A panel NASA has formed to study UFOs is holding its first meeting today - sparking wild speculation.
The 16-member panel consists of experts from various fields and was established to examine unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), commonly known as UFOs.
The panel set up last year has been looking at data on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)
UAP is defined by Nasa as "observations of events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena from a scientific perspective"
Nasa's study is separate from the Pentagon's investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena, which has been studied by US intelligence officials
UFOs have so far been handled exclusively by military and national security officials, however, this will be the first formal inquiry by NASA into the subject.
Sean Kirkpatrick, the director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) says there have been more than 800 cases of UAP sightings.
"We have 50 to 100-ish new reports each month."
But the number of those sightings which are "possibly really anomalous" are 2 to 5% of the total database.
The NASA study is separate from a Pentagon-based investigation into UAPs documented by military aviators.
Both efforts indicate a shift in the government's approach to UFO sightings after decades of dismissing and discrediting them.
The Pentagon's investigation has led to numerous new reports, but most of them remain unexplained, and no sighting has provided evidence of intelligent alien life.
