch of stupid rednecks', or that 'it's drug-drinking induced', or 'hallucinations' and 'publicity seekers'?

The link below contains a few of their testimonies:

http://www.ufo.se/ufofiles/issue_4/astro_uk.html

Which group of scientists is more credible?

1] those who've seen UFOs and reported them, or

2] those who disparage [presumably even those in their own professions] anyone who has?

Answer 1

"Just because somebody says something...doesn't mean it's true!"...This also goes for skeptics. Just because they say there are no UFOs (alien spacecraft)...doesn't mean they are right. So why do we care what those people think? If you've seen one...you've seen one!! I've never seen one...but I don't believe all  these people who say they have are liars or mentally ill or on drugs or drunk  etc etc. I believe most of them really have. Maybe some of the ones seen can be explained...but it only takes ONE that can't be explained  to make it possible that they really do exist.

Answer 2

As Joan pointed out, UFO does not mean alien spacecraft. In many cases people see things like airplanes and venus, but if they cant identify them, they go into the category of UFO, which is then interpeted by the person hearing the story as alien spacecraft.

Someone said in an interview reguarding the recent texas sightings, "Its a UFO to you....."

edit: I guess my confusion with your question is this; I don't see why an astronomers testimony is any more reliable than a librarians testimony. Either one is fully capable of making stuff up, or confusing an aircraft for something else.

and for the record, I did read your link.

Answer 3

UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Object.

Because it is unidentified doesn't mean it is a space alien. It simply means the observer can't identify it.