Some of the best UFO sightings are recognized as being legitimate sightings because they were able to be verified not just by ground observation, but also because they were picked up on radar.
We hear about radar on a daily basis now, be it weather radar, the cop with his radar gun waiting to give you a ticket, or air traffic controllers keeping our skies safe. But what is radar, how does it work, and how did we come to depend on it so much?
According to Wikipedia, radar is "an object detection system that uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects."
Several nations worked together in secret during World War II to develop radar. The term RADAR was developed by the United States Navy as an acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging since 1940. We've come to depend on radar for many reasons since then, but mainly because it helps to save countless lives.
Radar works by transmitting a radio wave through it's antenna, or radar dish, in predetermined directions. When they come into contact with an object, they are reflected back providing the information about the object. There are many different types of radar as well, continuous wave radar, and pulse radar are just two examples.
For the Field Investigator, air traffic control radar is of the most interest, and fortunately you can request records directly from the FAA whenever an investigation requires it. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with all the airports, and military installations in your area so you will know where the readings will have been taken from as well.
I hope this issue sparked some thought about the uses of radar, and where to find the data when you need it. Don't forget to share with all of your friends, and come back next week for more!
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