Australian UFO Bulletin - 2002 09 - September

Magazine Overview

The Australian UFO Bulletin - September 2002

This issue of The Australian UFO Bulletin, published by the Victorian U.F.O. Research Society (VUFORS), focuses on a variety of UFO-related topics, including recent sightings, investigations, and historical cases. The cover features a striking image of the space shuttle Discovery alongside two UFOs, with the headline "Discovery NASA."

Editorial

The editorial, written by President Judith Magee, reflects on a special meeting held by VUFORS at the Royal Victorian Aero Club. The meeting featured speakers and videos, and was well-attended by members and pilots. The venue, a renovated bistro, is noted for its comfort and aircraft viewing opportunities. The editorial also mentions the formation of NARCAP (National Aviation Reporting Centre on Anomalous Phenomena) in the USA as a positive development following the passing of NICAP. A new Adobe PDF format Sighting Report Form is now available on the VUFORS website. The editorial concludes with thanks for compliments received on the publication and a note about upcoming underpinning work on the Royal Society building.

Committee

It is noted that no nominations for new Committee members were received by the due date, meaning the Committee remains as listed on the inside front cover.

On The UFO Trail

Written by Paul Norman, this section delves into various UFO phenomena. It begins by referencing the 50th anniversary of the Washington D.C. UFO Flap in July 2002, which led to the formation of the first civilian UFO investigation movement. Major Dewey Fournet, a Senior Intelligence Officer present during the flap, is mentioned. The article highlights the recent Australian National UFO conference held in Sydney. It then discusses UFO activity in the Grampians region of Australia, noting similarities to phenomena observed in Norway's Hessdalen Valley. The author shares personal observations of numerous objects, some operating in concert with a larger object. The Hessdalen Valley test, which involved observing UFO speeds and power failures, is presented as a model for studying Grampians UFOs. The article encourages the public to report sightings and not fear ridicule, comparing the current skepticism towards ufology to early skepticism towards germ theory.

What Is Out There

This article by Mark Dunn investigates unexplained lights observed in a Grampians valley in western Victoria. Locals have reported nightly sightings of mysterious lights for about a year. Australian UFO researchers have sent video footage overseas, and a Norwegian UFO expert and retired NASA scientist Richard Haines are invited to visit. The article mentions that cynics suggest explanations like weather balloons, fireflies, or stars, but veteran UFO researcher Paul Norman dismisses these. The phenomenon is compared to similar activity in Norway, where Professor Erling Strand heads the Hessdalen UFO research project. Stephen Swanwick, a local witness, describes seeing egg-shaped lights and believes they are extraterrestrial craft. Barry Fryar, another local, describes the lights as coming towards observers and then shooting away. The Herald Sun photographer Paul Trezise and the author visited the Grampians and observed the lights but were unable to understand them.

The Milky Way Galaxy

This article reports on astronomers observing the Milky Way galaxy shredding an ancient star cluster, leaving a trail of stellar debris. The event was captured by a telescope in New Mexico. The globular cluster, Palomar 5, is described as old and relatively small. The process is attributed to gravity and centrifugal force.

Special VUFORS Meeting

This section details a special meeting held by VUFORS on July 7, 2002, at the Royal Victorian Aero Club in Moorabbin. The meeting aimed to provide an opportunity for members and the public to attend who could not usually make it to regular city meetings. The agenda included updates on a Mildura Police Surprise Sighting case, significant sightings from North East Victoria (including one from 1884), early crop circles in the UK, a SETI scientist's views on alien visits, and a presentation by Chief Investigator Paul Norman on "UFOs ... Serious Business." The meeting concluded with a video of recent activity from the Grampians area.

A Remarkable Sight

This article, sourced from the Ovens and Murray Advertiser dated April 26, 1884, describes a remarkable scene witnessed by Geo. W. Kennedy on April 11, 1884. The description details a vast, cultivated landscape with unusual formations, including a dome-like top on a hill and large yards with dark mounds. The observer also noted numerous plantations and fenced fields.

UFO Link

This brief report from Craven Herald, Skipton, England, links a UFO sighting in Silsden to another incident in South Craven from 1998. A woman reported seeing a substantial unidentified object with flashing lights, and a similar object was reported to have followed a nurse. UFO expert Donald Cooper is seeking further witnesses and information on mysterious sheep mutilations in the area.

Report On Police Sighting of UFO

This article from the Sunraysia Daily (May 18, 2002) reports on a sighting by two police officers in Mildura. While on patrol, they saw a silver shape hovering over the Murray River. The object was described as brightly lit, triangular, and silver-grey. It appeared to be hovering low over the water and then moved off rapidly. The article notes that sightings around water are common, and one officer had previously reported a similar incident. The witness was given a Sighting Form to complete, but it had not yet been returned.

UFO Dogmatists

This piece from the Daily Mail (April 12, 2002) includes a letter from Mrs. J. Hilliard of Skegness, who recounts a sighting of a bright-orange, heart-shaped UFO during a lunar eclipse. She mentions that astronomers are often dismissive of UFOs and crop circles. She also states that not all who see UFOs believe they are alien spaceships.

International Sighting Reports

This section compiles various UFO sighting reports from around the world:

• New York Flying Triangle: A triangular object with flames and green lights was seen in Cheektowaga.
• New York City Disc: A black object that changed shape from circular to disc-like was observed.
• Pennsylvania Green Beam: Four police officers in Philadelphia witnessed a stationary, deep green beam of light that caused dogs to bark.
• Washington DC Pilot Reports UFO: A story is recounted about an airline pilot reporting a UFO being chased by military planes.
• Ohio Flying Fountain Pen: A young man witnessed a momentary flash of light followed by an object resembling a "fountain pen" that streaked across the sky and stopped, after which a truck ahead of the witness disappeared.
• Cincinnati: An unusual bright light was reported, with the National Weather Service advising it was a meteor. Joedy Cooke overheard discussion of a stationary object on radio, and a police department reportedly acquired in-car video footage.
• Georgia Sightings Flap: In Atlanta, an aircrew observed a blue-green sphere near a helipad, along with white strobes and red/blue flashing beacons.
• Hinesville: A student saw a string of hovering glowing lights resembling Christmas lights.
• Duluth: A long triangle shape with bright round lights was witnessed.
• Tucker: A housewife reported a white oval-shaped light flying over her home.
• Jefferson: Lights were observed moving through the sky, considered possibly high-flying aircraft.
• Blackshear: A white glowing star was seen moving erratically.
• Tennessee Huge Size UFO Observed: A bright light appeared in the southeast and ascended behind the moon.

Astronomers Monitoring Asteroid Threat

This article from The Toronto Star (July 25, 2002) reports that astronomers are monitoring a 2-kilometre-wide asteroid, 2002 NT7, for a potential collision course with Earth. While initial calculations indicate a chance of impact on February 1, 2019, scientists consider the risk low and expect it to dissipate as more data is gathered. The Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research Project detected the object.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the persistent reporting of unexplained aerial phenomena across Australia and internationally, the efforts of UFO research organizations like VUFORS and MUFON to investigate and document these events, and the challenges faced due to skepticism and lack of concrete evidence. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded investigation, encouraging the reporting of sightings and acknowledging the possibility of phenomena beyond current scientific understanding, while also maintaining a degree of critical analysis, as seen in the comparison to scientific advancements like germ theory and the dismissal of simplistic explanations for complex observations.

This issue of The Australian UFO Bulletin, dated May/June 2002, is a compilation of international sighting reports, historical cases, and related phenomena. It features a wide array of witness accounts from various countries, alongside articles on crop circles, aviation safety, and historical UFO research groups.

International Sighting Reports

The magazine presents a significant number of recent sighting reports, primarily from July 2002, covering diverse locations and object types.

USA Sightings:

• Bessemer, Alabama: On July 19, 2002, a witness videoed a large chevron shape of red twinkling lights, which disappeared suddenly.
• Sequoia National Park, California: On July 23, 2002, a family camping witnessed a V-shaped craft with red lights flying slowly, emitting a humming sound. Multiple campers saw the craft.
• Los Angeles, California: On July 23, 2002, a large chevron shape of red twinkling lights was observed moving south. The witness noted it was a large chevron shape of red twinkling lights.
• West Hill, California: On July 23, 2002, a witness reported an uneven 'V' formation of white and red lights, flying southeast at about 30 degrees elevation, at the speed of a small prop plane.
• Santa Monica, California: On July 23, 2002, fifteen witnesses saw a large triangular shape of white lights flying south at high altitude, described as stunning and beyond words.
• Reseda, California: On July 23, 2002, a V-shaped formation of red and blue lights with a bright white center was observed moving south, accompanied by a motor-type noise. The phone and video camera reportedly stopped working during the sighting.
• Catalina Island, California: On July 23, 2002, a triangle formation of lights, with a bright white light in front and red lights trailing, was seen moving slowly. The formation was described as several times larger than the full moon, with a low, quiet engine sound.
• Exeter, California: On July 23, 2002, four witnesses saw a huge UFO in the shape of a triangle with red lights rimming the edge, flying south. It was described as huge and having a hum.
• Deer Lodge, Montana: On July 23, 2002, a witness observed a bright disk with various white lights that moved back and forth above a mountain, disappearing after twenty seconds.
• Phoenix/Glendale, Arizona: On July 20, 2002, a charcoal grey cylinder with a pale blue/grey outline, moving fast and silent, was observed.

Canada Sightings:

• Avebury, England (reported by Australian UFO Bulletin): On July 27, 2002, after exploring crop circles, witnesses noticed many oval-shaped UFOs in photographs taken of the Trusloe Prehistoric Standing Stones.
• Terrace, British Columbia: On July 27, 2002, a witness saw a moving light fly towards Prince Rupert, described as cigar or pancake-shaped with a flickering bright light.
• Telkwa, BC: Two witnesses observed an object for 30 seconds before it flew below the mountains. A military transport was later seen landing at Smithers Airport.
• Howick, Quebec: The Montreal Gazette reported a multi-circle quintuplet formation in barley discovered on August 3, 2002.

Argentina Sighting:

• Chaj'n: On July 21, 2002, a policeman on patrol saw a formation of seven lights and followed them until his patrol van's engine died. The van experienced electrical anomalies, and a triangular object with numerous windows emerged, described as a 'floating city'.

Ukraine Sighting:

• Sknilov Aerodrome: Stunning video showed an unidentified object, described as a long white cylinder or cigar-shaped, skimming a Ukrainian fighter jet moments before it crashed, killing 84 people on July 27, 2002. The object was visible for 1.5 seconds.

The Early Years

Compiled by Clive Yates, this section revisits selected reports from magazines published in the 1950s and 1960s:

• Walkerton, Ontario (November 1, 1958): Four policemen reported a bright white pulsating UFO, described as changing color and appearing to have four lights.
• Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire (March 8, 1965): Witnesses saw a silver disc-shaped craft travelling NE to SW, which flickered and changed brightness before making a sharp turn and disappearing.
• Cussac, France (August 29, 1967): Two children watching cows saw what appeared to be four black-clad beings near a large, bright globe. The beings entered the globe, which then rose and flew off.

Alien Artefacts Were Retrieved

This article recounts a story from William E. Jones, based on a letter from Lucile Andrew, daughter of Reverend Turner Hamilton Holt. Cordell Hull, then Secretary of State, allegedly showed Holt a sub-basement in the U.S. Capitol in the late 1930s, where four glass jars contained unknown creatures and a wrecked craft was nearby. Hull reportedly swore them to secrecy to avoid public panic. The article notes that no reference to this event appears in Hull's memoirs, and no confirmation has been found.

Taking Shape In The Fields

Jayne Wassell discusses crop circles, noting they are shapes imprinted in fields with stalks bent but not broken. The phenomenon has been observed in various shapes since the 1980s. Meteorologist Terrence Meaden suggested 'plasma vortex' as a cause, while others believe they are created by intelligent beings. The first modern formation was seen in 1966 in Tully, and by 1991, circles were reported worldwide. The article mentions Doug and Dave claiming responsibility for many crop circles, possibly as a way to quell publicity.

Milky Way Galaxy Facts:

• Diameter: 120,000 light years
• Thickness: about 7,000 light years
• Number of stars: 200 billion
• A light year: about 9.6 trillion km
• Closest Galaxy: Andromeda Galaxy

Victorian Sighting Reports

This section details recent sightings in Victoria, Australia:

• Bittern (May 11, 2002): A ball of light, smaller than a coin, was observed moving at about 30 degrees above the horizon, with a black core and a light shield.
• Meadow Heights (May 22, 2002): A round, slightly elliptical, silver object, about the size of a dressmaker's pin head, was seen suspended stationary.
• Corowa and Wahgunyah (June 8, 2002): Nine orange lights, the size of Venus, were seen at an angle of about 40 degrees above the horizon, moving in a steady pace.
• The Grampians (July 9, 2002): A horizontal, fiercely brilliant solid narrow white beam of light appeared above a mountain range for about two seconds, followed by a smaller circular light.
• Nunawading (July 18, 2002): Two objects were observed: one flared and white with slight blue and red edges that fell rapidly and exploded, and a second white ball of light that moved slowly.
• Briar Hill (July 18, 2002): A circular blue-yellow light, about the relative size of the moon, was observed moving in a smooth arc.
• Bayswater North (July 20, 2002): A single round orange light, about the size of an apple, was observed travelling below the cloud line.

Space Probe Unexpectedly Slows

An extract from an article by Robert Matthews in the National Post (February 11, 2002) discusses the Pioneer 10 space probe, which is being slowed by a baffling force that could rewrite physics. This effect, about 10 billion times weaker than gravity, is also affecting Galileo and Ulysses probes.

Queensland Sighting Reports

• Broadbeach, Gold Coast (May 19, 2002): Four witnesses saw an off-white sphere moving rapidly towards the south to join two others. It had a glow on one side and was about one tenth the size of the moon.
• Westlake, Brisbane (May 23, 2002): A woman saw a bright light, like light reflecting off a mirror, described as 'like a star with petally bits off it'.
• Moggill, Brisbane (June 13, 2002): A man and his wife reported seeing 6 lights travelling in pairs across the southwest sky, described as yellow with a pinkish tinge and spherical.
• Ipswich (June 14, 2002): A group saw 15 red lights travelling slowly from the south, and later a bunch of approximately 60 to 80 lights. One red light fired something towards the ground, followed by a booming noise.
• Bulimba (June 14, 2002): A witness saw an intense bright white light travelling east, and also two lights well spaced and a bright blue flash in the west.
• Sinnamon Park, Brisbane (June 14, 2002): A woman reported seeing 12 stationary red lights travelling towards Ipswich. About 6 lights spread out and went to a higher level.
• Moggill, Brisbane (June 14, 2002): A witness reported seeing lights travelling southwest to east, described as very bright and bigger than Venus. They accelerated east and disappeared with an explosive noise.
• Ipswich (June 15, 2002): A previous caller reported seeing 5 more red lights, one of which fired a red trail like a rocket. The witness thought these might be markers for triangulation purposes.
• Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane (June 15, 2002): Four women observed something like a ball of fire in the sky, travelling about the height and speed of a plane, with no noise.
• Caboolture (June 15, 2002): A man saw a bunch of 20 red/pink lights in the sky and heard 2 bangs.
• Holland Park, Brisbane (June 21, 2002): A woman reported a V-shaped object hovering at street light level, described as black, making no noise, and about the width of a large tree.

Society News

• VUFORS Sightings Hotline: Phone number (03) 9506 7080 is provided for reporting sightings.
• Items for Sale: The magazine lists items for sale at the September 2nd Discussion Evening, including Stanton Friedman's CD-ROM and videos, a 'UFOS ARE REAL' cap, VUFORS lapel badges, and pens. Back issues of The Australian UFO Bulletin are also available.
• Society History: A brief history of the Victorian U.F.O. Research Society is presented, tracing its origins from the early 1950s through various name changes to the present day. The society has published papers and maintained a large UFO library.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the widespread nature of UFO sightings across different countries and the variety of shapes and behaviors reported. There is a consistent focus on witness testimony and the collection of sighting data. The historical section and the article on alien artefacts suggest an interest in the long-term study of the phenomenon and its potential implications. The inclusion of NARCAP highlights a concern for aviation safety related to UAP. The editorial stance appears to be one of open investigation and documentation of UFO phenomena, encouraging public reporting and research.