A working classification of unidentified craft published by Skywatcher at skywatcher.ai/research. The taxonomy assigns each observed craft to one of nine classes based on shape, size, visual profile, flight behaviour, and which sensors in the team’s multi-spectral stack it registers on. The same framework was first laid out publicly by James Fowler in his 2025 interview with Jesse Michels; the canonical reference now lives on the Skywatcher research pages and is updated independently.
The nine classes (one-line summary)
| # | Name | Morphology | Size | Distinctive behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Tetra | Tetrahedron, black with white vapour bursts | 1.5 to 2 m | Multi-axis tumble on stable path; groups of 3 to 20+; no LRF return |
| II | Tic Tac | Cylindrical, bright white, shifts to purple/pink | 9 to 12 m | Hovers; Mach 1.5+ descent from 60,000+ ft; area effect on electronics |
| III | Blob | Red, cloud-like orb with pulsing core | 3 to 5 m | Near-instantaneous point-to-point jumps; flares in size; singleton |
| IV | Beam | Orb-shaped, IR-only | Unknown | Hovers for hours; lateral vibration; pairs |
| V | Manta Ray | Manta-ray shape, black, multi-coloured vapour emissions | 2 to 3 m | Tumbles multi-axis; rarely seen; observed near Tic Tacs |
| VI | Bright Star | Reflective tetrahedron, multi-coloured flashing | 1.5 to 3 m | Horizontal oscillation produces propeller-like radar artefact |
| VII | Jellyfish | White, bulbous head with trailing tentacles | 2 m head, 3 to 5 m tentacles | Serpentine path; tentacles move independently of wind; localised EMI |
| VIII | Hornet | Dual-body, multi-coloured, hanging tendrils | 2 to 4 m | Asynchronous rotation between components; folding tail or stinger |
| IX | Egg | Off-white metallic ovoid | Unknown | Provisional class; single low-quality recording; no motion data |
Sensor logic
The framework rests on the Skywatcher multi-sensor stack: electro-optical, shortwave and midwave infrared, radar, laser range finder, and radio frequency. An object that selectively registers on some bands and evades others is read as exhibiting Signature Management. The mix of bands a class hits is part of how the class is defined.
Living taxonomy caveat
Skywatcher itself describes the framework as a “living taxonomy” subject to ongoing revision, and treats the hypotheses associated with each class as exploratory rather than scientific fact. Class IX is explicitly tagged as a provisional designation, on the strength of a single low-quality recording.
Single-source caveat
The taxonomy is published by one team only. AARO, the Galileo Project, NASA’s UAP independent study and the peer-reviewed literature do not use these categories. A “class” implies discrete types; the underlying phenomena could plausibly be fewer kinds expressing differently in different sensor conditions.
Connections
Skywatcher · James Fowler · Jesse Michels · Signature Management · 2003 Microwave Incident · Five Observables · USS Nimitz