Was that a UFO or airbone clutter spotted in the skies over Staten Island?
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Those certain theyve seen unidentified flying objects over Staten Island, and were hoping for confirmation about an other-worldly origin, may be disappointed to learn what they saw was nothing more than a natural atmospheric phenomena. Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), a highly-anticipated report from the federal government that was issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on June 25, says the UAP that were spotted will fall into one of five explanatory categories:  Airborne clutter;  Natural atmospheric phenomena;  U.S. government (USG) or U.S. industry developmental programs;  Foreign adversary systems;  Other.  Unfortunately for many, extraterrestrial life did not make its way into the report as a plausible sighting. Consistent consolidation of reports from across the federal government, standardized reporting, increased collection and analysis, and a streamlined process for screening all such reports against a broad range of relevant USG data will allow for a more sophisticated analysis of UAP that is likely to deepen our understanding, the report says. The report analyzed data from reported incidents between November 2004 to March 2021; data continues to be collected and analyzed. Regardless of the type of unidentified object, each one poses its own safety and/or flight issue and could also pose a threat to United States national security, more so if it is a foreign adversary who has developed either a breakthrough or disruptive technology. Efforts are underway to standardize UAP incident reporting across U.S. military services and other government agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), so that data can be better analyzed to identify trends. Over the next three months, the Department of Defense (DOD) will develop the new strategy for collecting and tracking information on potential sightings. Limited and inconsistent data has been the biggest challenge to evaluating and determining what the UAPs are. Most of the 144 sightings that were reported to the federal government were in the last two years and were from government sources. Eighty of the 144 reports involved observation with multiple sensors. Eighteen incidents described in 21 reports observed unusual movement patterns or flight characteristics. Some UAP appeared to remain stationary in winds aloft, move against the wind, maneuver abruptly, or move at considerable speed, without discernible means of propulsion. In a small number of cases, military aircraft systems processed radio frequency (RF) energy associated with UAP sightings, the report says. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said the UAP report highlights the problem of flight hazards on or near military test and training ranges. It is critical that the United States maintain operations security and safety at DOD ranges, Hicks said in a statement. To this end, it is equally critical that all U.S. military aircrews or government personnel report whenever aircraft or other devices interfere with military training. This includes the observation and reporting of UAPs, she said. STATEN ISLANDERS DETAIL SEEING UFOS/UAPS  Two sightings were reported on Staten Island in January 2020  one on Jan. 10 and another on Jan. 12. According to the National UFO Reporting Center, a user reported a dark grey-colored disk in the sky on Jan. 10 that moved rather quickly and then disappeared. On Jan. 12, a bright light blue-colored ball that resembled a ship was spotted from Staten Island. I dont know any blue-lighted airplane or aircraft that can move at interstellar speeds with an insane range of motion, the sighting report stated. On March 1, someone reported a sphere in the night sky away from any buildings or lights, vanishing and reappearing in the same spot. It was an orange craft, and whenever a plane came by, it would vanish and come back once the plane was gone. The light on the orange craft would glow from lighter or brighter. It just kept disappearing and reappearing, another user reported. A Graniteville resident observed a round-shaped object moving fast from east to west on May 30. Another Staten Islander saw an aircraft on July 21 that looked and sounded like a helicopter, but after staring at the object, it sent a surge of heat/radiation through the persons body. I honestly thought it was the government putting something into the air with everything going on during these times. And I thought I would wake up and find it all over the news or on Instagram, but after looking all over there were no sightings near me reported, the sighting read. Read about the other borough sightings here. FOLLOW KRISTIN F. DALTON ON TWITTER.