ACOS Bulletin - Number 22

Magazine Overview

This document is the A.C.O.S. Bulletin, Issue No. 22, dated December 1979. It is a special issue dedicated to the statistics of UFO reports from 1978. The journal is published by the Australian Centre for UFO Studies and is registered for posting as a periodical.

Summary of the 1978 Situation

The summary, compiled by David Seargent, indicates that most reports in 1978 involved white nocturnal lights, with witnesses typically falling within the 21 to 30 year age group. When colors were noted, they tended towards the red end of the spectrum. The distribution of reports by month showed a peak in spring and summer, with October having the highest number of sightings. August and November were notably poor months for reports, with November coinciding with periods of cloud cover in Australia, while October was clearer.

The analysis suggests that there was no distinct pattern in the sightings themselves, beyond normal social features influencing observation times rather than the apparitions. The bulletin notes that the data gathered from 1978 would be used to refine future statistical analysis.

Notes on Statistical Categories

Following discussion, the A.C.O.S. decided to discontinue collecting data on certain categories for future statistics. These include:

• Occupations of Witnesses: This category has shown a consistent 'John Citizen' profile, indicating no significant scientific interest in repeating this data year after year.
• Colours of Objects: The detailed color categories were deemed too specific and not of much use. Future analysis will focus on whether the color was towards the red end of the spectrum.
• Weather Conditions: While a high percentage of UFOs are reported in clear conditions (as people are more likely to be outdoors), the bulletin notes that the thunderstorm category did not support the ball-lightning hypothesis, making further analysis of this aspect redundant.
• Witness Personal Relations: This section was considered experimental and has not yielded interesting results, leading to its discontinuation.
• How Reports Were Received: Data on how reports were received (e.g., TV, letters) is considered of low interest and unlikely to lead to scientific insights.

Occupations (Number of Reports)

Pages 3 and 7 provide detailed breakdowns of witness occupations. For 'Identifieds', 'Unknown' leads with 186 reports, followed by 'Housewife' (13) and 'Student' (9). For 'Unidentifieds', 'Unknown' also leads with 65 reports, followed by 'Housewife' (28) and 'Student' (9). 'Possible Unidentifieds' shows 'Unknown' with 77 reports, 'Housewife' with 5, and 'Labourer' with 3. 'Still Under Investigation' lists 'Unknown' with 2 reports.

Multiple Witness Relations

Page 4 presents data on witness relationships. For women reporting, 'Husband' was the most common companion (17 reports), followed by 'Close Relation' (5) and 'Friend' (5). For men reporting, 'Friend' was the most common companion (14 reports), followed by 'Close Relation' (7) and 'Other' (5). For female witnesses, 'Wife' (13) and 'Close Relation' (11) were the most common companions.

Weather Conditions

In 1978, the majority of reports (54) occurred under 'Clear' weather conditions. 'Scattered Cloud' accounted for 20 reports, and 'Heavy Cloud' for 8. Distant thunderstorms and thunderstorms had 1 and 2 reports respectively. 'Unknown' weather conditions were noted for 2 reports.

Physical Trace Cases

There were 12 ground markings reported in 1978. Seven were of unknown nature. Of the remaining five, one was a 'natural clearing', and the others included a landing (details not given), a car-stop, a transformer short, a man's hair bleached, and a car polish tarnished.

Sounds

Reported sounds included 'Low Hum' (1), 'High-pitched' (1), 'Whirr' (1), 'Hum' (2), and 'Buzz (like bees)' (2). Other sounds noted were 'Rushing noise' (1), 'Crackle' (1), 'Pulse' (1), 'Jet-like' (2), and 'Odour - Sulphurous' (1).

Colours - Percentage Breakdown

White was the most frequently reported color at 41.91%. Other significant colors included Orange (8.82%), Multi coloured (5.88%), Red (5.14%), Green (5.19%), and Yellow (5.14%). Many other colors and combinations were reported in smaller percentages, often around 0.73%.

Distribution of Reports

Page 5 displays a map of Australia showing the distribution of reports. The highest numbers were in New South Wales (191 identified, 6 unidentified) and Victoria (184 identified, 60 unidentified). Other states also had significant numbers of reports.

Types of Reports

A pie chart illustrates the types of reports: Nocturnal Lights (N.L.) at 48.12% (64 reports), CE1 (Close Encounter 1) at 27.06% (36 reports), DD (Daytime Disc) at 14.28% (19 reports), CE2 (Close Encounter 2) at 8.27% (11 reports), and CE3 (Close Encounter 3) at 2.27% (3 reports).

Sources of Reports

Telephone was the primary source of reports at 30.30% (34 reports), followed by Personal Contact at 28.78% (22 reports). Other sources included Letter (10.84%), Radio (8.43%), Newspapers (8.43%), During Investigations (1.20%), Members (1.20%), and TV (1.20%).

Estimated Distances from Witnesses to Object in CE Cases

For Close Encounter cases, the most common distance was 'greater than 250 meters' (34.78%, 16 reports), followed by '0-50 meters' (26.08%, 12 reports) and '200-250 meters' (17.39%, 8 reports).

Details of Reports

Page 7 shows that 'Possible Identifieds' constituted the largest category at 56.03% (752 reports), followed by 'Identifieds' at 22.87% (307 reports), 'Unidentifieds' at 14.08% (189 reports), and 'Still under Investigation' at 7% (94 reports).

Number of Witnesses

'Single Witness' reports were the most common at 38.84% (52 reports), followed by 'Two Witnesses' at 32.23% (45 reports). 'Five or more witnesses' accounted for 13.22% (16 reports), 'Three Witnesses' for 9.91% (14 reports), and 'Four Witnesses' for 5.78% (7 reports).

Days of Week and Hour

Page 8 presents a bar chart showing report frequency by day of the week and hour. Monday and Tuesday show a significant number of reports in the late evening/early morning hours (1801-2400 and 0001-0600). Thursday also shows a peak in the 1801-2400 period. Other days and hours show varying levels of activity.

Months and Days of the Month

Page 9 provides a bar chart detailing reports by month and date ranges. December shows a notable number of reports in the 22-31 range. October and September also show activity across different date ranges. January and February show activity in the earlier parts of the month.

Type of Reports (Age of Witnesses)

Page 10 presents a histogram showing the number of reports by age of witness, categorized by report type (N.L., CE1, CE2, CE3, DD). The 21-30 age group appears to have the highest number of reports across several categories, particularly for N.L. and CE1. The 31-40 age group also shows significant reporting.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme of this issue is the statistical analysis of UFO phenomena in Australia during 1978. The editorial stance, as indicated by the notes on future statistical categories, is to focus on data that has potential scientific relevance, moving away from anecdotal or less quantifiable aspects of witness accounts. There is a clear effort to refine the methodology for collecting and analyzing UFO data, prioritizing objective observation and pattern identification over subjective elements.

This document, likely an issue of "UFO Investigator" (indicated by the page numbering and content), presents statistical data related to UFO and UAP reports. The focus is on demographic breakdowns of the reporters and the temporal distribution of reports.

Age and Sex Analysis of Reports

Possibly Unidentifieds

Page 1 features a bar chart detailing the 'Number of Reports' for 'Possibly Unidentifieds' categorized by age. The age ranges are 0-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, and 60+.

• The 21-30 age group has the highest number of reports, approximately 4.
• The 31-40 age group follows with approximately 3 reports.
• The 0-10, 16-20, and 51-60 age groups each have approximately 2 reports.
• The 11-15 and 41-50 age groups have approximately 1 report each.
• The 60+ age group has no reported cases in this category.

Page 2 presents a more detailed line graph for 'Unidentifieds' (likely a subset or different categorization of 'Possibly Unidentifieds') with a larger scale on the y-axis (up to 19).

• The 21-30 age group shows the highest number of reports, with the solid line (Males) reaching approximately 19 and the dashed line (Females) around 11.
• The 16-20 age group has approximately 12 reports for Females and 7 for Males.
• The 31-40 age group shows approximately 11 reports for Females and 8 for Males.
• The 41-50 age group has approximately 12 reports for Females and 6 for Males.
• The 51-60 age group has approximately 6 reports for Females and 1 for Males.
• The 0-10 and 60+ age groups have very few reports, with Females reporting around 3 in the 0-10 group and Males reporting around 1 in the 60+ group.

Identified Cases

Page 1 also includes a bar chart for 'Identified' cases, showing the 'Number of Reports' by age.

• The 16-20 age group has the highest number of reports, approximately 6.
• The 21-30 and 31-40 age groups each have approximately 5 reports.
• The 41-50 age group has approximately 3 reports.
• The 11-15 and 51-60 age groups have approximately 2 reports each.
• The 0-10 and 60+ age groups have approximately 1 report each.

A legend on page 1 clarifies that solid lines represent Males and dashed lines represent Females in these demographic charts.

Total Number of Reports By Month

Page 3 displays a bar chart illustrating the 'Total Number of Reports By Month'. The months covered are JAN through DEC.

• January shows approximately 12 reports.
• February shows approximately 3 reports.
• March shows approximately 7 reports.
• April shows approximately 4 reports.
• May shows approximately 4 reports.
• June shows approximately 9 reports.
• July shows approximately 4 reports.
• August shows approximately 10 reports.
• September shows approximately 16 reports.
• October shows approximately 6 reports.
• November shows approximately 8 reports.
• December shows approximately 8 reports.

This chart indicates a peak in reporting during September, with lower numbers in February and July.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the statistical analysis of UFO/UAP reports. The publication appears to be focused on presenting empirical data to understand the characteristics of both the phenomena and the individuals who report them. The presentation of data for both 'identified' and 'unidentified' cases suggests an effort to categorize and analyze sightings systematically. The inclusion of monthly trends indicates an interest in temporal patterns associated with these reports. The editorial stance, based on the content, is one of objective data presentation and analysis within the field of ufology.