Aimé Michel

Aimé Michel (1919–1992) was a French science writer and ufologist who was a respected figure in French intellectual circles and corresponded with J. Allen Hynek and other leading researchers. He made significant contributions to early UFO research methodology, developing a systematic approach to analyzing sighting patterns that influenced the development of scientific ufology. Michel developed the theory of orthoteny—the idea that UFO sightings tend to fall along straight lines on a map—which he detailed in his 1958 book Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery, though orthoteny was later disputed statistically.