Signs of a UFO:

Look, up in the sky: it’s a bird, it’s a plane – it’s a UFO!

Or is it?

A UFO, or Unidentified Flying Object, is an apparition that moves erratically, and can't readily be identified. However, due to natural phenomena such as fog, low cloud cover, or high moisture content in the atmosphere, ordinary objects such as debris, dust, or even small airplanes may be mistaken for alien craft.

How do you know that the lights you are seeing really do belong to a UFO?

• UFO's are bright and move incredibly fast without breaking the sound barrier (or setting off a sonic boom). In a sighting early in the 20th century, a pilot flying over Mount Adams in the United States reported that he could see bright objects moving past his plane, almost soundlessly, and at “an incredible speed.”

• Most UFO's have classifiable shapes. They are usually found in the shape of toy tops, disks, or saucers, and appear to be flying without propulsion. Other shapes include chevrons, spheres, domes, diamonds, cylinders, and eggs.

• Most UFO's can rapidly change direction and move erratically

• If the UFO has occupants, or has its own light, it will usually shine it down on witnesses, or make gestures with luminous signals

• UFO's usually follow moving vehicles, such as airplanes or cars

• Electronic equipment, such as radios, car batteries, or even cellular phones, may fail. Equipment failures will include stalled cars, radio or TV interference, power blackouts, compass deflections (whether manual, or electronic in aircraft navigation), and engine disruption in vehicles.

Upon leaving a site, UFO's will leave the following signs of their visit:

• Burned ground near where the UFO landed or hovered. With a Geiger counter, scientists may also note that radiation levels are higher at the site.

• Eyewitnesses or animals will experience temporary paralysis, skin burns, rashes, and symptoms similar to radiation poisoning

• Cattle and other farm animals nearby will be mutilated

• There may be crop circles, or sites where plants are flattened, and whole fields are fashioned into geometric shapes so precise, they can't be duplicated by any one individual

If you want to be prepared to witness a UFO sighting, carry a little electronic equipment with you; a manually operated camera that uses film will be most useful in documentation. If you think you see a UFO, take pictures, but don't