Science · Research & investigation
J. Allen Hynek
Astronomer and UFO investigator
Photograph · Image credit
Who they are
J. Allen Hynek was an astronomer who advised the U.S. Air Force’s UFO investigations and later founded the Center for UFO Studies. His 1972 book organized reports into categories including close encounters. CUFOS extended his interest into continuing investigation and preservation of reports after the Air Force program ended.
He connects official investigation, civilian research and the vocabulary used to discuss UFO reports.
Selected contributions
- Served as an astronomical consultant to Air Force UFO programs.Source ↗
- Published The UFO Experience in 1972 and founded CUFOS in 1973.Source ↗Source 2 ↗
Selected works
Book · 1972
The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry
Hynek organizes reported sightings and makes a case for sustained scientific investigation after his Air Force consulting work. His classification of close encounters became an influential vocabulary for the subject.
The linked 2023 reissue uses the subtitle Evidence Behind Close Encounters, Project Blue Book, and the Search for Answers and adds a foreword by Paul Hynek. The original book appeared in 1972.
Reading scope & citation
1972 title/date and classification context reused from inspected CUFOS history; fresh CUFOS book entry and 2023 publisher description/metadata, not complete book.
ISBN: 9781590033081
In the timeline
Biography sources & portrait credit
- About Us — History ↗Center for UFO Studies
- The UFO Experience: Evidence Behind Close Encounters, Project Blue Book, and the Search for Answers ↗Red Wheel / Weiser
- Recommended Books ↗Center for UFO Studies
Portrait credit
United States Government. Public domain (U.S. federal government work). Via Wikimedia Commons.
Photograph. Cropped to 4:5, resized to 320 × 400 and converted to WebP.
Image source & identification ↗ · Public domain (U.S. federal government work) ↗
