From taboo to research subject
For decades UAP was a taboo in academia. That is changing: astronomers compare sky surveys from before the space age with modern data, and universities establish interdisciplinary groups that develop methods for studying anomalous phenomena. Sweden is a hub for both approaches.
Astronomy · Stockholm
The VASCO project – Nordita, Stockholm University & Uppsala
VASCO (Vanishing & Appearing Sources during a Century of Observations) is led by astronomer Beatriz Villarroel at Nordita – the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics, hosted by Stockholm University – with collaborators at Uppsala University and internationally. The project compares historical photographic sky surveys, above all the Palomar plates from the 1950s, with modern surveys such as Pan-STARRS and Gaia.
The key point is the time baseline: the old plates were exposed before Sputnik 1 (1957), so no artificial satellites can explain objects that appear or vanish on them. In 2021 the team reported nine point-like transients that appeared and disappeared within 50 minutes on a single plate from 12 April 1950 – a result published in Scientific Reports.
- Searches a century of observations for stars and objects that vanish or appear
- Uses photographic plates from before the satellite era as a contamination-free baseline
- Combines automated image analysis, the Virtual Observatory and citizen science
- Published in peer-reviewed journals such as The Astronomical Journal and Scientific Reports
Scientific references
Interdisciplinary · Lund
ASG Anomalous Agenda – The Pufendorf Institute, Lund University
The Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Studies at Lund University hosts the Advanced Study Group (ASG) Anomalous Agenda – the first academic UAP research group of its kind in Sweden. Researchers from several disciplines work together on methods for critical analysis and scientific knowledge-building around unidentified anomalous phenomena.
Rather than asking 'is UAP real?', the group takes the phenomenon's existence as an object of study and examines its societal and epistemological implications: how reports, sensor data and stigma shape what counts as knowledge.
- Interdisciplinary: astronomy, physics, history of ideas, media studies and more
- Develops transparent, scientifically grounded methods for UAP data
- Studies societal and epistemological aspects – including stigma and institutional silence
- Open seminars and public events at Lund University
Read more
Sources and further reading
Primary sources: project pages, universities and peer-reviewed publications.
- VASCO project – research publications ↗
- Villarroel et al. 2019, The Astronomical Journal – VASCO I: USNO objects missing in modern sky surveys ↗
- Villarroel et al. 2021, Scientific Reports – nine simultaneous transients on 12 April 1950 ↗
- Nordita – Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics ↗
- ASG Anomalous Agenda – The Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Studies ↗
- Lund University research portal – Anomalous Agenda (ASG Pufendorf IAS) ↗
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
Is UAP research conducted at European universities?
Yes. Lund University's Pufendorf Institute runs the interdisciplinary Anomalous Agenda group, and astronomers at Nordita/Stockholm University lead the VASCO project on anomalous transients in historical sky surveys.
What has the VASCO project found?
VASCO searches for objects that appear or vanish between old photographic plates and modern surveys. Its best-known result is nine simultaneous transients on a plate from 12 April 1950 – before any satellite existed – published in Scientific Reports in 2021.
Does this research prove extraterrestrial visits?
No. The researchers emphasise that anomalous observations require more data and method development. The aim is to establish what can and cannot be explained – not to presume an explanation.