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No one disputes that there have been unidentified flying objects sighted around the world,

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where ufologists and skeptics differ is in how they interpret these sightings.

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Some skeptics believe that all UFOs are really conventional aircraft, while others see a deliberate hoax.

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But just how common are UFO hoaxes, and how do the experts weed them out?

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Each year, there are more than 10,000 UFO sightings reported in the United States alone.

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Many of those sightings are documented on film or videotape,

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but how many of these sightings are genuine unidentified and unexplainable flying objects.

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Sightings has received hundreds of photographs, films and tapes of supposed UFOs.

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The experts we use to analyze these reports are very careful in determining what they consider to be credible.

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UFO photographs that are hoaxed are hard to do.

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When there are hoaxes, we can find them.

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With the use of sophisticated equipment, expert UFO analysts try to methodically separate fact from fantasy.

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Genuine UFO from obvious hoax.

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There are some basic techniques that are used to hoax UFO pictures.

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Overlays, pace-up, small models, optical technology, electronic technology.

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In fact, the library is full of techniques on special effects.

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Many videotaped images appear genuine, but careful analysis and scrutiny often prove otherwise.

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This tape received by sightings was analyzed by Dillatoso.

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This is a good example of a very well-done, well-executed hoax of a UFO.

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You'll notice here on the edges that the edge here, this edge, this one, this one, are all the same number of pixels.

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When they are very similar as they are in this picture, it indicates that it's a small object close to the camera.

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Point of the story, this is a model.

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First of all, they're all potential hoaxes to begin with.

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So if the picture looks too good, it probably was staged.

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Now that cameras are in the hands of the general public and most everyone has one,

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we are finding that there is an increase in the availability of videos of UFOs.

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I just say, oh, this is a hoax.

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As a scientist, it's your obligation to finish the question and the answer.

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If it is a hoax, how did they do it?

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When I first got into this, I used to think that there was considerable hoaxing.

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But over the years, I've discovered that there's a whole lot less hoaxing than we assumed,

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and that the situation is probably reversed.

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Maybe 20% are deliberate hoaxes perpetrated by somebody for some purpose of his own,

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and maybe 30% are misperceptions, and the rest seem to be real unknowns to me.

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We have to thank the people that do hoaxes because they help us understand the other side too

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and what purposes there may be in real UFOs coming here.

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It's a tremendous mystery we're trying to solve.