On December 9, 1965, hundreds of witnesses saw a strange object crash into the woods in Kecksburg,

Pennsylvania ... Early in the morning of December 27, 1980, two U.S. Air Force security patrolmen saw a glowing
metallic object hovering above Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk, England ... Between 1989 and 1990, hundreds of
enormous triangular objects were reported in the skies over Belgium ... On January 5, 2000, a business owner
and several police officers in Illinois saw a huge, brightly lit object dart across the sky ...
UFO Image Gallery

Photo courtesy Alien-UFOs.com

A photograph of a triangular craft reportedly seen by many
people flying over Belgium between 1989 and 1990.
See more UFO pictures.

Up Next
• How Aliens Work
• How Crop Circles Work
• InvestigationDiscovery.com: Top 10 UFO
Sightings
Thousands of people around the world have reported occurrences just like these -- strange, unidentified flying
craft that hover in the air or land on the ground. Are these unidentified flying objects -- UFOs, as they're called --
alien spaceships visiting us from faraway planets? Or are they simply
high-tech military craft, weather balloons or other easily explainable
sightings?
This article looks into the myths and mysteries surrounding UFOs,
highlighting the discoveries researchers have made so far and the great
unknown that still surrounds these strange flying objects.
What are UFOs?
At around the middle of the 20th century, the U.S. Air Force coined the
phrase "UFO" as a catchall term for any "unidentified flying object" --
unknown lights and discs spotted in the sky. But among ufologists (UFO Photo courtesy Alien-UFOs.com
enthusiasts and researchers), the term has become synonymous with Photo of a craft that reportedly
alien spacecraft. flew over a farmhouse in South
The late astronomer J. Allen Hynek defined a UFO as: Carolina in 1973
The reported perception of an object or light seen in the sky or upon the land the appearance, trajectory, and
general dynamic and luminescent behavior of which do not suggest a logical, conventional explanation and which
is not only mystifying to the original percipients but remains unidentified after close scrutiny of all available
evidence by persons who are technically capable of making a common sense identification, if one is possible.
UFOs are more often than not revealed to be something very well known -- a weather balloon or airplane lights,
for example. But in anywhere from 5 to 10 percent of UFO cases, the object remains a mystery.

UFO Sightings
UFO sightings have been associated with so-called alien abductions, in which people say that they have been
transported to an alien spacecraft and subjected to a variety of physical examinations -- even alien cross-
breeding experiments.
 Photo courtesy HBCC UFO Research/Brian Vike, UFO Evidence
Photo reportedly taken of the sky above a North Carolina beach
UFOs have also been linked to crop circles, strange and sometimes unexplained patterns that form overnight in
fields.

Photo courtesy www.circlemakers.org

Crop circle discovered at Alton Barnes in England in June 2004
The Drake Equation
Does intelligent life exist on other planets? In 1961, Dr. Frank Drake, president of the SETI (Search
for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, developed a mathematical equation to determine the
probability. His equation is based on seven variables, including the number of stars in our galaxy and
the percentage of stars that have planetary systems. When all seven variables are multiplied, the
answer is the potential number of civilizations out there that might be able to communicate with us.
See The Active Mind: SETI: The Drake Equation to learn more.
UFOs have been blamed for animal mutilations -- horses, goats, cows, deer and other creatures found drained
of blood and with their organs removed. The alien theory arises because typically no tracks are found around the
animal to indicate that a human was responsible.
During a UFO sighting, strange phenomena are often reported, such as radio and TV interference or car-
ignition failure. Many UFOs leave strange calling cards, such as indentations in the ground; burned or flattened
vegetation; spider-web-like strings that hang from telephone poles and trees and disintegrate at the touch; and
chunks of unidentifiable debris.
So, are they really alien spacecraft piloted by extraterrestrial beings, or are they terrestrial objects that just
haven't been properly identified? The question has raised a good bit of controversy, pitting those who believe in
UFOs against those who say they need to see more scientific UFO evidence.
 Photo courtesy Alien-UFOs.com
A photograph that seems to show some abnormal lights in
the sky, taken at sunset in Spain in 1978
Surveys show that the overwhelming majority of Americans believe that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the
universe. More than 60 percent of respondents to a 1997 CNN poll said they believe aliens have contacted
humans; approximately 50 percent said they think aliens have abducted humans; and 80 percent believe the
government is hiding something about alien contact.
People who claim to have seen UFOs are confident that what they've seen is real. They say these alien beings
have come to Earth to study the human race, create a new hybrid species or simply to communicate with
humans.
But skeptics say there is a startling lack of real scientific evidence to prove -- or disprove -- the UFO
phenomenon. They argue that the majority of UFOs turn out to be identifiable phenomena -- everything from
weather balloons to meteor showers to hoaxes.

The Government and UFOs

Back in the 1940s, the United States government was heavily into UFO research. The U.S. Air Force began
investigating UFOs in 1948 under a program called Project Sign. The name was later changed to Project Blue
Book, and between 1948 and 1969, the government investigated more than 12,000 UFO sightings. Of these,
11,917 were discovered to be terrestrial objects such as weather balloons and satellites; weather phenomena
such as lightning and reflections; astronomical occurrences; or hoaxes. The remaining 701 cases were
unexplained.
In 1969, the Air Force shut down Project Blue Book, citing a lack of conclusive evidence. Project Blue Book
concluded that:
• No UFO reported, investigated and evaluated by the Air Force has ever given any indication of threat to
our national security.
• There has been no evidence submitted to or discovered by the Air Force that sightings categorized as
"unidentified" represent technological developments or principles beyond the range of present-day
scientific knowledge.
• There has been no evidence indicating that sightings categorized as "unidentified" are extraterrestrial
vehicles.
Source: U.S. Department of Defense
UFO research continues in the private sector. The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute
regularly monitors the skies, searching for signals from faraway planets. In the late 1990s, they picked up on
something -- a repeated pattern coming from about 1 million miles away. But within a few hours, SETI scientists
had identified the pattern as a signal from a sun-watching observatory called SOHO, which is in orbit about 1
million miles from Earth. (To learn more about SETI, its projects and how you can be a part of the search, see
How SETI Works.)
Alien Autopsy
An English businessman named Ray Santilli claims that while researching film footage for a music
video, he stumbled upon footage of an alien autopsy from the 1947 Roswell, N.M., UFO crash. The
footage subsequently aired on a 1995 Fox TV special, "Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction?" Fox later came
out and admitted that the footage was a hoax, shot in 1994 with actors.
Although Project Blue Book ended the official government investigation into UFOs, there are those who believe
the government is hiding something.
On a summer evening in 1947, residents just outside of Roswell, N.M., saw strange lights in the sky and then
heard a loud crash. In the morning after a rash of severe thunderstorms, a ranch foreman named Mac Brazel
was out checking his sheep when he found strange debris. He contacted his local sheriff, who notified the
government. The debris was taken to Roswell Army Air Field and eventually flown to Wright Field in Dayton,
Ohio. On July 8, 1947, Colonel William Blanchard of the 509th Bomb Group in Roswell issued a press release
stating that the military had recovered the wreckage of a "crashed disc." A few hours later, General Roger
Ramey, Commander of the Eighth Air Force at Fort Worth Army Air Field in Texas, issued a second press
release repudiating the first. According to Ramey, the debris Blanchard's men had recovered was nothing more
than a weather balloon and its radar detector.
Which press release was true? UFO believers say the first one was true, and the second was part of an
elaborate cover-up that has stretched on for more than a half-century.
They believe that the government actually recovered a craft and its alien crew. Eyewitnesses report having seen
covered bodies being carried away by the military. A few people said they were present at an alien autopsy.
Roswell theorists say the government has been secretly meeting with aliens since the crash at a place called
Area 51 in a remote part of Nevada.

Photo courtesy Amazon.com

The Men in Black first appeared in Gray Barker's 1956 book,
"They Knew Too Much about Flying Saucers," and were the
topic of the popular 1997 movie "Men in Black."

Another theory relating to the government's supposed cover-up involves the silencing of witnesses. A number of
UFO witnesses report having been visited by men in black suits who tried to intimidate them into silence. These
so-called "Men in Black," who came to the public's attention in Gray Barker's 1956 book, "They Knew Too Much
about Flying Saucers," are thought to be either aliens hiding their own evidence or government agents trying to
cover up alien landings. According to most sources, Barker's book is a work of fiction. The mythology surrounding
the Men in Black has spawned two popular movies, a TV series and a video game.
While the government denies any involvement in UFO cover-ups, another group of people claim very intimate
involvement with UFOs: alien abductees.

Alien Encounters
Have aliens really taken people into their spacecraft and experimented on them? Many say they have. Probably
the first account of an alien abduction came from a New Hampshire couple named Barney and Betty Hill. On
September 19, 1961, the couple was driving through a rural area in central New Hampshire when they noticed a
moving light in the sky. As the object came closer, they saw that it was large and flat with multicolored lights and
many rows of windows. When Barney looked at the craft through his binoculars, he reportedly saw creatures
inside it, one of which appeared to be the leader. Frightened, the couple drove home. Several days after their
sighting, Betty began to have nightmares about being inside the craft. Later, under hypnosis, the couple recalled
having been taken into the UFO and experimented upon.
Were the Hills, and the thousands of other people who say they have been abducted since then, telling the truth?
Skeptics claim the aliens with wraparound eyes that Barney described aired on an episode of "Outer Limits" just
12 days before the hypnosis session in which he described them.
But the stories of abductees are remarkably similar. Many people recall being bathed in light and feeling
paralyzed. Then there is a feeling of being carried in a beam of light to a waiting alien spacecraft. They describe
an examination room in which their bodies are poked, prodded and studied in various ways. Many tell of having
sperm or eggs removed from their bodies and used to produce alien-human offspring, which some people claim
to have met when they returned to the spacecraft at a later date.
These memories may sound like the stuff of imagination, but some researchers say alien abductees share many
of the same post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms as war veterans. When they listen to audio tapes of
sounds that mirror their experiences, they exhibit physical symptoms -- their palms sweat, their muscles contract
and their heart rate increases, Harvard University researcher Richard McNally and his colleagues reported in the
July 2004 issue of the journal Psychological Science.
Also, the timing of the abduction stories appears to coincide with the sighting of UFOs nearby. Many of the
abductees are reported as missing when they claim to have been abducted, and when they return, they have
strange cuts and bruises on their bodies.
Although UFO sightings have become more common in the last half-century, there have been sightings of
strange flying objects recorded throughout the ages. Author Erich Von Däniken has written more than two dozen
books, including "Chariots of the Gods? - Unsolved Mysteries of the Past," claiming that aliens have
been visiting Earth for tens of thousands of years. The Bible, he says, is filled with
references to alien visitors. He contends that they helped build the pyramids,
introduced art and social order to ancient humans and even interbred with our
ancestors to create our modern species.
Ancient Indian Sanskrit texts purportedly describe flying machines, called
vimanas, used by the gods to fight battles in the sky. In one text, vimana construction
is described (in translation):
... like a great flying bird of light material. Inside one must put the mercury engine
with its iron heating apparatus underneath. By means of the power latent in the
mercury which sets the driving whirlwind in motion, a man sitting inside may travel a
great distance in the sky. The movements of the vimana are such that it can
vertically ascend, vertically descend, move slanting forwards and backwards.
Probably the first modern close encounter with alien spacecraft occurred on June 24, 1947. A private pilot named
Kenneth Arnold was flying near Mt. Rainier in Washington state when he spotted nine, crescent-shaped flying
objects. He observed the objects to be moving at well over 1,000 miles per hour, far faster than any man-made
aircraft could fly at the time. One reporter writing up the event referred to the objects as "flying saucers," and the
description stuck.

Photo courtesy UFO Evidence

Photo of what appear to be "strange lights" in the sky near the
Capitol building in Washington, D.C. in 1952
Since then, there have been reports of UFO sightings in England, Australia, China, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Italy,
the United States and most other countries throughout the world.
 Photo courtesy Alien-UFOs.com
Photo of what appears to be a UFO over Mexico City, Mexico,
reportedly taken in 1997
To find out more about UFOs and related topics, check out the links on the next page.
In December 1984 a package with no return address and an Albuquerque post-mark arrived in Jaime Shandera's
mail in North Hollywood, California. Inside was a roll of 35mm film. When developed, it turned out to contain eight
pages of an alleged briefing paper, dated November 18, 1952, in which Vice Adm. Roscoe Hillenkoetter told
President-elect Dwight Eisenhower of the recovery of the remains of two crashed spaceships.
In the first of these crashes, in early July 1947, authorities recovered the bodies of four humanoid beings.
According to the document, which appended a copy of what was supposed to be the actual executive order,
President Harry Truman authorized the creation of a supersecret group called "Majestic 12" (MJ-12 for short) to
study the remains.
Acting on a tip from sources who claimed to represent Air Force intelligence, Shandera and his associate William
Moore (coauthor of The Roswell Incident) flew to Washington, D.C. They searched the National Archives looking
for references in official documents to MJ-12. They found a July 1954 memo from Gen. Robert Cutler, an
Eisenhower assistant, referring to an "MJ-12 SSP [Special Studies Project]" to be held at the White House on the
16th of that month.

Jerome Clark
When this document was released in May 1987, it sparked massive controversy. The document
is believed to be a hoax, but the identity and motive of the perpetrator remain unknown.
In the spring of 1987 an unknown individual, allegedly associated with an intelligence agency, gave British writer
Timothy Good a copy of the MJ-12 document. Upon learning Good was going to disclose its existence to the
press, Moore and Shandera released their copy, along with the Cutler memo. The result was a massive uproar,
including coverage in The New York Times and Night line, an FBI investigation, and furious controversy that
continues to this day.
For various technical reasons most investigators agree that the MJ-12 document is a forgery, but the identity of
the forger remains a deep mystery that even the FBI cannot crack. The forger apparently had access to obscure
official information, much of it not even in the public record, leading to suspicions that an intelligence agency
created the document for disinformation purposes. Whatever the answer, the MJ-12 document is surely the most
puzzling hoax in UFO history.

More UFO Hoaxes

Find out how other tricksters told tales about the U.S. government
and UFOs:
• Men in Black
• The Straith Letter
• The Men in Black Encounter

The RB-47 UFO Encounter

Possessing the most sophisticated electronic intelligence (ELINT) gear available to the U.S. Air Force, the RB-47
could handle anything.
Unfortunately, in the morning hours of July 17, 1957, over the southern United States, an RB-47 came across
something it was unprepared for.

Mary Evans Picture Library

What could be the official explanation of these strange nocturnal lights?
In the first hint of what was to come, one of the three officers who operate the electronic countermeasures (ECM)
equipment detected an odd signal. Moving up the radar screen, the blip passed some distance in front of the RB-
47, then over Mississippi. Though puzzled, he said nothing. However, a few minutes later, at 4:10 A.M., the
sudden appearance of an intense blue light bearing down on the aircraft shook the pilot and copilot. Even more
unnerving, the object changed course in the blink of an eye and disappeared at the two o'clock position. The
aircraft radar picked up a strong signal in the same spot. The UFO maintained this position even as the RB-47
continued toward east Texas.
The pilot then observed a "huge" light, attached, he suspected, to an even bigger something that the darkness
obscured. When the electronics gear noted the presence of another UFO in the same general location as the
first, the pilot turned the plane and accelerated toward it. The UFO shot away. By now the crew had alerted the
Duncanville, Texas, Air Force ground radar station, and it was soon tracking the one UFO that remained (the
second had disappeared after a brief time). At 4:50 radar showed the UFO abruptly stopping as the RB-47
passed under it. Barely seconds later it was gone.
This incredible case -- considered one of the most significant UFO reports ever -- remained classified for years.
When it became known years later, the Air Force declared that the RB-47 crew had tracked an airliner. Physicist
Gordon David Thayer, who investigated the incident for the University of Colorado UFO Project, called this
explanation "literally ridiculous."
 Run-ins with the Law
UFO reports don't just come from civilians. Check out these stories
about government and law enforcement officials seeing UFOs:
• UFOs and the Government
• The 1986 Alaska UFO
• The 1964 Socorro UFO Encounter

Every summer Contactees -- people who believe they have communicated with god-like space people -- flock to
the Rocky Mountain Conference on UFO Investigation, held on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie. All
these people have remarkable stories to tell: stories of personal transformation that sound like classic religious
experiences in Space Age guise.

Fortean Picture Library

Contactees who once gathered at Giant Rock, California (above), now meet in Laramie,
Wyoming.
One of the stories is told by Merry Lynn Noble, by her own admission once "one of the leading call girls in the
western United States." She was also an alcohol and drug addict seeking to change her life through spiritual
studies. In February 1982, exhausted and depressed, she visited her parents in Montana. One evening, as they
were driving in the country, a flying saucer appeared, bathing the car in light.
Noble's parents, who "were just frozen there," seemed unaware of the UFO's presence. Meanwhile, Merry Lynn
in her astral body was being drawn into the craft, where she felt "absolute ecstasy, total peace, womblike warmth.
. . . 'I'm so glad to leave that body,' I thought." She communicated telepathically with a "presence" who gave her a
"new soul, with new energy, new humility." The next thing she knew, she was jolted back into her physical body.
From that moment her life began to change for the better. She found a good job and joined Alcoholics
Anonymous, where she met the man whom she would marry. Her psychic contact with the extraterrestrial she
met aboard the saucer continues, and she has written an unpublished autobiography, Sex, God and UFOs.

Notable UFO Reports

Famous people and famous events -- take a look at these notable
UFO stories:
• Alien Abductions
• The Hill Abduction
• Jackie Gleason Sees a UFO
• Astronomer J. Allen Hynek
• Ronald Reagan Sees a UFO
• Senator Russell Sees a UFO
Ever since humans acknowledged the enormity of the universe, we have intuited that life must exist somewhere,
either in our galaxy or some galaxy far, far away. If the universe contains billions of galaxies, and if each galaxy
contains billions of stars, and if a fraction of those stars have Earth-like planets, then hundreds -- maybe even
thousands -- of alien civilizations must exist across the cosmos. Right?
Milky Way Image Gallery

Photo © ESO
In June 2008, European astronomers discovered three super Earths orbiting what they thought was a solo star.
The discovery was good news for the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. See more Milky Way pictures.

For a while, science contented itself with the logic alone. Then, in 1995, astronomers located the first planets
outside our solar system. Since then, they've detected nearly 300 of these extra-solar planets. Although most are
large, hot planets similar to Jupiter (which is why they're easier to find), smaller, Earth-like planets are beginning
to reveal themselves. In June 2008, European astronomers found three planets, all a little larger than Earth,
orbiting a star 42 light-years away [source: Vastag].
Star Search
• Astronaut Quiz
• How Galaxies Work
• ScienceChannel.com: Alien
Chicks
These discoveries have served as an affirmation for those involved with the search for extraterrestrial
intelligent life, or SETI. Harvard physicist and SETI leader Paul Horowitz boldly stated in a 1996 interview with
TIME Magazine, "Intelligent life in the universe? Guaranteed. Intelligent life in our galaxy? So overwhelmingly
likely that I'd give you almost any odds you'd like."
And yet his enthusiasm must be tempered by what scientists call the Fermi Paradox. This paradox, first
articulated by nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi in 1950, asks the following questions: If extraterrestrials are so
common, why haven't they visited? Why haven't they communicated with us? Or, finally, why haven't they left
behind some residue of their existence, such as heat or light or some other electromagnetic offal?
Perhaps extraterrestrial life isn't so common after all. Or perhaps extraterrestrial life that gives rise to advanced
civilizations isn't so common. If only astronomers could quantify those odds. If only they had a formula that
accounted for all of the right variables related to extraterrestrial life. As it turns out, they do. In 1961, as a way to
help convene the first serious conference on SETI, radio astronomer Frank Drake presented a formula, now
known as the Drake Equation, that estimates the number of potential intelligent civilizations in our galaxy. The
formula has generated much controversy, mainly because it leads to widely variable results. And yet it remains
our one best way to quantify just how many extraterrestrials are out there trying to communicate.
Let's take a closer look at the equation and its implications.

Are We Alone? The Drake Equation

Trying to calculate the probability that extraterrestrial life exists in the universe is actually quite complicated. The
universe isn't a static environment. Stars are born, they live and they die. Some stars form in association with
planets. Others don't. Only some of those planets have the right conditions to support life.
Life is a tricky variable in its own right. Some planets might support complex organic molecules -- proteins and
nucleic acids -- and nothing else. Other planets might support simple, single-celled organisms. And still others
might support multicellular organisms, including those advanced enough to develop the technologies to travel or
send signals into outer space. Finally, even organisms that have adapted extremely well to their environments
don't last forever. As both the dinosaurs and the Roman Empire illustrate here on Earth, all dynasties come to an
end, be it cataclysmic or otherwise.

Getty Images
Ellie Arroway, played by Jodie Foster in the movie "Contact," was consumed by the thought of life on other
planets.

Frank Drake had to account for all of these variables in developing a formula to quantify the odds of finding
extraterrestrial life. His first task was deciding what he wanted to calculate. First, he limited his thinking to
extraterrestrials in our home galaxy -- and only those that might be capable of interstellar communication. Then
he inserted a mathematical factor to account for all of the conditions required to enable such civilizations to
evolve. The result is the following formula:
N = RfpneflfifcL
In this equation, N is the number of detectable civilizations in our galaxy. The other variables are described
below:
• R is the rate of star formation in the galaxy
• fp is the fraction of stars that form planets
• ne is the number of planets hospitable to life (i.e., Earth-like planets)
• fl is the fraction of these planets on which life actually emerges
• fi is the fraction of these planets on which intelligent life arises
• fc is the fraction of these planets with intelligent beings capable of interstellar communication
• L is the length of time such a civilization remains detectable
The only variable known with any degree of certainty is the rate of stellar formation, R. In the Milky Way, a typical
spiral galaxy, new stars form at a rate of roughly four per year [source: Cain]. The variable astronomers feel most
uncertain about is L, the length of time a civilization remains detectable. A variety of estimates have been used
for L, ranging from 10 years to 10 million years.
Astronomers can make educated guesses about the rest of the variables. For example, of the nine planets in our
solar system, only four are what astronomers call terrestrial planets -- those that have a solid surface. Of those
terrestrial planets, only Earth supports life. If we take our solar system as representative, then we might argue
that ne equals 1/4 or 0.25. Similar guesses have been made about the other variables and, interestingly, they all
end up having very similar values, usually in a range between 0.1 and 1.0. So, a typical calculation might look
like this:
N = 4 x 0.5 x 0.25 x 0.2 x 0.2 x 0.2 x 3,000,000
which gives us a value of 12,000 civilizations in our galaxy.
Drake's original calculations were very close to this value for N. When he ran the numbers, he predicted that
there might be 10,000 detectable civilizations in the Milky Way [source: Garber]. Carl Sagan, a leader in the SETI
movement until he passed away in 1996, was even more generous when he suggested that 1 million civilizations
might exist in the galaxy [source: Lemarchand]. That's a lot of ETs!
No wonder astronomers were so optimistic when they started searching diligently for extraterrestrial life in the
1960s. On the next page, we'll look at how they've conducted this search and what it has turned up.

Testing and Revising the Drake

Equation
Armed with an estimate of the number of communicative civilizations in our galaxy, SETI scientists set out to find
them. They had two basic options: face-to-face communication or long-distance communication. The former
scenario required that extraterrestrials visit humans or vice versa. This seemed highly unlikely given the
distances between our solar system and other stars in the Milky Way. The latter scenario involved radio
broadcasts, either sending or receiving electromagnetic signals through space.

Photo courtesy of the NAIC - Arecibo Observatory, a facility of the NSF

Aerial view of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico

In 1974, astronomers intentionally transmitted a 210-byte message from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico
in the hopes of signaling a civilization in the globular star cluster M13. The message contained fundamental
information about humans and our corner of the universe, such as the atomic numbers of key elements and the
chemical structure of DNA. But this sort of active communication has been rare. Astronomers mostly rely on
passive communication -- listening for transmissions sent by alien civilizations.
A radio telescope is the tool of choice for such listening experiments because it's designed to detect longer-
wavelength energy that optical telescopes can't see. In radio astronomy, a giant dish is pointed to a nearby,
sunlike star and tuned to the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The microwave frequency band,
between 1,000 megahertz and 3,000 megahertz (MHz), is ideal because it's less contaminated with unwanted
noise. It also contains an emission line -- 1,420 MHz -- that astronomers can hear as a persistent hiss across the
galaxy. This narrow line corresponds to energy transformations taking place in neutral hydrogen. As a primordial
element of the universe, hydrogen should be known to all intergalactic civilizations, making it an ideal marker.
Several teams from around the world have been systematically listening to stars across the Milky Way and
adjacent galaxies since 1960.
Despite their collective efforts, no SETI search has received a confirmed, extraterrestrial signal. Our telescopes
have picked up a few unexplained and intriguing signals, such as the so-called "Wow" signal detected by
researchers at Ohio State University in 1977, but no transmission has been repeated in such a way that it
provides indisputable evidence of extraterrestrial life. All of which brings us back to the Fermi Paradox: If
thousands of civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy, why haven't we detected them?
Since Drake and Sagan made their estimates, astronomers have become more conservative. Paul Horowitz, who
boldly guaranteed the existence of extraterrestrial life, has generated more modest results from the Drake
Equation, finding that N may be closer to 1,000 civilizations [source: Crawford]. But even that figure may be too
large.
In 2002, Skeptic magazine publisher Michael Shermer argued that astronomers weren't being critical enough in
their evaluation of L, the length of time a civilization remains detectable. Looking at 60 civilizations that have
existed on Earth since the dawn of humanity, Shermer came up with a value for L that ranged from 304.5 years
to 420.6 years. If you plug these numbers into the Drake Equation, you find that N equals 2.44 and 3.36,
respectively. Tweak the numbers some more, and you can easily get N to fall to one or even lower. Suddenly, the
odds of hearing from an extraterrestrial life form are considerably lower.
Even the most enthusiastic SETI supporters are troubled by the lack of results produced by more than 40 years
of "listening" to the cosmic airwaves. And yet most of that search has been confined to our home galaxy. Even if
there are only three or four civilizations per galaxy, there are billions and billions of galaxies. This tilts the odds
again in favor of finding extraterrestrial life, which is why many SETI astronomers take the same approach to
their work as lottery players: You can't win if you don't play.

AREA 51
Less than 100 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada is the most famous secret military installation on the planet.
Rumors swirl around this base, much like the mysterious aircraft that twist and turn in the skies overhead.
Although it's known by many names, most people call it by the Atomic Energy Commission's (AEC)
designation: Area 51.
UFO Image Gallery

Photo courtesy of Armageddon Online

Area 51 is surrounded by warning signs like this one.
See related UFO pictures.

What's in a name?

Area 51 is known by many names. Kelly Johnson, who was responsible for the facility's construction,
named it Paradise Ranch (he was being sarcastic). Other names for the base include The Ranch,
Watertown Strip, The Box, Red Square, The Farm, Groom Lake, Dreamland and the romantic
name Air Force Flight Test Center, Detachment 3.

There are several theories about how Area 51 got its name. The most popular is that the facility borders the
Nevada Test Site (NTS). The AEC used the NTS as testing grounds for nuclear bombs. The NTS is mapped as a
grid of squares that are numbered from one to 30 (with a few omissions). Area 51, while not part of this grid,
borders Area 15. Many say the site got the name Area 51 by transposing the 1 and 5 of its neighbor. Another
popular theory is that the number 51 was chosen because it was not likely to be used as part of the NTS system
in the future (in case the NTS expanded later on).
The first documented use of the name Area 51 comes from a film made by the company Lockheed Martin.
There are also declassified documents from the 1960s and 1970s that refer to a facility called Area 51. Today,
officials refer to the facility as an operating location near Groom Lake when speaking to the public -- all official
names for the site appear to be classified.

The name alone inspires thoughts of government conspiracies, secret "black" aircraft and alien technologies.
Facts, myths and legends weave together in such a way that it can become difficult to separate reality from
fiction. What exactly goes on in this installation? Why did the government alternatively acknowledge and deny its
existence until the 1990s? Why is the airspace over it so restricted that even military aircraft are forbidden from
flying through it? And, what does it have to do with Roswell, New Mexico?
Each question seems to have a million different answers. Some answers are plausible, while others stretch
credulity so far that if someone said it out loud, you might feel the urge to back away from them slowly. In this
article, we'll look at the facts as far as anyone outside of the facility can determine them and examine the more
popular theories about Area 51.

Where is Area 51?

Area 51's coordinates are 37°14'36.52"N, 115°48'41.16"W. You can get a great view of it using Google Earth.
Just type "Area 51" into the "Fly To" field and the map does the rest. For decades, the base remained hidden
from almost everyone, but in 1988 a Soviet satellite photographed the base. Several publications acquired the
photos and published them. The secrecy of the base is still of paramount importance, but as far as satellite
coverage is concerned, the cat is out of the bag.

©2007 Google Earth™ mapping service/DigitalGlobe

A satellite view of Area 51

A dry lake bed called Groom Lake borders the base. To the west is the NTS. The closest town is Rachel,
Nevada, which is 25 miles north of the base. The base itself occupies only a fraction of the more than 90,000
acres it sits on. It consists of a hangar, a guard shack, a few radar antennas, some housing facilities, a mess hall,
offices, runways and shelters. The shelters are "scoot and hide" buildings, designed so aircraft can quickly move
under cover when satellites pass overhead. Some allege that what you can see on the surface is only a tiny part
of the actual facility. They believe that the surface buildings rest on top of a labyrinthine underground base. A few
claim the underground facility has up to 40 levels and that it is attached via underground railways to other sites in
Los Alamos, White Sands and Los Angeles. Skeptics are quick to point out that such a massive construction
project would require an enormous labor force, the removal of tons of earth that would have to go somewhere
and the need for a huge amount of concrete and other construction material. The lack of evidence convinces
skeptics that, for the most part, what you see is what you get. Believers, on the other hand, dismiss the skeptics'
doubts.
So what goes on at this base? According to the Air Force, the facility's purpose is for "the testing of technologies
and systems training for operations critical to the effectiveness of U.S. military forces and the security of the
United States." All specifics regarding the facility and the projects housed there are classified. What is known is
the Air Force, the CIA and Lockheed have used the base as a staging ground for test flights of experimental,
secret aircraft, also known as black aircraft. The base served as the development and testing facility for cutting
edge aircraft technology from the U-2 spy plane to the F-117A Stealth Fighter.
In the next section, we'll look at the known security measures at Area 51.

Area 51 Security and Secrecy

To say access to the base is limited is an understatement. The base and its activities are highly classified. The
remote location helps keep the activities figuratively under the radar, as does the proximity to the NTS. After
several land seizures, the base is surrounded by thousands of acres of empty desert landscape. The Air Force
has withdrawn lands from public use to help keep the base hidden from snooping eyes. For many years,
observers could hike to elevated vantage points like White Sides Peak or Freedom Ridge, but the Air Force
seized those lands as well. Today, the only way you'll catch a glimpse of the base in person (assuming you aren't
working there) is to take the strenuous hike to the top of Tikaboo Peak, which is 26 miles from the facility.
For many years, mapmakers wouldn't include the facility on any maps. It fell within the borders of Nellis Air Force
Range, but the road leading to the facility was never shown. Today, the location of the base is general
knowledge, but for many years officials went to great lengths to obscure its location.

Photo courtesy of Glenn Campbell

A map of the Area 51 facility

Everyone who works at Area 51, whether military or civilian, must sign an oath agreeing to keep everything a
secret. Buildings at the site lack windows, preventing people from seeing anything not related to their own duties
at the base. By some reports, different teams would work on similar projects at the same time, but their
supervisors would keep each team ignorant of the other team's project. When testing a secret aircraft, officials
ordered all uninvolved employees to stay inside until the test flight was over and the aircraft returned to its
hangar.

Top Secret
Most of us think of classified information in terms of security
clearance levels. Countless films and television programs show
government employees who can't access the information they need
because they don't have the right clearance. While it's true that
there are levels of security classification, it's not true that the
system is simply a vertical series of security classifications. Even if
you have top secret security clearance, you can't necessarily
access everything at the top secret level (or even lower levels).
This is because information and projects are compartmentalized.
In other words, if you are cleared for top secret information in a
project on stealth technology, it doesn't necessarily mean you can
access information in a project about proton laser beams. Security
clearance is issued on a need-to-know basis, and if you don't need
to know what the engineers in the laser department are doing to
complete your work on stealth technology, you can bet you won't
be able to find out about it.

Getting to Area 51
Most commuters to Area 51 travel on unmarked Boeing 737s or 727s. Planes depart from the McCarran
International Airport in Las Vegas (located right across the street from the Luxor Hotel and Casino). Defense
contractor EG&G owns the terminal. Each plane uses the word "Janet" followed by three digits as a call sign to
the airport's control tower.
The airspace above Area 51 is known as R-4808 and is restricted to all commercial and military flights not
originating from the base itself (except the Janet commuters, of course). Area 51 is believed to be part of either
Edwards Air Force Base in California or the Nellis Air Force Range in Nevada, even though pilots from those
bases are forbidden to fly in Area 51's airspace. In fact, pilots who fly into one of the buffer zones surrounding R-
4808 reportedly face punishment from their commanders, though it's reported as fairly lenient. Whenever a pilot
flies through a buffer zone, the training exercise immediately ends and the pilot is ordered back to base.
Knowingly flying into R-4808 is a much more serious offense, and pilots can face a court martial, dishonorable
discharge and time in prison as a result.
The military classifies Area 51 as a Military Operating Area (MOA). The borders of Area 51 are not fenced, but
are marked with orange poles and warning signs. The signs tell you that photography isn't allowed and that
trespassing on the property will result in a fine. The signs also offer this sobering note: Security is authorized to
use deadly force on people who insist on trespassing. Rumors circulate among conspiracy theorists over how
many unfortunate truth seekers have died as a result of tromping around the grounds of Area 51, though most
believe that trespassers are dealt with in a much less violent manner.
Pairs of men who don't appear to be in the military patrol the perimeter. These guards are likely civilians hired
from firms like Wackenhut or EG&G. Observers call them "cammo (sic) dudes," because they often wear desert
camouflage. The cammo dudes usually drive around in four-wheel-drive vehicles, keeping an eye on anyone
near the borders of Area 51. Supposedly, their instructions are to avoid contact with intruders, if possible, and act
merely as both an observer and deterrent. If someone seems suspicious, the cammo dudes will call in the local
sheriff to deal with him. Once in a while, the cammo dudes have confronted trespassers, allegedly seizing any
film or other recording devices and intimidating the trespassers. Sometimes, helicopters provide additional
support. There are rumors that the helicopter pilots occasionally use illegal tactics like hovering very low over
trespassers to harass them.
 Photo courtesy of Glenn Campbell
The infamous "cammo dudes"

Other security measures include sensors planted around the perimeter of the base. These sensors detect
movement, and some believe they can even discern the difference between an animal and a human being. Since
Area 51 is effectively a wildlife preserve, it was important to create warning devices that could not easily be
tripped by a passing animal. One theory held by observers is that the sensors can detect the scent of the passing
creature (the sensors detect an ammonia signature). While that has yet to be substantiated, it's certain that there
are buried sensors all around Area 51. One Rachel resident named Chuck Clark discovered several of the
sensors, and at one point the Air Force accused him of interfering with signal devices and ordered him to either
return a missing sensor or pay a fine -- Clark reportedly complied.
In the next section, we'll look at why all the secrecy and security measures are necessary as we examine some
of the aircraft tested at Area 51.

Area 51 Aircraft
Area 51 owes its very existence to secret aircraft projects. The original
purpose for Area 51 was a testing facility for Lockheed's U-2 spy plane.
Lockheed put Kelly Johnson in charge of establishing a base of
operations for testing and training facilities. Here are some of the known Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force
and suspected projects at Area 51. Lockheed's U-2 Dragon
The U-2 Spy Plane is a confirmed Area 51 project. Lockheed worked Lady spy plane
with the CIA to develop a plane that could fly at a high altitude and spy on
other nations. The U-2 could fly at altitudes of 70,000 feet and was
effective in reconnaissance missions for several years. During the development of the U-2, the CIA and
Lockheed realized they would soon need more advanced aircraft
because the Soviet Union's missile technology was rapidly catching up.
In 1960, the USSR shot down a U-2, confirming this concern.
Engineers designed a plane--called the Suntan--to be a successor to the
U-2. It could fly at speeds up to mach 2.5 (almost 2,000 miles per hour).
The Suntan used liquid hydrogen for fuel, which was its ultimate downfall.
Engineers decided that it would be too expensive to create a fuel
infrastructure to support the Suntan's flights, and the government
canceled the project.
The A-12 , which was later known as the SR-71 "Blackbird," became
the actual successor to the U-2. The A-12 was a prototype model that
gradually evolved into the SR-71. These planes could fly up to mach 3
(2,300 miles per hour) and could fly at altitudes of 90,000 feet. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force
Tacit Blue and Have Blue were the first successful attempts at creating The SR-71 Blackbird
stealth aircraft. Tacit Blue had an odd, whale-like shape, inspiring
onlookers to call it "Shamu." It was designed to fly low over battle
operations as a reconnaissance vehicle. Have Blue was a prototype for the F117-A Stealth Fighter. Have Blue
first arrived at Area 51 in 1977. The Stealth Fighter remained a secret until the Air Force officially unveiled it to
the public in 1990.
The Bird of Prey takes its name from a class of ships in Star Trek. The plane is a bomber with stealth
technology. The design looks very strange, and some say that it is very unstable at low speeds due to the odd
wing design.
 Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force
Tacit Blue, aka "Shamu"

One rumored project at Area 51, the TR3A Black Manta, could be a potential successor to the Stealth Fighter, or
it may be one of many kinds of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Currently, there is a lot of interest in UAVs
because they provide the military with methods of gathering information without endangering the lives of pilots or
soldiers.

Area 51 Projects
The Aurora is another project that has been associated with Area 51. Now believed to be a canceled project, the
Aurora was supposedly a replacement for the SR-71. It was supposed to be a hypersonic reconnaissance jet
capable of attaining speeds up to mach 6 (4,600 miles per hour). The project may have failed completely, or it
may turn out that the Aurora is another kind of UAV and not a jet at all.
The Brilliant Buzzard or Mothership is another rumored project at Area 51. This large jet would carry a smaller
vehicle, perhaps a UAV. The smaller vehicle is designed to launch from the larger jet while in midair.

Printed by permisison granted by the GNU Free Documentation License

The MiG-21 is one of several Soviet aircraft allegedly tested at Area 51.

Soviet aircraft also played a large role at Area 51. These planes came from the Soviet Union and were either
captured or otherwise acquired. The Air Force and CIA used these aircraft in training exercises and war games.
The use of Soviet aircraft in Area 51's airspace inspired its nickname of the Red Square.
What new projects could be underway at Area 51 today? Apart from the continued focus on UAV technology,
secret project theorists suggest a few possibilities. One is a transport aircraft with stealth technology designed to
move troops in and out of conflict areas without being detected. Many see a need for a vehicle with effective and
stealthy vertical take off and lift (VTOL) capabilities. (The V-22 Osprey has this capability, but critics say the
vehicle is not effective at meeting military objectives.) Another likely research project is a stealth helicopter.
Though some people say stealth helicopters already exist and are in use, they haven't been revealed to the
public. Some theorists see a need for a stealth plane that is designed specifically to neutralize ground targets. To
date, most stealth aircraft are either surveillance vehicles or designed for air-to-air combat. There is also a need
for aircraft that can rapidly deploy to any location worldwide in as short a time as possible. Projects like the
rumored Aurora plane and other hypersonic vehicles fall into this category. Other rumored research projects
range from cloaking technology to proton beams to anti-gravity devices.
Of course, these projects are only the tip of the rumored iceberg. Area 51 is arguably better known for its
connection with aliens and UFOs than with any of these aircraft. In the next section, we'll take a look at the
rumors and theories linking Area 51 with visitors from outer space.

Area 51 and Aliens

Some believe that an alien spacecraft crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, and that the government shipped the
wreckage and a body to Area 51 for examination and study. A few go even further, claiming the facility has
underground levels and tunnels connecting it to other secret sites, and that it contains warehouses full of alien
technology and even living alien specimens. Some theorize that the aliens are actually the ones running the
show and that their goal is to create a human-alien hybrid (the aliens seem to have lost the ability to reproduce
on their own). Stories cast the aliens in roles from benevolent visitors to evil overlords who subsist on a paste
made from ground-up human bits. Air Force representatives have publicly denied that aliens have anything at all
to do with Area 51, but that seems to have only strengthened conspiracy theorists' wilder suggestions.

Printed by permisison of the GNU Free Documentation License

Highway 375, the Extraterrestrial Highway in Nevada

June 24, 1947, was the day the term flying saucer entered the American vocabulary. That was the day Kenneth
Arnold reported sighting a UFO while piloting his private plane over Washington state. He said the object flew like
a saucer would if you skipped it across the water, and the flying saucer was born. On July 8, 1947, Roswell Army
Air Field issued a press release written by General William "Butch" Blanchard, stating they had recovered the
remains of an unidentified flying object. The Army quickly retracted the statement, but not before it ran in several
papers. According to the Army, it was not a flying disc at all, but a weather balloon. Years later, declassified
documents said that the object recovered at Roswell was actually a balloon created for a surveillance program
called Project Mogul. The weather balloon story was a cover for this secret project. Of course, UFO believers
say that the spy balloon story is also a cover, and that the Army really did recover an alien craft.

Reverse Engineering at Area 51

In 1987, a man named Robert Lazar shocked the world when he went on television claiming to have been part of
an operation that worked on alien technology. Robert Lazar said that the government has possession of at least
nine alien spacecraft at a base called S-4, which is not far from Groom Lake. The facility even had posters
showing a UFO levitating several feet above the ground with the caption "They're Here!" EG&G hired him to help
reverse engineer the technology in the alien craft for use in U.S. military vehicles and power production. He
discovered a rusty, heavy substance he called "Element 115" that powered the alien spacecraft. Skeptics have
thoroughly investigated as many of Lazar's statements as they can, and many of them appear to be false. For
example, Lazar says he holds Masters degrees from CalTech and MIT, but there's no evidence he ever attended
either university. Lazar says this is because the government is actively trying to erase his existence to discredit
him. Skeptics believe Lazar is merely fabricating the entire story, and point out that it's a monumental task to
erase someone's identity -- they would have to remove Lazar's name in everything from official documents to
school yearbooks. Even so, Lazar's statements inspired an explosion of interest in UFOs and Area 51.

Roswell Does Not Equal Area 51

 While Area 51 and Roswell are often mentioned in the same
breath, the two locations are pretty far from each other. Roswell is
in New Mexico and, according to Google Maps, is 891 miles away
from Area 51. The trip would take you more than 15 hours to get
there by car, and by most reports it's not a very exciting drive.

One popular claim among Lazar's believers is that much of our current technology is the result of using reverse
engineering on alien spacecraft. Everything from radios to superconductors falls into this category. They argue
that people on their own couldn't possibly have developed these technologies so rapidly without an alien model.
Some claim that pilots at Area 51 are using alien technology against aliens themselves, shooting them down so
that other military crews can scavenge the parts.
In the next section, we'll look at even more stories of aliens, government cover-ups and elaborate conspiracies
involving Area 51.

The Plot Thickens at Area

51
One claim common to Lazar's statements and other UFO enthusiasts'
theories is a secret organization known as MJ-12, sometimes called
Majestic or Majic 12. This group originally included a dozen extremely
powerful individuals like President Harry S. Truman, the heads of
organizations like the CIA and powerful businessmen. Many documents
reported to be from this group have surfaced, mostly as discoveries of
UFOlogist William L. Moore, including papers bearing Presidential
signatures. Skeptics scrutinized these documents and uncovered many
signs that they are fakes, including proof that signatures were copied Public domain image
from other official documents and pasted onto the MJ-12 papers.
Conspiracy theorists denounce the skeptics as either being fooled or An artist's concept of an alien
actually employed by the government. Other theorists say the MJ-12
documents are fakes, but were official fakes made by the government to throw people off track. Most believers
fall into one of several groups, and often each group will accuse the others of actively promoting disinformation to
hide the truth.
The most extreme theories about aliens at Area 51 state that not only are aliens here on Earth, they're running
the show. Stories circulate about extraterrestrial biological entities (EBEs) forcing the government into
agreements that always turn out bad for the rest of us. According to them, the government has agreed to allow
aliens to abduct people at will, experiment on helpless citizens and even grind people up into a paste that is later
smeared onto EBEs as a source of nutrition. Other theorists say that the aliens are here to use humans to create
a hybrid creature, and that the aliens themselves are no longer able to reproduce on their own. Some offer hope
with reports of shootouts between government forces and aliens, resulting in the return of our government to
power. Of course, almost all of these theorists suggest the government is acting in wicked and irresponsible ways
with the citizens of the United States emerging as the ultimate victims.

Conspiracy Cover-Ups
Not all conspiracy theories concerning Area 51 involve little green
(or gray) men. Some revolve around a shadowy organization (or
group of organizations) dedicated to bringing about the New World
Order (note: this does not refer to the awesome group of WCW
wrestlers). UFOs and reverse engineering stories are just tactics
these organizations use to distract the public from its real goal --
world domination.

In UFO enthusiast lore, Hangar 18 is the name of the building that houses a captured alien spacecraft and even
an extraterrestrial being. The location of Hangar 18 is up for debate among believers. Some have claimed the
hangar at Area 51 is Hangar 18. A film titled "Area 51: The Alien Interview" shows an alleged alien in captivity,
though skeptics raised doubts of its authenticity. Rick Baker, a special effects expert with many years of
experience, stated categorically that he believed the alien to be nothing
more than a puppet

Seeing UFOs at Area 51

Because the airspace around and above Area 51 is used for test flights
and training missions, it is quite possible (and even probable) that you'll
see aircraft flying overhead. Sometimes that aircraft might be exotic,
perhaps even unidentifiable to the untrained eye. Even familiar aircraft
might fool you into thinking you've seen something not of this Earth.
Skeptics point out that many reported UFO sightings coincide
conveniently with the scheduled daily arrival of the Janet flights to the
base. Many of the formerly classified projects at Area 51 really do look to
be otherworldly. UAVs in particular seem strange, as they don't require a
cockpit or doors. In addition, many training exercises use bright flares to
draw off missile fire or even just to distract onlookers while secret aircraft Photo courtesy of Glenn Campbell
go through maneuvers. The black mailbox (now white)
A popular spot to watch for UFOs is the Black Mailbox on Nevada
Highway 375. The mailbox belongs to a local rancher and became famous when Bob Lazar said it was the
location he'd bring people to in order to watch scheduled test flights of alien spacecraft. Today, the mailbox has
been repainted white and the rancher has said many times that he doesn't believe any of the craft flying
overhead are alien in origin.

The Truth Is Out There

Area 51 is the most well-known secret facility ever created. It's
been an important setting for numerous novels, films, television
shows, video games and music. The base (or a spoof of it) has
appeared in episodes of Futurama, The Simpsons, Kim Possible,
Stargate and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. There is an Area 51
arcade game as well as an unrelated (but identically titled) game
designed for consoles like the Xbox. The base shows up in other
video games too, like Duke Nukem3D, Destroy All Humans, Grand
Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 and even World
of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. There are rumors that the next
Indiana Jones film will have something to do with the facility. Daniel
O'Brien once wrote a rock musical about Area 51, and you can find
references to the base in several rock songs like Megadeth's
"Hangar 18." Out of all the different entertainment pieces featuring
Area 51, two stand out as being particularly important. The X-Files
and Independence Day both helped catapult Area 51 into the public
consciousness, and both followed UFOlogists' theories about the
real purpose of the base.

In the next section, we'll look at some of the controversy surrounding Area 51.

Controversy at Area 51
Workers at Area 51 have had to endure difficult conditions since the earliest days of the facility. In the 1950s,
when the focus of the base was testing the U-2 spy plane, the CIA had to cease operations and evacuate the
facility due to nearby nuclear testing on the neighboring Nevada test site. Sometimes the AEC would announce
tests ahead of schedule to allow nearby residents time to evacuate if they felt it was necessary, but other times
the tests would remain unannounced. The results from these tests could be seen from towns 100 miles away.
People in Las Vegas would often organize trips to nearby peaks and picnic in view of mushroom clouds.
In 1957, one such test called HOOD was part of an overall program called Operation Plumbob, which was
designed to see if damaged nuclear bombs emitted harmful levels of radioactivity. The AEC detonated a 74-
kiloton nuclear device 1,500 feet over Area 9 of the NTS. This was the most powerful airburst ever detonated
over the continental United States. The AEC did not announce the test ahead of time, though they did tell Area
51 to evacuate beforehand. The resulting blast caused some minor damage at Area 51 - mostly some broken
windows and doors. Radiation was a much bigger concern, and, in fact, the soil in Area 51 has absorbed a lot of
radiation over years of nuclear tests.

The AEC versus the CIA

The AEC and officials at Area 51 butted heads several times over
scheduling. The CIA and Kelly Johnson at Area 51 argued that the
interruptions caused by evacuating the base were interfering with
the development of the U-2 and A-12 projects. Area 51's proximity
to the NTS was both a blessing and a curse. It helped protect the
base from snoops, but it also endangered everyone who worked
there.

Cleaning Up Area 51
In 1980, the government authorized a program to remove irradiated soil from around Groom Lake. Satellite
photos confirm that crews removed massive amounts of dirt from the area. Surrounding cities reported increases
in cancer rates and many have sued the government (with varying degrees of success), claiming the tests
caused them to get sick.
Another hazard at Area 51 involved the disposal of classified technology and vehicles. In the 1980s, crews at
Area 51 dug large, open pits and dumped toxic materials into them. They burned the materials using jet fuel and
suffered exposure to chemicals and fumes. According to a lawsuit filed against several government officials, the
workers requested safety equipment such as breathing masks, but were denied due to budgetary concerns.
When they asked if they might bring their own equipment, their superiors told them that for security reasons they
could not bring outside equipment into the base. Several civilian employees became sick from the exposure --
two eventually died. Helen Frost, the widow of Area 51 employee Robert Frost, and several Groom Lake
employees worked with attorney Jonathan Turley to file the lawsuit.
One interesting item from the lawsuit that has since caused a big stir in Area 51 circles is the submission of an
unclassified security manual into evidence. Turley argued that the manual not only proved the base existed, it
also proved the government was aware of the dangers of handling hazardous waste and acted with negligence
toward the employees at Area 51. The government retroactively classified the security manual, and Judge Philip
Pro didn't allow it as evidence. You can still find the manual on the Internet. Some claim the manual to be a fake,
though if this is the case it raises a question -- why would the government declare a fake document to be
classified information?
President Clinton signed an Executive Order exempting Area 51 from environmental regulation in September,
1995. This order is the most formal acknowledgement of the existence of Area 51 by the government. The order
referred to Area 51 as "the Air Force's operating location near Groom Lake, Nevada." Judge Pro eventually
dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that investigation into the claims constituted a breach of national security.
Turley argued that this set a dangerous precedent in that the government could now hide crimes through the
excuse of national security. The policy relieves the government of accountability to the people it represents.
Further litigation may follow, particularly now that a similar unclassified safety manual has been pulled from a
Web site for Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. The document clearly indicates the dangers of inhaling
hazardous fumes, instructing emergency responders to use extreme caution and use proper safety equipment.
The Web site has since removed the document with the explanation that the person who posted it did so in error.
Some worry that emergency responders will now lack vital information when they go into dangerous situations.
Today, Area 51 allows the EPA to inspect the facility to ensure it meets environmental requirements. However, all
reports are classified and can't be published. Many argue that without publication of the results, the facility
remains unaccountable. Clinton's Executive Order permits the reports to remain sealed, despite the fact that the
law requires all such reports be made available to the public. The President must renew the order each year, and
so far that has been the case.
In the next section, we'll look at the town of Rachel, Nevada, which has received more than its share of attention
as the closest town to Area 51.
Living in the Shadow of Area 51
You might think that living close to a place like Area 51 could make you a little strange. A visit to Rachel, Nevada
might just change your suspicion to certainty. The town is populated by less than 100 people, most of whom have
a strong sense of independence and more than a touch of eccentricity. According to former Rachel part-time
resident Glenn Campbell, Rachel's documented history began on March 22, 1978 at 5:45 p.m. Not many towns
can narrow down their origins so precisely. Campbell points out that on that date, power companies first supplied
the Sand Springs Valley with electricity. Before this momentous occasion, only a few hardy farmers and a mining
company occupied the valley.
In the 1970s, small numbers of people with a pioneering spirit and desire to live their lives free of interference
began to settle the valley. One of those families was the Joneses, who became famous in their small community
upon the birth of Rachel Jones, the first child born in the valley. The loose community felt the birth marked an
important event in the town's history, and so they named the town Rachel. The Joneses didn't stick around much
longer, and sadly a few years later Rachel passed away from a respiratory ailment.

Photo courtesy of Cooper

The Little A 'Le' Inn in Rachel, Nevada

The town has a gas station (currently closed, the closest open gas station is 60 miles away), a bar called the
Little A'Le'Inn (a collection of mobile homes organized into a motel) and the Rachel Senior Center Thrift Store.
The Thrift Store is the subject of a mysterious process where clothing comes from the Tonopah Thrift Shop 100
miles away. Rachel's store sends unsold clothing to thrift stores in Las Vegas, which in turn send unsold clothes
to the Tonopah Thrift Shop. Believers are convinced this cycle will continue until either the Tonopah Thrift Shop
or Rachel's store closes.
Rachel is home to several interesting characters, many of whom have pet theories about Area 51. A few work for
the Air Force, though that's about as much information as you'll get from them. Pat and Joe Travis run the Little
A'Le'Inn and have made a business out of selling t-shirts and videos about government conspiracies and aliens.
Still, most of the people in Rachel will tell you they don't think the UFOs are anything other than flares, UAVs or
military aircraft on training missions.
Glenn Campbell established the Area 51 Research Center. He would often go to a lookout spot he named
Freedom Ridge where he could legally view the facility from several miles away. Campbell wrote a newsletter
called the Desert Rat, keeping people up to date on activities at the base. He campaigned against what he
considered to be excessive government secrecy, arguing that the government was creating an environment of
mistrust with the public. He also created a Web site that linked to dozens of news stories and timelines about the
base. Although he no longer updates the site, it's still available for you to explore. Campbell has since moved on
from his focus on the secret base and no longer lives in Rachel.
The residents of Rachel seem to treat interest in their community with bemused patience. To them, sonic booms
in the middle of the night and bright light shows are all normal, every day events. Just about everyone in the
valley has had to replace a window cracked by a sonic boom or held a piece of airplane wreckage (Area 51's
history includes several spectacular crashes).
In the next section, we'll look at a timeline for Area 51 from its founding to the present.
A Brief History of Area 51
During World War II, the Army Air Corps (precursor to our modern Air Force) built several runways in Nevada,
including a pair of small runways at Groom Lake. They named the spot the Army Air Corps Gunnery School.
After the 1940s, the runways were abandoned.
In the early 1950s, the CIA entered a partnership with Lockheed to develop high altitude aircraft to use in
surveillance missions. Kelly Johnson of Lockheed helmed the project. He formed a department of engineers and
test pilots that eventually took on the name Skunk Works. The Skunk Works department was famous for being
very secretive and nearly fanatical in the pursuit of their goals.
The CIA and Johnson both knew that secrecy was critical to their success, and so Johnson needed to find a
location to develop and test secret aircraft. He wanted a location that was remote enough to avoid notice, yet still
close enough to a major city so that supplying the facility would not be a monumental task. The site would need
to be easily accessible by aircraft and out of the way of commercial and military flight paths. It would also need
space to house a sizeable force of military and civilian employees.
In 1955, he traveled to Nevada with test pilot Tony LeVier and CIA representative Osmond Ritland to find a good
place to use as a base of operations for test flights. Ritland trained at the Gunnery School and told Johnson
about it. Johnson decided the location was ideal for their operations.
Four months later, crews completed the initial construction. U-2 test flights began and President Eisenhower
signed an Executive Order restricting the airspace over Groom Lake. The CIA, the Atomic Energy Commission
and Lockheed oversaw base operations. Eventually, control of the base would pass to the Department of Energy
and the Air Force.

A Time Line of Events at Area 51

The following is a time line beginning soon after Area 51's construction:
• 1957 - The AEC distributes "Background Information on Nevada Nuclear Tests" to the press. The
booklet describes a small base at Groom Lake called the Watertown Project. The booklet claimed the
facility was part of a project to study weather.
• 1961 - The restricted airspace expands upwards, but not outwards -- it measures five by nine nautical
miles in size, but extends up to space and is designated R-4808. A year later, the Department of the Air
Force expands the space again, but this time the perimeter grows to 22 by 20 nautical miles. This forms
the "Groom Box," or just "the Box," as it is known today. No flights, whether commercial or military, are
allowed in the restricted space (except the test flights from the base itself).
• 1962 - The first A-12 arrives at Groom Lake. The first test flight takes place two months after the
aircraft's arrival to the base. CIA pilots arrive at the base nearly a year later to begin flight training.
• 1967 - The first Mig 21, a Soviet aircraft, arrives at Groom Lake. Officials name the testing program of
Mig aircraft "Have Donut." Some pilots begin to call the restricted air space above Groom Lake "Red
Square."

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

The F117-A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter
 • 1977 - Years before the public became aware of the Stealth Fighter, the first F117 prototype arrives at
Area 51. It's called the "Have Blue." That same year, the United States Geological Survey takes an
aerial photo of the base. The photo appears in numerous publications and is available until 1994, when
the government withdraws it from release.
• 1982 - The first flight of the vehicle known as "Tacit Blue" takes place at Groom Lake. Like the F-117A,
Tacit Blue is a stealth vehicle.
• 1984 - The base petitions for an additional 89,000 acres of land to increase the size of restricted space
around the facility. Guards had previously discouraged the public from entering this area before it was
officially withdrawn, raising concern and criticism from locals and tourists. The request is ratified by
Congress three years later.
• 1988 - A Soviet satellite photographs Area 51. "Popular Science" runs the photograph, giving most U.S.
citizens their first chance to glimpse the secret base. That same year, Robert Frost, a civilian employee
at Area 51, dies. An autopsy shows that his body contained high levels of dangerous chemicals like
dioxin, trichloroethylene and dibenzofuran. His widow, Helen, files a lawsuit against several government
officials, claiming her husband died as a result of exposure to dangerous chemicals.
• 1989 - Robert Lazar appears on television and claims to have worked on reverse engineering alien
technology at a site not far from Groom Lake.
• 1995 - Area 51 acquires two locations popular with tourists and curious locals. Freedom Ridge and
White Sides Peak. President Clinton signs an executive order exempting Area 51 from legislation and
investigation in order to preserve national security.
• 1996 - Nevada names Route 375, formerly known as the "loneliest highway in America," the
"Extraterrestrial Highway." Skeptics around the world groan in unison.
• 1997 - Area 51 is declassified, though all operations at the facility are still kept secret.
• 2007 - It appears that crews are building a new hangar, much larger than the existing hangar. One Web
site claims the hangar's size to be 200 by 500 feet and 100 feet tall [Source: Rense.com].
For more information on Area 51, aliens and related topics, check out the links on the next page.

Just about everyone in the United States has heard of the little town known as Roswell, New Mexico. Most
people know there is some connection between Roswell and UFOs. But not many people know the details.

Photo courtesy of the CIA

A purported UFO sighting in Passoria, New Jersey.
Why did the Roswell incident become such a huge deal?
Because it's the most credible UFO sighting ever. First, the U.S.
Army actually sent out a press release claiming that a flying disk
had crashed in Roswell in July of 1947. The press release also
claimed that the Army had recovered the disk. Later this press
release was retracted, with the Army claiming it was a big
mistake and exaggeration and the disk was actually a weather
balloon. But by then the press was already all over the story,
and the retraction only fanned the flames. You can see a typical
newspaper article of the time here.
The second thing fueling the fire is the way the Army handled
the evidence. The Army picked up all the debris from the
Roswell crash site -- including pieces of debris that individuals
from Roswell had collected -- and then all of this evidence
vanished.
The third thing - the thing that took this incident into the
stratosphere in terms of public interest -- is the idea that alien
bodies were recovered from the crash site along with the debris. Photo courtesy of the GNU Free Documentation License
In 1994 the Pentagon released a report that attempted to put This photo was taken in June 1984,
the whole incident to rest [Source: CNN]. It seems to have had near Rio Claro-SP Brazil.
the opposite effect. The Pentagon again claims that the craft
was actually an experimental weather balloon, and the bodies
were really dummies used in the experiment.
So, what actually happened? The world may never know.

Even More on UFOs

If you're looking other in-depth information on UFOs and alien life,
take a look at these articles:
• UFO History
• UFOs and the Government
• History of the Roswell Incident
• UFO Hoaxes
• UFO Reports

Alien abduction stories have spread widely over the last hundred years, though they did not truly hit their stride
until the 1961 Barney and Betty Hill abduction. Some abductees report their abductions as warm, pleasant
experiences with intense psychic contact. Other abductees have reported that aliens conducted scientific
experiments or operations on their unwilling patients. How can these vastly different experiences be explained?
After the Hill abduction, investigators collected more and more accounts, usually, though not always, elicited
through hypnosis. In most cases witnesses told of seeing a UFO or even humanoid beings, then suffering
amnesia for a period of anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Some witnesses claimed repeated
experiences that started when they were children.
 Mary Evans Picture Library
One morning in July 1965 Maurice Masse of Valensole, France, encountered figures and a UFO
in a field.

The clear implication was that UFO beings (typically described in these instances as little gray humanoids with
oversize heads, slanted eyes, two holes for a nose, and a slit for a mouth) had a long-term interest in certain
human beings. Some abductees even reported that the abductors had put small implants -- usually said to be tiny
balls inserted through the nose and (apparently) into the brain via a long needle-inside their bodies.
In time new and even more unsettling dimensions to the abduction experience came to light. Some female
abductees reported sexual experiences followed by pregnancies that would be terminated in a follow-up
abduction some months later. During later abductions the UFO entities would show the women strange-looking
children, apparently human/alien hybrids, whom they would sense were their own.
Not surprisingly, such reports gave rise to furious controversy. Even many ufologists rejected them, preferring, in
common with UFO skeptics, to believe "abductions" were fantasies generated by the process of hypnosis itself.
Contrary to popular understanding, hypnosis is no royal road to the truth. Hypnotic subjects are in a highly
suggestible state and may seek to please the hypnotist. Thus, if the hypnotist asks leading questions, the subject
will be led to provide the desired answers. Moreover, purely imaginary events can seem real under hypnosis
(confabulation), as testified to in the phenomenon of "past lives" recounted while in a hypnotic state.
To test the confabulation hypothesis, folklorist Thomas E. Bullard collected all available abduction accounts. He
found that as many as one-third of the informants had full conscious recall of their experiences and had never
resorted to hypnosis to elicit the details. These non-hypnotic reports proved identical in all significant particulars
to those told under hypnosis. Bullard also learned that the identity of the individual hypnotist made no difference.
The stories remained consistent down to details that even those most familiar with the phenomenon had failed to
notice. In short, Bullard concluded, whatever its ultimate cause, the abduction phenomenon was not the product
of hypnosis. "The skeptical argument needs rebuilding from the ground up," he wrote.
A growing number of mental-health professionals have conducted their own investigations of the abduction
phenomenon. In the early 1980s psychological testing of a small group of abductees in New York indicated that
they suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Elizabeth Slater, a psychologist with a private
practice in New York City, remarked that these findings are "not inconsistent with the possibility that reported
UFO abductions have, in fact, occurred." Other studies since then have come to similar conclusions, and the
scientific investigation of the abduction phenomenon continues.

ASHTAR,THE MASTER OF UNIVERSE

As galactic heavyweights go, few tip the scales as impressively as Ashtar, the commander of the 24,000,000
extraterrestrials involved in the Earth project. According to one of his Earth friends, Ashtar is sponsored by "Lord
Michael and the Great Central Sun government of this galaxy. . . . Second only to the Beloved Commander
Jesus-Sananda in responsibility for the airborne division of the Brotherhood of Light," Ashtar beams his
channeled messages from a colossal starship, or space station, that entered the solar system on July 18, 1952.
The first to hear from him was California contactee George Van Tassel, but since then dozens, and possibly
hundreds, all over the world have heard from him and communicated his sermons. Asked what he looks like,
Ashtar replied modestly, "I am seven feet tall in height, with blue eyes and a nearly white complexion. I am fast of
movement and considered to be an understanding and compassionate teacher."
On November 11 and 13, 1989, viewers of KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, Nevada, heard an incredible story from news
reporter George Knapp: A scientist had come forth to reveal that the U.S. government possesses the remains of
extraterrestrial vehicles. From these vehicles have come extraordinary technological breakthroughs.

UFO Magazine
Robert Lazar claims to have studied extraterrestrial hardware.

The scientist, Robert Scott Lazar, said he had worked in the S-4 section of Area 51, a corner of the Nevada Test
Site. There, he had read documents indicating the existence of ongoing research on an "anti-gravity reactor" for
use in propulsion systems. He was astonished, he said, but he was even more shocked to be shown nine flying
discs "of extraterrestrial origin" stored in a hangar. As part of the gravity-harnessing propulsion, the craft used an
element, 115, unknown on Earth, because it is "impossible to synthesize an element that heavy here on
Earth. . . . The substance has to come from a place where super-heavy elements could have been produced
naturally." From the recovered craft the U.S. government had collected some 500 pounds of the stuff.
Adding apparent credibility to Lazar's testimony were persistent reports (chronicled even in the respected
Aviation Week & Space Technology) of bizarre lights over the test site-craft maneuvering in ways beyond the
capacity of known aviation technology. These reports are almost certainly genuine.
Lazar's tales, on the other hand, are almost certainly bogus. Investigations raised serious questions about his
reliability. His claims about his education and employment could not be verified, and his character proved to be
questionable. In 1990 he was arrested for his involvement with the operation of a Nevada brothel.

While contactees offer a rosy picture of the UFO phenomenon, other, darker visions have obsessed some saucer
enthusiasts. In fact, even contactees agree that all is not well. Sinister forces oppose the Space Brothers'
benevolent mission. Some of these are extraterrestrial and others terrestrial, and they work together to thwart the
emergence of the truth.
 Fortean Picture Library
The central figure in a UFO legend, Albert Bender supposedly was silenced by menacing men
in black because he had discovered the answer to the UFO mystery.

Among the early victims of this evil "Silence Group" was Albert K. Bender of Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1952
Bender formed the International Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB), which met with immediate success, but he shut it
down the next year under mysterious circumstances. In due course Bender confided that three men in black had
imparted to him the terrifying answer to the UFO mystery and turned his life into a nightmare. He would say no
more. Three years later an IFSB associate, Gray Barker, wrote a book about the episode; the title perfectly
captured the paranoia abroad in UFO-land: They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers.
Through the "Bender mystery" the legend of the "men in black" (MIB) came into the world-even though, as Barker
observed, a man in black had played a villainous role in the Maury Island incident. According to Barker, the MIB
were ranging as far afield as Australia and New Zealand, scaring still more UFO buffs into silence.
By the late 1980s MIB tales had become sufficiently ubiquitous that the august Journal of American Folklore took
note of them in a long article. Just who the MIB were remained unclear. To saucerians enamored with conspiracy
theories, they were enforcers for the Silence Group, associated with international banking interests that sought to
stifle the technological advances and moral reforms the Space Brothers wanted to bestow on Earthlings. To
others, they were alien beings-perhaps, some speculated, Shaver's deros. In 1962 Bender came down on the
side of the alien school. Breaking his nine-year silence in Flying Saucers and the Three Men, which he insisted
was not a science-fiction novel, Bender revealed that the men in black who drove him out of ufology were
monsters from the planet Kazik. Even Barker, the book's publisher and a relentless Bender promoter, remarked
privately and out of customers' hearing, that maybe it had all been a "dream."
 Fortean Picture Library
After nine years Albert Bender broke his silence and revealed the "truth" in Flying Saucers and
the Three Men. According to Bender, the men in black were monsters from the distant plant
Kazik.

Fear of the MIB was generated in part by worries about the possibly hostile motives of UFOs. A popular early
book, Flying Saucers on the Attack by Harold T. Wilkins (1954), fretted that a "Cosmic General Staff could even
now be plotting a real-life war of the worlds. But next to demonologist-ufologist John A. Keel, author of UFOs:
Operation Trojan Horse (1970) and other writings, Wilkins sounded like an optimist. In Keel's rendering UFO
intelligences are not simply extraterrestrials but "ultraterrestrials"-entities from unimaginable other dimensions of
reality. Worse, they definitely do not like us at all. Human beings, Keel thunders, are "like ants, trying to view
reality with very limited perceptive equipment. . . . We are biochemical robots helplessly controlled by forces that
can scramble our brains, destroy our memories and use us in any way they see fit. They have been doing it to us
forever."