Australian UFO Bulletin - 1972 10 - October

Magazine Overview

This issue of the U.F.O. Bulletin, published by the VICTORIAN U.F.O. RESEARCH SOCIETY in October 1972, is a newsletter priced at 20 cents. It features articles discussing the heightened public interest in UFOs, ancient sightings, detailed case investigations, and theoretical explanations.

Chariots of the Gods and Ancient Sightings

The lead article notes that the book and film "Chariots of the Gods" have significantly increased interest in Unidentified Flying Objects. The film has been televised twice, with a third showing considered, and the author is planned to visit Australia. The article emphasizes that UFOs are not a new phenomenon, citing ancient Egyptian papyri with hieroglyphs that describe UFOs with characteristics identical to modern sightings. One report details a "great circle of fire" approximately 170 feet across, which caused fear and an offensive odour.

Historical UFO Sightings

The bulletin then chronicles UFO sightings throughout history, noting they were less frequent before the last twenty-five years. Specific historical incidents mentioned include:

• February 28, 1904: A formation of three maneuvering objects sighted by the crew of the U.S.S. Supply.
• December 1909: A "mysterious airship" emitting a bright beam of light flew over Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.A., hovered, and then departed.
• August 5, 1926: Explorer Nicholas Roerich observed a shiny oval-shaped UFO over the Himalayan Mountains that changed course multiple times.
• January 1, 1931: A UFO flashing a bright light circled over Cobden, Ontario, Canada, before speeding away.

VUFORS Library and Meetings

The bulletin announces that VUFORS offers its members the largest UFO library in the Southern Hemisphere, containing a vast collection of books on the subject. It also details the society's monthly meetings, held on the second Friday of each month (except January) at The Theatrette, Lower Ground Level, National Mutual Centre, 447 Collins Street, City, at 8 p.m. These meetings are open to the public and feature films, reports, eyewitness descriptions, discussions, and guest speakers.

Case 3: The Haneda Sighting (Continuing)

This section continues the examination of Case 3, a UFO investigation previously discussed, referencing Professor James E. McDonald's paper "Science In Default." The investigation focuses on visual observations.

Visual Observations (cont.)

Direction, intensity, and configuration: Airman A's statement and a sketch describe a luminous source observed through 7-power binoculars. The bearing was reported as NNE or NE. The source was described as an "intense bright light," with "constant brilliance" and a "blinding effect." Observers noted their eyes would fatigue when concentrating on the object, and it was described as a "brilliant blue-white light."

Airman A compared the object to stars, a weather balloon, and Venus. The bulletin suggests "Venus" was likely a misidentification for "Jupiter." The object's luminosity was estimated to be significantly brighter than Venus (magnitude -2.0), possibly exceeding magnitude -3.0, contradicting explanations in the Condon Report.

Comparison with weather balloon: A pilot balloon released at 2400 hours, approximately 2000 feet away, with a diameter of about 2 feet, was used for scaling. This balloon's light was described as "extremely dim and yellow" compared to the object's "brilliant blue-white light," further indicating the object's high luminosity.

Angular Diameter and Configuration: The object's apparent angular diameter, when closest, was estimated to be about 3 minutes of arc, comparable to the naked-eye angular diameter of the full moon. Through 7X binoculars, this translated to about 20 minutes of arc. Airman A's detailed description through binoculars revealed a circular shape with constant brilliance, surrounded by a darker annular area about 3-4 times the diameter of the central light. Four distinct lights were visible on the lower periphery of the dark area. The object appeared to be a portion of a large, dark shape, with only the lower portion discernible due to blending with the sky. No rotation or sound was heard.

Reported Motions: The bulletin highlights an ambiguity in Captain Malven's summary regarding the object's movements. While Malven suggested disappearance might be due to dimming, rotation, or rapid movement away, Airman A's direct testimony indicated distinct movements, including disappearing twice to the East and gaining altitude at high speed. The bulletin posits that transverse components of recession, upwards and towards the East, were observed.

The object's angular subtense varied substantially. At its greatest distance, its size appeared slightly larger than Jupiter, and its brightness diminished. This suggests a significant decrease in luminosity and apparent brightness. The bulletin dismisses cloud effects as an explanation for the reported "disappearances," noting that a thin cloud would dim the source and increase its apparent diameter, contrary to observations.

Professor Hermann Oberth's Lecture Notes (1954)

This section presents the concluding part of Professor Hermann Oberth's lecture notes on "Flying Saucers," translated by M. Blumrich. Oberth discusses the Lewetzow-Pinkell Theory and proposes the concept of artificial gravity fields.

Critique of Lewetzow-Pinkell Theory: Oberth expresses difficulty understanding the theory, particularly regarding gravity extending with the velocity of light and the requirement for Lewetzow particles to be millions of times smaller than gamma-rays. He notes that experiments based on this theory have failed.

Artificial Gravity Fields: Oberth suggests that artificial gravity fields could explain several UFO characteristics:

• Pilot Safety: High accelerations would not harm the pilot as they would fall with the vehicle.
• High Speeds: Speeds up to the speed of light could be achieved if the gravity field influence is long enough.
• Noiselessness: The surrounding air falls with the UFO, reducing air speed and preventing noise development, similar to a wide river with a low slope.
• Configuration: Disks could be stacked to form cigar-shaped objects using a single gravity field.
• Shining: Energy from "drive waves" could convert to light and electricity.
• Cloud Interaction: Energy not forming vapor trails but holes in clouds explains how UFOs interact with clouds.

Oberth addresses claims that Pinkell found solutions in Russia and that UFOs are a Russian secret weapon, citing an article that seems intended to instill fear of Russia. He counters that if Russia could build UFOs, other countries could too, and reports predate Pinkell's involvement. He also considers the possibility of beings from other planets.

The "Uranides" Hypothesis: Oberth states his personal opinion that "Uranides" (intelligent space people) are the most reasonable explanation for UFOs. He notes that the society decided to doubt all reports without specific proof of intelligent extraterrestrial beings. He explains that confirming the existence of "Uranides" could harm the association's credibility and public perception, potentially discouraging space exploration funding.

He refutes the idea that he believes in UFOs to collect money, stating he is currently unemployed and free to express his opinion. He believes it is his obligation to inform the public and offer his most reasonable opinion.

Reasons for Non-Terrestrial Origin: Oberth argues that Russia does not build UFOs and that they are exclusively of non-terrestrial origin. He cites the difficulties of the Lewetzow-Pinkell Theory and the risks Russia would face if they deployed such valuable vehicles, which could be used for extensive surveillance.

He notes the absence of reports of emergency landings or crashes, contrasting this with the lower success rates of early rocket technology. This suggests UFOs are an old, reliable invention.

Inhabited Planets and Time Dilation: Oberth addresses the objection that there might not be inhabited planets, acknowledging Mars as a possibility but suggesting that deserts might be valuable to Martians. He points out that our Milky Way contains 50 million suns, and over 40% of these have planets. He explains time dilation based on Einstein's theory, where time passes slower for objects moving at high speeds. He provides a formula showing that at speeds close to the speed of light, astronauts would age considerably less than time experienced on Earth, allowing for extensive space travel.

He also discusses the physics of mass and acceleration, relating it to the formula for relativistic mass. He suggests that if a spaceship could reach near light speed, astronauts would age only one year in 14 years.

Why Don't UFO Pilots Contact Us? Oberth suggests they may not need to, and that they might be observing us.

Personal Column and Penfriends

The bulletin solicits contributions for a "Personal Column" where members can share views, suggestions, or research information. It also proposes a "Penfriends" column to connect members for serious discussions on UFOlogy, as many people are not interested in the subject or joke about it.

Society Notices

ELECTIONS: Elections for society offices (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Committeemen) will be held at the General Meeting on December 8th. Nominations must reach the Secretary by November 24th.

NEXT GENERAL MEETING: The next General Meeting of the Victorian U.F.O. Research Society will be held on Friday, November 10, at 8:00 p.m.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the enduring public fascination with UFOs, the connection between modern sightings and ancient accounts, the rigorous investigation of UFO cases (exemplified by Professor McDonald's work), and theoretical explorations of UFO propulsion and origin (as presented by Professor Oberth). The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded yet critical inquiry, valuing direct witness testimony and scientific investigation while acknowledging the limitations of current knowledge and the possibility of extraterrestrial origins for some phenomena. The society actively encourages member participation through its library, meetings, and proposed columns.