IFOs

A key characteristic of a UFO is that it is an unidentified flying object. Describing something as a UFO doesn't necessarily mean that it is an alien spaceship or a psychic phenomenon, it simply means that it has not (yet) been identified.

The vast majortiy of UFOs sightings turn out to have a very ordinary explanation. In this case the sighting is reclassified as an IFO: an identified flying object.

Some of the most common forms of IFO responsible for UFO reports include (in no particular order):

Bright planets
Meteorites
The moon
Aircraft
Satellite re-entry
Balloons
Blimps
Laser light displays
Wedding lanterns (fire balloons)
Birds

It's important to remember that although the vast number of UFO reports turn into IFOs like the ones listed above, a stubborn minority refuse any conventional explanation and remain a mystery. Those who seek to debunk the entire UFO field often focus on the IFOs and brush off the unexplained sightings as hoax, error or delusion.