UFOs worthy of serious study, prof says

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BUFFALO, N.Y., April 11 (UPI) -- The subject of UFOs should be brought out into the open as a worthwhile "area of study," a New York anthropology professor says.

"(A sighting) happens to millions of people (around the world)," Philip Haseley said. "It's about time we looked into this as a worthy area of study. It's important that the whole subject be brought out in the open and investigated," The Buffalo (New York) News reported Sunday.

Haseley teaches at Niagara County Community College and is head of the Western New York Mutual UFO Network, an organization focused on UFO research.

About 30 to 50 alleged UFO sightings are reported monthly across New York, and Haseley says his group investigates them in a scientific manner using field investigation, radar, astronomy and meteorology.

"To say we are UFO believers basically implies we are taking this on faith, and that's not the case," he said. "There's plenty of evidence."

The members of the UFO network say they are well aware of their skeptics.

"We have to deal with skeptics like any other UFO organization, and we are perfectly willing to be critiqued," Haseley said. "We know people who think this is a nonsense subject. And we'll refer you to voluminous literature and facts about UFOs."