APRO Bulletin - 1987 09 00 - Vol 33 No 7

Magazine Overview

Title: The A.P.R.O. Bulletin
Volume: 33
Issue: 7
Date: September 1987
Publisher: AERIAL PHENOMENA RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, INC.
Country: USA

This issue of The A.P.R.O. Bulletin, dated September 1987, focuses on a significant UFO sighting over Brazil and explores various other UFO-related topics, including follow-ups on previous cases, scientific interest in the phenomena, and recent reports from around the world.

Flying Ping Pong Balls Over Brazil

The lead story details a spectacular UFO display over southeastern Brazil on May 19, 1986. Lt. Kleber Caldas Marinho, an F5E fighter pilot, encountered an object while flying and had to return to base due to low fuel. He described the object as a pulsating light, red and white. Another pilot, Capt. Marcio Jordao, also saw a red light moving at high speed. Col. Ozires Silva, president of Petrobras, flying nearby, described seeing illuminated points rather than a classic flying saucer. The incident involved military response, with fighters sent up due to radar saturation. Air Force Minister General Octavio Moreiera Lima stated that the UFOs were "saturating radar and interfering with air traffic." Pilots reported intense green, red, and white lights moving at high speeds, with some jets being surrounded by multiple objects. TV Globo broadcasted film of a silvery pulsating light. Colonel Sidney Obino Azambuja confirmed the event.

Follow-Up: Alaska Sighting

This section provides an update on a previously reported large object sighted over Alaska on November 17, 1986. A photo of Capt. Kenji Terauchi, commander of a Japan Air Lines Jumbo Jet, is presented, showing him holding a drawing of the object he sighted. The object is noted to closely resemble the "Saturn-shape" type of UFO.

Thirty Years Ago: Saturn-Shape Sighting

This brief historical note mentions the first, or one of the first, Saturn-shaped object sightings, which occurred in January 1957 off Trindade Island, Brazil. The crew of a Naval sailing ship witnessed a Saturn-shaped object circle the island and hover over a peak. The object was photographed by a professional onboard.

Still Unidentified

This segment addresses efforts to discredit the photographer and misrepresent facts regarding the Trindade Island case. It mentions Dr. Donald Menzel, an astronomer, who allegedly misquoted an official Brazilian Naval Ministry report to support his hoax theory. The difference between the Trindade object and the Alaskan object is noted as the size of the ring around the middle, possibly due to the Alaska sighting occurring at night.

UFOs Gain Respectability

This article discusses the increasing acceptance of UFO research within the scientific community. Ohio State University astronomer Walter E. Mitchell Jr. finds the area fascinating. It notes that since the 1970s, scientists have become less stuffy about fringe phenomena. A 1976 poll by Stanford University astronomer Peter Sturrock found that 53% of respondents thought UFOs deserved scientific study. Sturrock founded the Society for Scientific Exploration to study mysteries regardless of their current scientific acceptance. John D. Kraus, professor emeritus of electrical engineering, believes scientists should be interested in all phenomena, and Robert Dixon, assistant director of the OSU radio telescope, wishes there were a way to get more evidence and design experiments.

Tucson Objects Identified?

This report details a sighting on October 7, 1985, involving groups of lights or lighted objects crossing the Tucson valley, detected by police helicopter and radar at Tucson International Airport. Despite cloudy conditions, multiple witnesses reported the phenomena. Eight years later, the objects are still considered unidentified, with the Air Force suggesting they might have been radar chaff. APRO welcomes further arguments for identification.

Dissenting Opinions

This section recounts a discussion with Jerry Clark of FATE magazine regarding the Tucson case. Clark suggested that the CUFOS Board considered the Tucson case a CIA exercise. The author expresses doubt that CUFOS had thoroughly investigated the case. APRO also received a call from a CUFOS representative offering assistance, but the offer was declined.

The 'Air Force' Chimes In

APRO received a call from someone claiming to be from California who stated that the Air Force had officially pronounced the Tucson objects as radar chaff. The caller refused to identify themselves.

New Evidence for More Solar Systems

Bruce Campbell, a research associate at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, presented evidence for planets outside our solar system. He stated that celestial bodies 300 to 3,000 times as massive as Earth are orbiting up to seven stars. These are described as giant gaseous bodies, not unlike Jupiter, but with masses closer to planets than stars. Campbell's evidence is considered stronger due to a new detection method, with seven out of sixteen stars studied showing evidence of such bodies. Other scientists, like William Baum, are cautiously evaluating the data.

Similar to Jupiter

Campbell believes the objects are giant gaseous bodies, similar to Jupiter, and that their masses are closer to planets than stars. Further study is needed for definitive classification.

Other Scientists Cautious

Scientists interviewed expressed a preference for closely examining Campbell's data before fully evaluating it.

Stars Identified

Researchers found evidence of bodies orbiting Epsilon Eridani and Gamma Cephei.

Children Sight Splitting Diamond

A young boy named Kevin Goodman reported seeing a diamond-shaped object in the sky that broke into four other diamond shapes and disappeared. He described a reddish ring around it. Another child, Stacey Ellett, reported seeing a diamond shape that broke into four pieces, with a ring that sparkled "red, purple and blue" and caused her muscles to tighten.

New Computer Chip Aids SETI

Stanford University graduate students have developed a computer chip 40 times more powerful than current boards, aiding SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) efforts. This new chip allows for scanning 10 million channels and is being used with a radio telescope to listen for radio transmissions from approximately 1,000 stars.

Unusual Incidents in Pennsylvania County

The Pennsylvania Association for the Study of the Unexplained compiled reports of sightings in Elk County, Pennsylvania. Incidents include a bright orange globe, a bright object with two yellow lights, multi-colored lights joining together, and a large elongated white glowing object with blue lights.

Professor Seeks ET Signals

Paul Horowitz, a Harvard University professor, has entered the search for extraterrestrial intelligence with his META (Megachannel Extraterrestrial Assay) device. Designed to search more frequencies and stars than previous systems, META uses Harvard's Oak Ridge observatory. After one year of operation, META has not detected a positive signal, but Horowitz plans to increase the search frequency.

An Oldie But Goodie

This section recounts a sighting from August 10, 1809, in London, England. "Black pitchy cloud" filled the sky, with vivid lightning. Luminous "light, flocky clouds" scattered below, containing dazzling specks of light. One such speck increased to the size of Venus and moved rapidly. A second nocturnal light was observed, self-luminous and pale phosphoric in color.

Has Navy Flight 19 Been Found?

This article discusses the ongoing mystery of Navy Flight 19, five TBM-3 Avengers that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle area. A search plane, a Martin Mariner, was also lost. Mel Fisher, a treasure hunter, pulled a Grumman Avenger from the water near Key West, Florida. The aircraft, estimated to be 40 feet long with a 60-foot wingspan, bore Navy markings. However, no human remains were found, leaving the mystery of the pilot's fate unresolved.

No Real Mystery?

This section critiques the notion that the Navy Flight 19 disappearance is a government cover-up, suggesting that the discovery of the aircraft may resolve some aspects of the mystery.

British Jet Evades UFO Over Russia

A British Airways Boeing 747 crew reported evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision with a "weird light" over the Soviet Union on April 22nd. The object was described as having twinkling lights and flying directly towards the aircraft before vanishing. The crew, described as "bitter, cynical aviators," were "foxed" by the experience. The possibility of it being a satellite re-entering the atmosphere was discussed but dismissed due to altitude differences.

Australian Mystery Remains Unsolved

This report details the October 21, 1978, incident involving pilot Frederick Valentich, who reported an unidentified flying object before his transmission was interrupted by a mystery sound. Eight years later, neither Valentich nor his aircraft have been found. The period leading up to the incident saw numerous UFO sightings in the Bass Strait area.

Press Reports

This section compiles several recent UFO sightings:

• Minnesota: On December 18, 1986, a man in Rose Creek reported seeing four lights in the sky, with two star-colored lights moving in unison and a smaller reddish-orange light and a pale white light revolving around them.
• Wisconsin: On November 24, 1986, a driver in Waukesha reported seeing a flattened triangle object with flashing red and white lights, described as dark brown or black, hovering and rotating.
• Illinois: On January 15-16, 1987, a Belleville police officer and a civilian ride-along observed bright lights, and a slow-moving object was detected by FAA radar.
• Brazil: On September 3, 1986, the pilot of flight 471 reported a UFO with green, yellow, and red lights near Para, Minas.
• Western Europe: On September 23, 1986, a blue-green fireball was reported across five European countries, with explanations ranging from a disintegrating meteorite to space debris.
• Sweden: On September 5, 1986, a man in Ostersund reported seeing an oblong, unlit gray object in a glade, and later a "prolonged white light" over a sea. His wife also saw a bright object.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of The A.P.R.O. Bulletin include the ongoing investigation and reporting of UFO sightings from around the world, the increasing scientific interest in the phenomena, and the challenges of identifying and explaining these events. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent reporting and open-minded inquiry, encouraging readers to submit their own findings and arguments. The bulletin aims to document and analyze UFO phenomena, providing a platform for both eyewitness accounts and scientific perspectives.