Close encounters are defined as UFO sightings
where the UFO is less than 500 feet away, and details of the object and/or its
occupants can be made.
Close Encounters of the First Kind
In a CE1K, the UFO appears to be less than 500 feet away from the witness,
and features of the object can be made out such as lights, windows, markings,
doors, etc. However, the UFO has no effect on the surrounding environment and
leaves no quantifiable traces of its presence. An example of a CE1K is the Exeter
case in New Hampshire, where several ground witnesses spotted a red glowing
object near the ground, but it left no trace.
Close Encounters of the Second Kind
These are amongst the most compelling cases studied, since in a CE2K,
the UFO leaves trace evidence, or causes effects in the environment and the
witnesses. CE2Ks are very important in ufology, as there is some sort of physical
evidence that is left that can be studied and analysed. Other characteristics
of a CE2K case are interference with electrical equipment or car engines, effects
on a person that they feel, and effects on animals. Why some close encounters
are of the first kind, and some are of the second kind, remains a mystery. Examples
of CE2Ks are the Valensole Case, the Coyne Case, the Falcon Lake Case, and the
Cash-Landrum incident.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
This is where the witness actually observes occupants or animate objects
onboard the UFO or around it. These are the proverbial "little green men"
cases, although the occupants observed aren't necessarily little, green, or
men. These cases generally tend to be the hardest to prove, as the occupants
seldom leave any sort of evidence. However, some very solid CE3K cases exist
from reliable witnesses, such as the Kelly-Hopkinsville Incident, the Gill Sighting,
and the Socorro Case.
Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind
More commonly known as an alien abduction, the CE4K is where the witness
is taken aboard the UFO, usually against their will but sometimes at an invitation,
where they are subjected to medical experiments, tests, and strange scenarios
created by their abductors.
Source: Hynek Classification System
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