Ashtar (sometimes called Ashtar Sheran) is the name given to an extraterrestrial being or group of beings that a number of people claim to have channeled.
UFO contactee George Van Tassel was the first to claim to receive an Ashtar message in 1952.
After the introduction of Ashtar by Van Tassel, other mediums began to claim contact. At one point, dozens of people were claiming contact with Ashtar and presenting conflicting messages. The most widely publicized of these messages were met with failure when they predicted civilizations flourishing on the other planets and an imminent landing of space ships on Earth.
Due to his common depiction as a humanoid with blond hair and European features, Ashtar may be considered a Nordic alien.
The Ashtar movement is studied by academics[who?] as a prominent form of UFO religion.
An example of a religion incorporating Ashtar is the Czech Universe People who venerate Ashtar alongside Jesus and Krishna among others; one of their site domains is "ashtar-sheran".