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What UFOCAT Is
UFOCAT is an electronic database of UFO sightings maintained by the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS), a nonprofit founded in 1973 by the astronomer J. Allen Hynek. Initially built to preserve and organize earlier UFO investigations, this catalog has grown into the world’s largest single collection of UFO case reports.
CUFOS describes UFOCAT as the largest repository of UFO sighting reports in one place. Early versions held over 170,000 cases; the 2002 edition reached 120,000, and as of the 2023 release, it includes more than 300,000 entries—among which over 192,000 are labelled primary sightings. These numbers reflect more than five decades of ongoing data collection and cataloging efforts.
Origins and Historical Development
CUFOS was founded in reaction to skepticism toward UFO studies following the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book and the negative conclusions of the Condon Report. Hynek, who served as a scientific consultant to the Air Force’s UFO investigations, felt that continued observation and documentation remained important. In 1973 he established CUFOS to create a scientifically oriented institution dedicated to collecting credible UFO data.
In 1976, one of CUFOS’s earliest members, Dr. David Saunders—who had served on the Condon Committee—transferred his IBM‑based mainframe database of UFO reports to CUFOS. That material became the foundation of UFOCAT. Over ensuing years CUFOS digitized and expanded the catalog, incorporating historical case files from Project Blue Book, NICAP (the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena), civilian collections, and international reports. While first issued on magnetic tapes, the database evolved through several software platforms and formats for search and analysis, eventually becoming a modern electronic system accessible to researchers.
CUFOS began publishing its periodicals shortly after its founding—the International UFO Reporter (starting in 1976), the Center Investigative Quarterly, and from 1979 the peer‑reviewed Journal of UFO Studies. These publications often referenced UFOCAT data and helped establish CUFOS’s scholarly credibility.
Structure and Contents of UFOCAT
UFOCAT treats each report as a discrete entry. If several witnesses in separate locations report the same sighting, each is logged as a separate entry rather than merged. This approach means that the total number of entries exceeds the total number of incident cases. The catalog includes fields such as:
- Date and time of the sighting
- Geographic location (city, state or province, country)
- Source of the report (e.g. civilian witness, radar officer, pilot)
- Witness description and number of witnesses
- Object characteristics: shape, lights, movement, duration
- Classification or status: unresolved sighting or identified (e.g. aircraft or meteor)
- Physical evidence or follow-up information (when available)
The code book published in the 1970s defined a consistent format and standardized many of these fields (e.g. numeric codes for shapes and colours). Later versions maintained compatibility while allowing newer types of data to be incorporated.
As of the most recent available version, over 192,000 entries are flagged as primary UFO sightings—cases where no conventional explanation was accepted. The remainder includes more mundane identifications, misidentifications, or cases with insufficient data—but all remain in the database for completeness and transparency.
Enlarged Detail on the Catalog’s Development
Early editions were released periodically on floppy disk or DVD, often accompanied by a printed user guide. For example, the 2009 edition of UFOCAT was distributed as a DVD with roughly 210,000 reports. Academic users and serious investigators could request access or purchase the dataset, delivered with instructions for navigating and interpreting the coded fields.
CUFOS continues to archive paper files, original witness statements, photographs, and internal research materials—most of which reside at its Chicago offices. Modern updates to UFOCAT may include newer civilian-sourced reports, radar or military briefings, and expanded international coverage.
Throughout the years, leadership and researchers on the CUFOS board—such as Jerome Clark, Michael Swords, and Thomas Bullard—supported ongoing efforts to maintain and refine the catalogue. Mark Rodeghier has served as director since Hynek’s passing in 1986, guiding the organization’s stewardship of UFOCAT and academic publications.
Research Applications and Statistical Analysis
Researchers have used UFOCAT to examine temporal and spatial trends in reported UFO activity. Statistical studies examined whether sightings cluster near nuclear sites, radar installations, or specific types of infrastructure. Researchers have also explored whether reports correlate with specific times such as local sidereal time (the time relative to the rotation of the stars).
Studies based on subsets of cataloged cases found that sighting rates tend to peak around evening hours rather than midday, and vary with season—in one analysis showing a minimum around May and a broader peak during late summer or September. More advanced analyses employed power spectrum and Rayleigh-power methods to test for periodic patterns. One time‑series analysis identified modulation tied to local sidereal time—suggesting that sightings may cluster in specific astronomical alignments rather than by chance or social patterns.
Such studies used samples taken from UFOCAT and related compilations. Researchers selected high‑quality cases that met criteria such as multiple witnesses, accurate timing and location, and detailed narratives. Those subsets then formed the basis for published papers in journals aligned with CUFOS, including the Journal of UFO Studies.
Beyond academic studies, some independent authors and statisticians studying UFO hotspots in North America also utilized UFOCAT or derived indices from it in books and regional analyses.
Limitations and Data Caveats
Despite its scale, UFOCAT is not without limitations. Because each witness report is recorded separately, duplicate entries may exist when multiple observers describe the same phenomenon. The quality and completeness of individual records vary widely—some include detailed testimony and photographs, others merely a short note.
Standards for data input were stronger in later editions—earlier versions might lack precise timing or location fields. Coding errors and missing data occur, requiring caution when analyzing aggregate statistics. Some reports remain unsourced or unverified, and of course not all cases include follow-up investigation results.
CUFOS has acknowledged that validation and standardization have been ongoing work; but the value of retaining even ambiguous or mundane reports is preserving transparency and allowing future re‑examination.
CUFOS’s Stewardship and Ongoing Role
The Center for UFO Studies continues to accept new sighting reports from around the world, relying on volunteers, amateur investigators, former law enforcement officers, pilots, and scientists. Although publication of the Journal of UFO Studies ceased around 2006, CUFOS still issues the International UFO Reporter and supports other forms of dissemination and conference proceedings.
CUFOS offers researchers access to its archives—including the coded UFOCAT data and related materials—though it is not publicly available online. Instead, interested parties may request access or purchase the database. CUFOS also provides guidance on research best practices through workshops, papers, and archived newsletters.
Over decades, CUFOS has maintained a relatively small, volunteer‑based structure focused on preserving an archive rather than large‑scale public education or media outreach.
Why UFOCAT Matters
UFOCAT remains the largest structured archive of UFO sighting reports ever assembled by a research organization. It combines early historical sources and modern accounts in a searchable format. For anyone investigating patterns or anomalies objectively, the volume and detail in UFOCAT offer a rare resource spanning more than fifty years and multiple sources.
Because CUFOS has operated with a scientific approach—from Hynek’s early leadership through later investigators—UFOCAT serves as a resource that preserves original witness accounts and classification records even if conventional conclusions were reached later.
Researchers with statistical training, historians examining cultural trends, social scientists exploring witness behaviour, and analysts interested in geographic clustering can all derive value from the dataset. Even skeptical investigators may appreciate having access to what was reported, how it was documented, and where questions remain.
Summary
UFOCAT is an extensive electronic catalog of UFO sightings maintained by the Center for UFO Studies, established by J. Allen Hynek in the early 1970s. Originating from early databases such as those held by Project Blue Book or Dr. David Saunders, it now holds more than 300,000 entries, including over 192,000 primary cases. It records details such as time, location, witness description, and classification for each report.
Researchers use UFOCAT to study patterns over time and geography—for example, clustering near certain sites or correlations with sidereal time. Limitations include variable data quality, duplicate entries, and incomplete fields, but the catalog remains invaluable for transparency and historical depth. CUFOS continues to support researchers through access to archived materials and publication of its periodicals, preserving UFOCAT as a resource for rigorous and ongoing inquiry into aerial phenomena.
10 Best-Selling UFO and UAP Books
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Communion
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Passport to Magonia: From Folklore to Flying Saucers
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Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah
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The Hynek UFO Report: The Authoritative Account of the Project Blue Book Cover-Up
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What Questions Does This Article Answer:
- What is UFOCAT and who maintains it?
- How many entries are in the UFOCAT database?
- What was the origin and historical development of CUFOS and UFOCAT?
- What is the structure and contents of UFOCAT?
- How has UFOCAT been used for research applications and statistical analysis?
- What are the limitations and data caveats of UFOCAT?
- What is CUFOS’s stewardship and ongoing role in relation to UFOCAT?
- Why does UFOCAT matter and who can derive value from it?
- Can interested parties access the UFOCAT database?
