Within Records
Can Georgia UFO Databases Really Be Trusted?
Georgia UFO databases preserve valuable leads, but reporting delays and uneven evidence often limit what cases can prove.
On this page
- How NUFORC and Enigma collect Georgia reports
- Why delayed reports weaken UFO evidence
- What makes one database entry stronger than another
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
Georgia’s UFO witness databases are useful research tools, but they are not reliable in the same way as police evidence files, aviation accident records, or formal scientific datasets. Most Georgia sightings survive because civilians submitted accounts to organisations such as the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) or newer platforms like Enigma Labs, not because state agencies systematically investigated them. These databases preserve thousands of reports and can reveal patterns, flap periods, witness clusters, and recurring locations across Georgia. They are especially valuable for tracking how sightings were described at the time and how stories spread. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORCNUFORC Reports for State GAShowing 1 to 100 of 2,948 entries (filtered from 160,435 total… Copyright 2026 National UFO Reporting… [NUFORC]nuforc.orgData Bank | NUFORCNUFORCData Bank | NUFORC - Latest UFO SightingsThe NUFORC Databank is the largest independently collected set of UFO / UAP sighting repor…
The problem is that preservation is not the same thing as verification. Many Georgia entries are single-witness reports with little supporting evidence. Some were filed years or even decades after the alleged event. Others contain strong details but no independent corroboration. The databases are therefore best understood as large collections of claims of varying quality rather than as confirmed records of unexplained craft. For readers trying to assess Georgia’s UFO history seriously, the key question is not whether a report exists in a database, but how the report was collected, how quickly it was filed, and whether it can be independently checked.
How NUFORC and Enigma collect Georgia reports
The largest public source for Georgia UFO sightings is the National UFO Reporting Center, usually called NUFORC. Its Georgia index contains thousands of entries ranging from mid-twentieth-century claims to recent reports from Atlanta suburbs, rural counties, and coastal areas. Each entry usually includes the reported date, location, object description, witness count, and a short narrative summary. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 29229NUFORC UFO Sighting 29229. Occurred: 1986-11-15 21:00 Local - Approximate Reported: 2003-06-16 07:51 Pacif…
NUFORC’s strength is openness. Researchers can compare sightings across decades and spot trends that would otherwise disappear into local folklore or forgotten newspaper clippings. Georgia flap periods, such as the intense reporting wave of the early 1970s, become easier to trace because reports from different towns can be grouped chronologically. The database also preserves reports from witnesses who might never have contacted police, journalists, or government agencies.
Yet NUFORC largely depends on self-reporting. In most cases, investigators are not physically visiting the site, collecting sensor data, or conducting forensic checks. The organisation has historically relied on volunteer review and basic filtering rather than full-scale investigations. This means a Georgia report can appear alongside others even if the supporting evidence is weak or incomplete. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 135209NUFORC UFO Sighting 135209. Occurred: 1977-03-15 05:30 Local (early 1977) Reported: 2017-07-17 11:25 Paci…
| Enigma Labs represents a more modern attempt to structure UFO reporting. Its platform combines historical archives with app-based submissions, mapping tools, and standardised reporting forms. The company says it has aggregated more than 270,000 public reports worldwide while encouraging witnesses to submit sightings quickly through smartphones. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioThis dynamic format highlights most recent sightings and allows you to read over 270k+ sightings…Read more… | Report a UFO sighting [2Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sighting]</a>enigmalabs.ioThis dynamic format highlights most recent sightings and allows you to read over 270k+ sightings…Read more…</span> |
| That structured approach can improve reliability in some ways. A witness using a phone app immediately after an event may provide more accurate timing, location data, and visual uploads than someone recalling an event years later from memory. Enigma also attempts to categorise reports systematically rather than simply storing free-form narratives. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioThis dynamic format highlights most recent sightings and allows you to read over 270k+ sightings…Read more… | Report a UFO sighting |
However, newer technology does not eliminate old reliability problems. Enigma still relies heavily on civilian testimony, and its internal ranking or filtering systems are not fully transparent to outside researchers. Some users have publicly questioned why certain reports disappeared or were downgraded, highlighting the difficulty of balancing moderation with openness. [Reddit]reddit.comI was under the impression it wasRedditDid anybody else get contacted by Enigma Labs for "…October 1, 2024 — I was contacted by Enigma Labs via reddit before they laun…
Why delayed reports weaken UFO evidence
One of the biggest weaknesses in Georgia UFO databases is reporting delay. Many entries were not filed close to the alleged event. Some were submitted years later, and a few arrived decades afterward.
That matters because memory changes over time. Witnesses can unintentionally reshape details, merge separate memories, or absorb later media narratives into their recollection. In UFO cases, where unusual lights or fleeting aerial events are already difficult to interpret, delayed testimony becomes especially fragile.
A clear Georgia example appears in a NUFORC entry from Savannah. The witness described a strange moving light seen in 1986, but the report itself was not submitted until 2003. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 17486NUFORC UFO Sighting 17486. Occurred: 2001-04-30 15:47 Local (04/31/01) Reported: 2001-05-01 00:00 Pacific… The account may be sincere, but investigators cannot easily reconstruct weather conditions, astronomical visibility, nearby aircraft traffic, or supporting witnesses seventeen years later.
Another Georgia-linked NUFORC report described an alleged 1977 encounter in Macon but was not entered into the database until 2017. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFOR C Reports by Location USANUFORC Reports by LocationUSA - Georgia, 2951. USA - Guam, 3. USA - Hawaii, 706. USA - Iowa, 1315. USA - Idaho, 1469. USA - Illinois, 451… By that stage, many ordinary methods of verification were effectively impossible. Even if the witness believed the memory completely, the evidential value had sharply weakened.
Immediate reports are generally stronger because they allow comparison with:
- Air traffic records
- Astronomical conditions
- Satellite passes
- Meteor activity
- Police logs
- Radar records
- Contemporary witness statements
- Local news coverage
When those cross-checks are impossible, a database entry becomes more of a historical anecdote than an investigable event.
What makes one Georgia database entry stronger than another
Not all database entries carry equal weight. Some Georgia reports contain details that make them significantly more useful than others.
A stronger report usually includes:
- A precise date and time
- A clear location
- Multiple independent witnesses
- Prompt reporting
- Descriptions consistent across observers
- Supporting photographs or video
- Aviation or radar context
- Attempts to rule out ordinary explanations
Pilot and law-enforcement reports often attract more attention because the witnesses are presumed to have greater familiarity with aircraft, lighting conditions, or atmospheric effects. That does not make them automatically correct, but it can reduce certain types of misidentification.
For example, NUFORC includes Georgia cases involving pilots near Atlanta’s major airport corridors. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgAll NUFORC ReportsShowing 1 to 100 of 160,440 entries (filtered from 160,444 total… Copyright 2026 National UFO Reporting Center, Dave… Such reports tend to be considered more interesting because trained observers operate in controlled airspace and may notice unusual flight behaviour more accurately than casual witnesses on the ground.
Promptly submitted reports are also more valuable. A 2001 Marietta sighting was reported within roughly a day of the alleged event. [NUFORC]nuforc.orgNUFORC UFO Sighting 138172NUFORC UFO Sighting 138172. Occurred: 1996-07-01 17:30 Local Reported: 2018-01-01 03:18 Pacific Duration: 2 min… Even though the case remains unresolved, the short reporting gap increases the possibility of meaningful follow-up compared with older retrospective claims.
By contrast, weak reports often share recurring problems:
- Extremely vague descriptions
- No exact location
- Only one observer
- Emotional or sensational wording
- Contradictory timelines
- Reporting decades after the event
- Heavy dependence on memory rather than documentation
Georgia databases contain both types side by side, which is why raw sighting counts alone can be misleading.
The danger of treating sighting totals as proof
Georgia’s large number of recorded sightings does not necessarily mean the state experiences uniquely anomalous activity. Database totals reflect many factors besides unexplained phenomena.
Population size matters. So does media attention, internet access, and local interest in UFO culture. A county with active reporting habits may produce more entries than a quieter area even if the actual sky activity is identical.
Researchers studying broader UFO datasets have also warned that sighting density may correlate with environmental and demographic variables rather than simply with anomalous events themselves. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govHowever, given that the…Read more… Areas with more people watching the sky, more aircraft traffic, or stronger online reporting cultures naturally generate more reports.
This is especially important around metropolitan Georgia. Atlanta’s heavy air traffic, dense population, and extensive suburban development create many opportunities for misidentifications involving aircraft lights, drones, satellites, advertising blimps, and atmospheric reflections. A high volume of reports from such areas does not automatically imply high-quality evidence.
The same caution applies to apparent “clusters”. Sometimes a cluster reflects a real shared observation. At other times, publicity itself encourages additional reports after local news coverage spreads awareness of an alleged sighting.
Official archives are limited, but sometimes more dependable
Compared with civilian databases, official archival collections usually contain fewer cases but often provide stronger documentation.
The National Archives’ Project Blue Book files preserve Air Force investigations from 1947 to 1969, including witness interviews, correspondence, and investigative summaries. [National Archives]nationalarchives.gov.ukNational ArchivesProject BLUE BOOK - Unidentified Flying ObjectsProject BLUE BOOK has been declassified and the records are available for… [National Archives Foundation]archivesfoundation.orgNational Archives Foundation50 Years Ago: Government Stops Investigating UFOsTo mark the 50th anniversary of the end of Project Blue Book… Those files can be more useful than anonymous database submissions because they sometimes include names, military assessments, radar references, or technical commentary.
Even so, official investigations had their own credibility problems. Critics, including astronomer J. Allen Hynek, argued that Project Blue Book often handled sightings inconsistently and devoted too little effort to difficult cases. [Wikipedia]WikipediaProject Blue BookProject Blue Book Some sceptics believed Blue Book dismissed reports too aggressively, while others argued that believers overstated the significance of unresolved files.
That tension matters when reading Georgia UFO history. Official records are not automatically objective, and civilian databases are not automatically unreliable. Both contain strengths and weaknesses. The difference is that official files usually preserve more investigative context, while civilian databases preserve a much wider range of witness testimony.
What Georgia UFO databases are actually good for
Despite their limitations, Georgia UFO witness databases remain valuable historical tools when used carefully.
They are particularly useful for:
- Identifying regional sighting waves
- Comparing descriptions across decades
- Tracking how stories evolved
- Preserving testimony that might otherwise disappear
- Finding leads for deeper archival research
- Connecting local reports with broader national trends
They are much less useful for proving extraordinary claims on their own.
A NUFORC or Enigma entry should therefore be treated as the beginning of an investigation rather than the conclusion. The strongest Georgia cases are the ones where database reports can be connected to independent evidence such as radar logs, aviation records, multiple witness accounts, contemporary newspapers, or official documentation. The weakest are isolated stories that survive only as unverified memories entered long after the alleged event.
For readers exploring Georgia’s UFO history, the databases are most reliable when used comparatively and critically. They show what people claimed to see and when they claimed to see it. They do not, by themselves, establish what was actually in the sky.
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Endnotes
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/subndx/?id=lGASource snippet
NUFORCNUFORC Reports for State GAShowing 1 to 100 of 2,948 entries (filtered from 160,435 total... Copyright 2026 National UFO Reporting...
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Source: nuforc.org
Title: Data Bank | NUFORC
Link: https://nuforc.org/databank/Source snippet
NUFORCData Bank | NUFORC - Latest UFO SightingsThe NUFORC Databank is the largest independently collected set of UFO / UAP sighting repor...
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Source: enigmalabs.io
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/Source snippet
This dynamic format highlights most recent sightings and allows you to read over 270k+ sightings...Read more...
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Source: enigmalabs.io
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/exploreSource snippet
Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingUFO Sightings Around the WorldCombined with 270K+ sighting reports from publicly available sources, En...
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Source: enigmalabs.io
Title: 25k sightings
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/blog/25k-sightingsSource snippet
Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sighting25K Sightings & CountingOct 31, 2024 — Enigma is the #1 destination for the public to report UFO sight...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: I was under the impression it was
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1ftu6kg/did_anybody_else_get_contacted_by_enigma_labs_for/Source snippet
RedditDid anybody else get contacted by Enigma Labs for "...October 1, 2024 — I was contacted by Enigma Labs via reddit before they laun...
Published: October 1, 2024
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=29229Source snippet
NUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 29229NUFORC UFO Sighting 29229. Occurred: 1986-11-15 21:00 Local - Approximate Reported: 2003-06-16 07:51 Pacif...
Published: June 16, 2003
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=135209Source snippet
NUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 135209NUFORC UFO Sighting 135209. Occurred: 1977-03-15 05:30 Local (early 1977) Reported: 2017-07-17 11:25 Paci...
Published: July 17, 2017
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=17486Source snippet
NUFORCNUFORC UFO Sighting 17486NUFORC UFO Sighting 17486. Occurred: 2001-04-30 15:47 Local (04/31/01) Reported: 2001-05-01 00:00 Pacific...
Published: April 30, 2001
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Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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However, given that the...Read more...
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Source: archives.gov
Title: National Archives Project BLUE BOOK
Link: https://www.archives.gov/research/military/air-force/ufosSource snippet
National ArchivesProject BLUE BOOK - Unidentified Flying ObjectsProject BLUE BOOK has been declassified and the records are available for...
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Source: archives.gov
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Link: https://www.archives.gov/news/articles/project-blue-book-50th-anniversarySource snippet
National ArchivesPublic Interest in UFOs Persists 50 Years After Project Blue...5 Dec 2019 — However, the results were inconclusive, as...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Project Blue Book
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Blue_Book -
Source: nuforc.org
Title: NUFOR C Reports by Location USA
Link: https://nuforc.org/ndx/?id=locSource snippet
NUFORC Reports by LocationUSA - Georgia, 2951. USA - Guam, 3. USA - Hawaii, 706. USA - Iowa, 1315. USA - Idaho, 1469. USA - Illinois, 451...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/subndx/?id=allSource snippet
All NUFORC ReportsShowing 1 to 100 of 160,440 entries (filtered from 160,444 total... Copyright 2026 National UFO Reporting Center, Dave...
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=138172Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 138172NUFORC UFO Sighting 138172. Occurred: 1996-07-01 17:30 Local Reported: 2018-01-01 03:18 Pacific Duration: 2 min...
Published: January 1, 2018
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Source: nuforc.org
Title: Browse reports, images, videos, maps and more
Link: https://nuforc.org/Source snippet
National UFO Reporting Center | Report a UFO | Report a UAPThe most trustworthy, transparent and respectful organization for UFO/UAP witn...
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Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=147736Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 147736NUFORC UFO Sighting 147736. Occurred: 2019-07-23 21:20 Local Reported: 2019-07-24 08:57 Pacific Duration: 10 mi...
Published: July 23, 2019
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Source: nuforc.org
Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=145990Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 145990Triangle formation with 3 lights in sky over Savannah, Georgia, witnessed by entire group of people. Triangle f...
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Link: https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=163843Source snippet
NUFORC UFO Sighting 163843NUFORC UFO Sighting 163843. Occurred: 1979-06-15 22:15 Local (06/??/1979) Reported: 2021-06-26 13:14 Pacific Du...
Published: June 26, 2021
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The page is organized by record group, with links to...
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Link: https://www.archives.gov/research/topics/uaps/moving-images-and-soundSource snippet
FOs and UAPs in the National Archives Catalog...
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Title: there have been more than 2600 reported ufo
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"There have been more than 2600 reported UFO sightings..."There have been more than 2,600 reported UFO sightings in Georgia" [since 1942...
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I analyzed 80000 UFO sightings from the NUFORC databaseIt is the NUFORC database. I realized I needed to find a stable population since s...
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Title: List of reported UFO sightings
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List of reported UFO sightingsMost commonly reported shapes in UFO sightings gathered in the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) On...
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National Archives Foundation50 Years Ago: Government Stops Investigating UFOsTo mark the 50th anniversary of the end of Project Blue Book...
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Title: 12000 uap sightings and counting
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Dec 14, 2023 — An in-depth analysis of UFO sightings collected to date: top characteristics, states, countries, anomalousness, and trends...
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Unidentified Submerged Objects: USOsThe term is similar to UFO/UAP but applies specifically to subsurface or underwater contexts. From me...
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Enigma Labs | UFO Sightings in United StatesExplore UFO & UAP sightings in United States. Discover sighting maps, historical and recent t...
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Link: https://enigmalabs.io/about -
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In the HBO documentary, "UFOs: What's Going On" (1985), Cash said she was treated for breast cancer after being exposed to a "radioactive...
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a sightings to eliminate the stigma of reporting UFO sightings...Read more...
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nning Air Force program dedicated to investigating sightings of UFOs (unidentified flying objects)Read more...
Additional References
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Link: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a70995826/j-allen-hynek-project-blue-book-ufo-investigation-truth/Source snippet
Allen Hynek from a government consultant and UFO skeptic into the foremost advocate for serious scientific study of unidentified flying o...
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Source: docsteach.org
Link: https://docsteach.org/document/project-blue-book-status-report-number-eight/Source snippet
Project Blue Book Status Report Number EightProject Bluebook was the codename for the most well known of the U.S. Air Force's investigati...
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Link: https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104590/unidentified-flying-objects-and-air-force-project-blue-book/Source snippet
Unidentified Flying Objects and Air Force Project Blue BookWith the termination of Project Blue Book, the Air Force regulation establishi...
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Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376891986_A_global_picture_of_unidentified_anomalous_phenomena_Towards_a_cross-cultural_understanding_of_a_potentially_universal_issueSource snippet
(PDF) A global picture of unidentified anomalous phenomenaThis paper reviews the publicly available information on the prevalence of UAP...
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Link: https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/ufo/usaf_fact_sheet_95_03.pdfSource snippet
Blue Book, 701 remained "unidentified." The decision to discontinue UFO investigations was based on an...
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Title: georgia has a documented history of unidentified aerial phenomena uap sightings
Link: https://www.facebook.com/Dageorgiapage/posts/georgia-has-a-documented-history-of-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-uap-sightings-/1189131836743624/Source snippet
The Georgia PageThe National UFO Reporting Center has received more than 2,000 incidents of UFO sightings in the first half of 2025, The...
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UFO Project Blue Book at National Archives MuseumFor more than 20 years, the U.S. Air Force documented and analyzed UFO sightings through...
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apple.comEnigma: What's that in the Sky - App Store - AppleEnigma is the #1 destination for UFO sighting alerts and aerial intelligence...
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Title: enigma looks aviation build uap sightings platform
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App Launches for Reporting Unidentified Aerospace...20 Jan 2023 — Engima Labs has created a mobile app to develop an empirical network o...
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Title: Project Blue Book (UFO)
Link: https://vault.fbi.gov/Project%20Blue%20Book%20%28UFO%29%20Source snippet
Blue Book (UFO)Project Blue Book Originally Project Blue Book was the Air Force name for a project that investigated UFO reports between...
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