What is a UFO? The US shot down three mysterious objects

source: gettyimage.com 

Unidentified flying object, or UFO for short

source: gettyimage.com 

used to describe aircraft that aren’t easily identified or explained

source: gettyimage.com 

The modern UFO craze in the U.S. dates to the late 1940s and early 1950s

source: gettyimage.com 

coinciding with the development of new technology like rockets and missiles

source: gettyimage.com 

Today, the U.S. government uses the phrase unidentified aerial phenomena

source: gettyimage.com 

This change is partially to try to disassociate the term from science fiction aliens

source: gettyimage.com 

The term also encourages greater scientific study and reflects the fact that many of these 

source: gettyimage.com