CHICAGO, Sept 17 (UPI) ? An Illinois astronomer has criticized what he calls the failure to investigate persistent
reports of unidentified flying objects despite the fact that sightings of many flying saucers
remain
unexplained.
Dr. J. Allen Hynek, chairman of Northwestern University's
department of astronomy and a consultant to the Air Force on the subject, cited what he called the persistent and
disturbing phenomenon
.
In a letter to Science magazine, he called for a scientific investigation to dispel 20 years of confusion
.
He accused scientists of shying away from study of the objects for fear of injuring their professional
standing
.
Many sightings can be explained as natural phenomena, Dr. Hynek said, but a sizable number defy explanation.
Dr. Hynek said it was a fallacy to assume that all reports were
the work of hysteries or crackpots or cranks
, or the product of uneducated or unreliable people.