Avi Loeb

Avi Loeb is an astrophysicist at Harvard University and former chair of Harvard's astronomy department. His mainstream academic work spans cosmology, black holes, the early universe and astrophysics. His UAP relevance comes from applying an astronomical-search mindset to anomalous objects and from founding the Galileo Project, which seeks systematic instrument-based observations rather than relying primarily on witness reports.

In June 2026, Loeb became chair of the UAP Science Advisory Council (UAPSAC), a multidisciplinary external group that advises the U.S. government's UAP Governance Board. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has said that the board is supported by outside advisory groups including UAPSAC. Reporting describes the council's remit as interpreting unclassified UAP material and recommending improved data collection and analysis. It is not a federal investigative office: AARO remains the government's UAP investigation office, while UAPSAC provides outside scientific advice.

Loeb argues that UAP research should be moved away from anecdote and toward calibrated, reproducible measurements. The Galileo Project has built ground-based observatory systems using optical, infrared and other sensors to collect data on objects in the sky and develop methods for distinguishing ordinary traffic, balloons, birds, satellites and other known classes from genuinely unresolved events.

His public profile is also tied to broader hypotheses about possible extraterrestrial technology, particularly his interpretation of the interstellar object ʻOumuamua and later interest in interstellar meteors. Those arguments are relevant to his worldview but should not be confused with direct evidence from Galileo Project UAP observations.

• Harvard astrophysicistVerified

  Loeb has a substantial peer-reviewed research career and senior academic appointments.

• Galileo Project founder/directorVerified

  The project has published its instrumentation and methodological approach.

• Relevant expertiseStrong but bounded

  Astrophysics, instrumentation and statistical search methods are relevant to data collection and anomaly detection. They do not make any individual extraterrestrial interpretation correct by default.

• UAP require calibrated, multi-sensor scientific observation
  Scientific / methodological position · Strongly supported

  The Galileo Project's published work describes multimodal observatories designed to produce better-characterised datasets. This approach closely matches the problem identified by NASA's UAP study: much existing UAP material lacks calibrated sensors, metadata, range information and reproducibility.

• The Galileo Project has detected ambiguous objects requiring further classification
  Research result · Documented with qualification

  A commissioning study of the project's all-sky infrared system reported a very large number of detected trajectories and a much smaller set that remained ambiguous after initial filtering and manual review.

  Critical notes

  • “Ambiguous” does not mean anomalous technology. The authors themselves noted that many unresolved detections were likely mundane and that distance and kinematic data were insufficient for extraordinary conclusions. This is exactly the kind of restraint UAPRAD should preserve.
• Some astronomical anomalies may justify consideration of technological origin
  Scientific interpretation / hypothesis · Disputed / unresolved

  Loeb has argued that unusual astronomical objects should not be excluded from technological hypotheses solely because such explanations are unconventional.

  Critical notes

  • This is a hypothesis-driven research position. It has generated substantial scientific criticism, and no Galileo Project result presently establishes that a UAP is extraterrestrial technology.

• Galileo Project, Harvard University
• Loeb et al., Overview of the Galileo Project, instrumentation and observatory methodology
• Galileo Project all-sky infrared commissioning study
• NASA, UAP Independent Study Team Report, 2023
• UAP Science Advisory Council (UAPSAC)
• DefenseScoop, New science advisory council forms to help U.S. government resolve UAP mystery, 17 June 2026
• Associated Press, Harvard professor with polarizing alien theories is picked to lead Trump administration UFO council, 30 June 2026