Subtitle Close Encounters: Of The Third Kind

: The highest level of encounter in Hynek's original scale, involving the sighting of actual extraterrestrial beings or "animate occupants" in or near the craft.

: A UFO sighting accompanied by physical evidence or effects, such as scorched earth, broken branches, or electromagnetic interference in vehicles and electronics. subtitle Close Encounters of the Third Kind

The title is derived from the work of , an astronomer and former scientific advisor to the U.S. Air Force’s Project Blue Book . In his 1972 book, The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry , Hynek proposed a hierarchy to categorize reports of unidentified flying objects based on the proximity and nature of the sighting: : The highest level of encounter in Hynek's

The title of Steven Spielberg's 1977 masterpiece, , is not just a catchy phrase; it is a direct reference to a scientific classification system that anchors the film’s narrative in the reality of 20th-century UFO research. The Origin: The Hynek Scale Air Force’s Project Blue Book

: A visual observation of an unidentified flying object (UFO) at a distance, typically less than 500 feet.