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[[Image:Hynek.jpeg|thumb|150px| Dr. J. Allen Hynek.]]

'''Josef Allen Hynek''' ([[May 1]], [[1910]] - [[April 27]], [[1986]]) was a [[United States|U.S.]] [[astronomer]], [[professor]], and [[ufology|ufologist]]. He also served as scientific advisor to [[Project Blue Book]] from 1952 to 1969.

==Early life and career==
Hynek was born in [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]] to [[Czechoslovakia]]n parents. In 1931, Dr. Hynek received a B.S. from the [[University of Chicago]]. In 1935, he completed his [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] in [[astrophysics]] at [[Yerkes Observatory]]. He joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy at [[Ohio State University]] in 1936. He specialised in the study of [[stellar evolution]], and in the identification of [[Spectroscopic binary|spectroscopic binaries]].

During [[World War II]], Hynek was a civilian scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Science Laboratory, where he helped to develop the navy's radio [[proximity fuze]]. 

After the war, Hynek returned to the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Ohio State, rising to full professor in 1950. 

In 1956 he left to join Professor [[Fred Lawrence Whipple|Fred Whipple]], the [[Harvard University|Harvard]] astronomer, at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, which had combined with the Harvard Observatory at Harvard. Hynek had the assignment of directing the tracking of an American space satellite, a project for the International Geophysical Year in 1956 and thereafter. In addition to 247 optical stations around the world, there were also 12 photographic stations. A special camera was devised for the task and a prototype was build and tested and then stripped apart again when, on Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched its first satellite, Sputnik.

After completing his work on the satellite program, Hynek went back to teaching, taking the position of professor and chairman of the [[astronomy]] department at Northwestern University in 1960.

==Project Grudge and Project Blue Book==
In response to many [[Unidentified flying object|Unidentified Flying Object]] sightings, the U.S. Air Force established [[Project Sign]] in 1948; this later became Project Grudge, which in turn became [[Project Blue Book]] in 1952. Hynek was contacted by Project Sign to act as scientific consultant for their investigation of UFO reports. Hynek would study a UFO report and subsequently decide whether its description of the UFO suggested a known astronomical object. 

When Project Sign hired Hynek, he was initially skeptical of UFO reports. Hynek suspected that [[Unidentified flying object|UFO]] reports were made by unreliable witnesses, or by persons who had misidentified man-made or natural objects. In 1948, Hynek said that “the whole subject seems utterly ridiculous”, and described it as a [[List of fads|fad]] that would soon pass. (Schneidman and Daniels, 110) Hynek was a member of the [[Robertson Panel]], which concluded that there was nothing anomalous about UFOs, and that a [[public relations]] campaign should be undertaken to [[Debunker|debunk]] the subject and reduce public interest.

Eventually, however, after examining hundreds of UFO reports over the decades (including some made by credible witnesses, including astronomers, pilots, police officers, and military personnel) Hynek concluded that some reports represented genuine new empirical observations. When the fad did not pass and UFO reports continued at a steady pace, Hynek devoted some time to studying the reports and determined that some were deeply puzzling, even after considerable study. He once said, "As a scientist I must be mindful of the past; all too often it has happened that matters of great value to science were overlooked because the new phenomenon did not fit the accepted scientific outlook of the time." (Schneidman and Daniels, 110) I

In a 1985 interview, when asked what caused his change of opinion, Hynek responded, "Two things, really. One was the completely negative and unyielding attitude of the Air Force. They wouldn't give UFOs the chance of existing, even if they were flying up and down the street in broad daylight. Everything had to have an explanation. I began to resent that, even though I basically felt the same way, because I still thought they weren't going about it in the right way. You can't assume that everything is black no matter what. Secondly, the caliber of the witnesses began to trouble me. Quite a few instances were reported by military pilots, for example, and I knew them to be fairly well-trained, so this is when I first began to think that, well, maybe there something to all this. " 

Another shift in Hynek's opinion came after conducting an informal poll of his [[astronomer]] colleagues, including [[Clyde Tombaugh]], who discovered the planet Pluto. Of 44 astronomers, five (over 11 per cent) had seen aerial objects that they could not account for with established, mainstream science. Most of these astronomers had not widely shared their accounts for fear of ridicule, or of damage to their reputations or careers. Hynek also noted that this 11% figure was, according to most polls, greater than those in the general public who claimed to have seen UFOs. Furthermore, the astronomers were presumably more knowledgeable about observing and evaluating the skies than laymen, so their observations were arguably more impressive.

Hynek was distressed by what he regarded as the dismissive or arrogant attitude of many mainstream [[science|scientists]] towards UFO reports and witnesses. The April, 1953 issue of ''[[The Journal of the Optical Society of America]]'' printed Hynek's article, "Unusual Aerial Phenomena", which contained what would become perhaps Hynek's best known statement: "Ridicule is not part of the [[scientific method]], and people should not be taught that it is. The steady flow of reports, often made in concert by ''reliable'' observers, raises questions of scientific obligation and responsibility." 

Hynek stayed with Sign after it became Grudge (though with far less involvement than with Sign), and after Grudge was upgraded and renamed [[Project Blue Book]]. Air Force Captain [[Edward J. Ruppelt]] (Blue Book's first director), held Hynek in high regard: "Dr. Hynek was one of the most impressive scientists I met while working on the UFO project, and I met a good many. He didn't do two things that some of them did: give you the answer before he knew the question; or immediately begin to expound on his accomplishments in the field of science."[http://www.nicap.org/rufo/rufo-03.htm] 

Though Hynek thought Ruppelt was a capable director who steered Blue Book in the right direction, Ruppelt headed Blue Book for only a few years. Hynek has also stated his opinion that after Ruppelt's departure, Project Blue Book was little more than a [[public relations]] exercise, further noting that little or no research was undertaken using the [[scientific method]]. It was during the late stages of Blue Book (in the mid- to late-1960s) that Hynek began speaking openly about his disagreements and disappointments with the Air Force.

In late March, 1966, two days of mass UFO sightings were reported in Michigan, which received significant publicity. After studying the reports, Hynek offered a provisional hypothesis for some of the sightings: a few of about 100 witnesses had mistaken [[Biogas|swamp gas]] for something more spectacular. At the press conference where he made his announcement, Hynek made repeated, strenuous qualification that swamp gas was a plausible explanation for only a portion of the Michigan UFO reports, and certainly not for UFO reports in general. Much to his [[chagrin]], Hynek's qualifications were largely overlooked, and the words "swamp gas" were repeated [[ad infinitum]] in relation to UFO reports, and the explanation was subject to national derision.


== Hynek's Starlight Fluctuation Studies ==

The following reports were created by Dr. J. Allen Hynek.  These documents offer a rare glimpse into the life of Dr. J. Allen Hynek -- away from his study into the UFO phenomenon. 

* [http://www.theblackvault.com/documents/space/Starlight1.pdf Fluctuations of Starlight and Skylight    #1]
* [http://www.theblackvault.com/documents/space/Starlight2.pdf Fluctuations of Starlight and Skylight    #2]
* [http://www.theblackvault.com/documents/space/Starlight3.pdf Fluctuations of Starlight and Skylight    #3]
* [http://www.theblackvault.com/documents/space/Starlight4.pdf Fluctuations of Starlight and Skylight    #4]
* [http://www.theblackvault.com/documents/space/Starlight5.pdf Fluctuations of Starlight and Skylight    #5]
* [http://www.theblackvault.com/documents/space/Starlight6.pdf Fluctuations of Starlight and Skylight    #6]
* [http://www.theblackvault.com/documents/space/Starlight7.pdf Fluctuations of Starlight and Skylight    #7]
* [http://www.theblackvault.com/documents/space/Starlight8.pdf Fluctuations of Starlight and Skylight    #8]


==Final years==
Late in his life, Hynek was critical of the popular [[Extraterrestrial hypothesis]]. He began expressing his doubts that UFOs are physical spacecraft from other planets. As Hynek himself said in October 1976: "I have come to support less and less the idea that UFOs are 'nuts and bolts' spacecrafts from other worlds. There are just too many things going against this theory. To me, it seems ridiculous that super intelligences would travel great distances to do relatively stupid things like stop cars, collect soil samples, and frighten people. I think we must begin to re-examine the evidence. We must begin to look closer to home."

Hynek eventually inferred a possible link between certain UFO reports and psychic phenomena. Many UFO reports, he said, seem to pertain more to accounts of [[poltergeist]]s (cases where objects fly around the room and strange sounds are heard) and other types of 'psychic' manifestations than to 'actual solid items of nuts and bolts hardware.' "That is one of the reasons," added Dr. Hynek, "why I cannot accept the obvious explanation of UFOs as visitors from outer space." (1) 

Hynek developed the [[Close encounter]] scale to better catalogue various UFO reports. Dr. Hynek was also the consultant to Columbia Pictures and [[Steven Spielberg]] on the popular 1977 UFO movie, ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'', and made a brief, non-speaking appearance in the film (he can be seen with his pipe, looking on as aliens communicate with Earth scientists at the [[Devils Tower National Monument|Devils Tower]] contact site).

In November 1978, a statement on UFOs was presented by Dr. Allen Hynek, in the name of himself, of Dr [[Jacques Vallee]], and of Dr Claude Poher. This speech was prepared and approved by the three authors, before the [[United Nations General Assembly]]. [http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/universons/considerations_generales_frgb/hynek_nations_unies_1978.html]

Hynek was the founder and head of the [[Center for UFO Studies]] (CUFOS).

On April 27, [[1986]], Dr. Hynek died of a malignant [[brain tumor]] at Memorial Hospital in [[Scottsdale, Arizona]]. He was 75 years old.

==UFO books==
*''THE UFO EXPERIENCE: A scientific enquiry'' (1972)
*''THE EDGE OF REALITY: A progress reports on the unidentified flying objects'', co-authored with [[Jacques Vallee]] (1975)
*''THE HYNEK UFO REPORT'' (1977)
*''NIGHT SIEGE - THE HUDSON VALLEY UFO SIGHTINGS'', co-authored with Philip Imbrogno and Bob Pratt (1987)

==References==
* J. Allen Hynek interview, The Unexplained Column, by Allen Spraggett, November 8, 1975. 
* Sarah Schneiman and Pat Daniels, editors; Mysteries of the Unknown: The UFO Phenomenon; Time Life Books, 1987; ISBN 0809463245

==External links==
*[http://www.cohenufo.org/Hynek/hynk_fbi.htm FBI File on Dr. J. Allen Hynek]
*[http://www.mimufon.org/1970%20articles/JAllenHynek_Pied_Piper.htm J. Allen Hynek: The Pied Piper of Ufology?]
*[http://www.cohenufo.org/Hynek/hynk1975ridpath.htm Interview With J. Allen Hynek]
*[http://www.cohenufo.org/Hynek/hynk_stacy.htm Close Encounter with Dr. J. Allen Hynek, by Dennis Stacy, 1985]
*[http://www.cohenufo.org/Hynek/hynk_ufomnd.htm Dr. J. Allen Hynek at UFOMind]
*[http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc1486.htm Dr. J. Allen Hynek 1985 interview]
*[http://www.rr0.org/HynekJosefAllen.html French biography on Dr. J. Allen Hynek]
*[http://ncas.sawco.com/ufosymposium/hynek.html Dr. J. Allen Hynek's statement before the committee on science and astronautics, July 1968]
*[http://www.ufopsi.com/researchers/en_hynek.html Dr. J. Allen Hynek's biography at Ufopsi]

== Copyright ==
"Original data received from Wikipedia on April 21, 2006. Credit given to original authors can be seen [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=J._Allen_Hynek&action=history Here]."

[[Category:People_of_UFOlogy|Hynek, J. Allen]]