Grey vs Eben
The Eben is a variant of the Grey defined by the disputed Project Serpo story, with a fixed homeworld and friendly character; the Grey is the generic figure of abduction reports.
Race 02GreyThe Silent OnesReportedContactee lore
Race 42EbenThe Serpo ExchangeFictionalContactee loreThe difference
The Eben is a Grey with a backstory. The Project Serpo story of 2005 gave the small grey visitor a home at Zeta Reticuli, a friendly disposition, a culture, and a human exchange team. Physically the two are close: the Eben is slightly stockier, with a more defined face.
The Grey belongs to thousands of first-hand reports; the Eben belongs to a single anonymous internet narrative that most researchers consider a hoax.
At a glance
| Field | Grey | Eben |
|---|---|---|
| Classification | Reported | Fictional |
| Evidence | Reported, Contactee lore | Fictional, Contactee lore |
| Claimed origin | Zeta Reticuli | Zeta Reticuli (lore) |
| Homeworld | Zeta Reticuli | Serpo |
| Reported height | 2′11″ – 4′11″ | 4′3″ – 4′9″ |
| Appearance | Grey skin, large black eyes, slender limbs | Grey-like with more human features, tan skin, large dark eyes |
| Lifespan | Unknown | Described as 350–400 years |
| Social structure | Reported as hive-like or role-based | Described as village-based and communal |
| Technology | Reported as highly advanced, clinical | Described as advanced but pastoral in daily life |
| Traits | Reported as detached, methodical, silent | Hospitable, patient, communal |
| Relationship to Earth | Central to abduction narratives since the 1960s | Alleged 1965 exchange programme with twelve US military personnel |
How to tell them apart
- Grey is reported as the taller of the two (2′11″ – 4′11″, against 4′3″ – 4′9″ for Eben).
- Both belong to the Greys family in the Atlas.
- Reported height: Grey 2′11″ – 4′11″; Eben 4′3″ – 4′9″.
- Claimed origin: Grey Zeta Reticuli; Eben Zeta Reticuli (lore).
- Case files in the Atlas: Grey 7; Eben 0.
In their own dossiers
The Grey is described with more consistency than any other type, partly because the image has been reinforced by decades of book covers, films and television. Witnesses report a being between three and five feet tall with a large, smooth, hairless head that is wide at the cranium and narrow at the chin. The eyes dominate the face: enormous, black, almond-shaped, wrapping slightly around the sides of the head, with no visible pupil, iris or white. The nose is two small openings, the mouth a thin slit that is rarely seen to move, and ears are absent or vestigial.
The Serpo emails described Ebens as about four and a half feet tall, with large heads, large dark eyes, tan or brownish skin, small noses and mouths, and bodies more human in proportion than a Grey's. They were said to be a single race with little variation, living in small communities under a bright double sun.
More comparisons
XenoAtlas documents extraterrestrial concepts appearing in mythology, contactee literature, popular culture, speculative accounts, and related sources. Inclusion does not constitute scientific verification.