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Magazine Overview

This issue of 'Historique des Objets Volants Non Identifiés' (History of Unidentified Flying Objects) provides a comprehensive historical overview of official investigations into UFOs, primarily in the United States, and compiles numerous witness accounts of sightings from the mid-20th century.

Historical Commissions and Projects

The magazine details the timeline and evolution of key American UFO investigation projects:

• Project Sign (1947): Initiated by the U.S. Air Force's Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) to collect witness testimonies. It was directed by Allen J. Hynek.
• Project Grudge (1949): A rebranding of Project Sign, it later incorporated a sub-commission called Project Twinckle, based at Vaugham and Holloman AFB.
• New Project Grudge (1951): Led by Captain Edward J. Ruppelt, an intelligence officer at ATIC.
• Project Blue Book (1952-1969): Directed by Captain Edward J. Ruppelt initially, and later by Major Hector V. Quintanilla. This project aimed to investigate UFO sightings. It underwent review by a jury in January 1953 and was later subject to a review by an advisory committee in 1966.
• Project Colorado (1967): Directed by Edward U. Condon, based at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
• Dissolution of Project Blue Book (1969): The project was officially terminated on December 17, 1969.

The issue highlights significant events, such as Life magazine's 1952 article acknowledging that many saucer or fireball observations defied explanation, and the U.S. Air Force receiving numerous letters urging them not to attack UFOs.

Notable Sightings and Encounters

The magazine presents a detailed catalog of UFO sightings, often with descriptions of the objects and the witnesses' experiences:

• May 13, 1952 (Greenville, South Carolina): Astronomers observed four oval, reddish-yellow objects that oscillated and zig-zagged before disappearing.
• June 19, 1952 (Goose Bay): Similar phenomena were reported.
• June 12, 1952 (Saint-Denis, France): M. Jean-Paul Nahon observed a brilliant, silver, rectangular object with a red halo. The object exhibited unusual maneuvers, including sudden ascents and descents.
• July 2, 1952 (Edmonton, USA): Navy officer Delbert Newhouse and his wife photographed a formation of bluish-white UFOs moving at high speed.
• July 1952 (Hasselbach, East Germany): Oskar Linke and his daughter encountered a rosy, circular object with a superstructure, attended by two small beings.
• July 1952 (Culver City, California): An elliptical, silver craft was observed, from which two smaller discs detached and performed maneuvers before rejoining the main craft.
• July 10, 1955 (Korea/Japan): 40 officers and sailors on the Canadian destroyer 'Crusader' observed UFOs.
• July 12, 1955 (Indiana, USA): Captain Richard E. Case of American Airlines reported an OVNI shaped like a white and green 'drop'.
• October 1970 (Norway): Ole Birkeland and others reported sightings of luminous, silent objects, some with 'legs', and one described as a 'cigar' with luminous points.
• June 5, 1955 (Namur, Belgium): M. Muyldermans photographed a stationary, discoidal object of dark green color with a luminous glow, later described as having a white trail.
• September 19-20, 1961 (New Hampshire, USA): The Betty and Barney Hill encounter, a famous case involving alleged abduction by extraterrestrials.
• November 10, 1954 (Stembert, Belgium): An investigation by LAET and FBU documented an observation of a bright, oval object, described as twice the size of a visible airliner, accompanied by smaller objects.

Object Characteristics and Behavior

Witnesses described UFOs with various shapes (oval, disc, cigar-shaped, spherical, elliptical), colors (reddish-yellow, silver, red, yellow, white, greenish, blue, grey, orange), and behaviors (oscillating, zig-zagging, hovering, ascending, descending, moving erratically, and performing complex maneuvers).

Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine's focus is on documenting historical UFO events, official investigations, and witness testimonies. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry into the phenomenon, presenting evidence and accounts without overt skepticism, but acknowledging the need for careful study, as seen in the quote from rocket specialists urging caution against firing on UFOs.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue consistently highlights the official investigations into UFOs, particularly the U.S. Air Force's Project Blue Book, and presents a vast collection of witness reports. The emphasis is on providing a historical record and detailed accounts of sightings, suggesting a belief in the significance and reality of the phenomenon, even if unexplained. The inclusion of scientific analysis, photographic evidence, and expert opinions underscores a commitment to exploring the subject matter seriously. The magazine aims to inform readers about the history of UFO research and the ongoing mystery surrounding these aerial phenomena.

Title: Chronique des OVNI
Issue Date: January 1973 (inferred from page numbers and context)
Document Type: Magazine Article

Article: Des OVNI au XIXème siècle (UFOs in the 19th Century)

This article, the first part of a series, focuses on UFO sightings during the 19th century, specifically the period from 1800 to 1860. The authors, Michel Bougard and Capella, aim to go beyond simple factual reporting and provide material for future studies. They acknowledge the work of Jacques Vallée and others in this field.

Challenges in Case Selection

The primary challenge faced was selecting cases, as some observations were too fragmented, while others, though rare, could be explained by natural phenomena. An example given is the 'luminous wheels' observed near the Indian Ocean, attributed to the interference of light from plankton bioluminescence. Famous observations of these 'wheels' were reported by the crews of the "Bulldog" (1875), "Vulture" (1879), and "Patna" (1880).

Case Catalog and Scope

Despite these challenges, the authors managed to catalog 270 cases directly related to UFO phenomena. They estimate that the list could expand to 500 if observations of dark masses passing across the moon or sun by astronomers, and strange falls of substances reported by Charles Fort, were included.

Notable Incidents (1800-1860)

• April 5, 1800, Bâton-Rouge (Louisiana): A bright object, approximately twenty meters long, moved northeast for 15 minutes at a low altitude (around 200m), followed by a loud noise.
• June 19-20, 1801, Hull (England): A UFO decomposed into five bright bodies.
• October 12, 1808, Pinerolo (Piedmont): Luminous discs were sighted.
• 1808, Swiss Alps and La Tour-d'Auvergne: Reports of luminous objects and strange noises.
• May 15, 1811, Geneva: A 'serpent of fire' was observed, which later changed shape to reveal two lights at its extremities. This OVNI was also seen in Paris.
• 1811, England and Ireland: Citizens reported seeing lights and OVNIs.
• September 7, 1820, Embrun (Hautes-Alpes): A formation of discs flew over the city during a lunar eclipse, pivoting 90° before disappearing.
• February 12 & April 27, 1820: Unknown objects were observed.
• 1833, Toland (Ohio): A bright, hook-shaped object hovered for an hour.
• November 13, 1833, Niagara Falls: A square luminous object was observed for an hour.
• Post-OVNI event: A gelatinous substance was found on the ground after an OVNI passed over Jamaica, Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean.
• January 12, 1836, Cherbourg: A luminous disc hovered.
• Two years later (1838): A strange being, seemingly in a space suit, frightened Londoners. It was sometimes luminous and could jump high.
• March 29, 1845, London: An orange UFO with a hazy appearance, supported by four bright points, hovered.
• June 18, 1845: Three luminous discs emerged from the sea near the "Victoria" ship in the Mediterranean.
• October 26, 1847, Holloway (London): A spherical UFO rose vertically into the clouds.
• February 5, 1850, Sandwich (Kent): A small luminous spot approached, grew to one-third the size of the full moon, remained stationary for 3 minutes, and then disappeared.
• June 6, 1850, Côte d'Azur: A large red globe accompanied by sparks flew across the sky, and a dark object fell from it.
• December 8, 1850, Aberdeen (Scotland): A similar phenomenon occurred, with an ejected object, a small sphere, pursuing a horizontal course.
• May 22, 1853, Mercure: R.P. Gregg observed three luminous OVNIs: a small disc, a 'cigar,' and a larger round object.
• July 9, 1853: Numerous red points were visible in the French sky.
• October 26, 1853, Ragusa (Sicily): A large luminous disc flew over the city.
• August 11, 1855, Petworth (Sussex, England): A large red disc with spokes emitted luminous beams.
• April 6, 1856, Dr Duss: Observed a 'torpedo flying backwards' above Colmar, emitting a 'melodious whistling.'
• September 1, 1859, Redhill (Surrey, England): Two OVNIs were observed by astronomer Carrington.
• 1859: An oblong OVNI with red lights and a black center flew over Pembroke.
• Spring 1860: Numerous small dark discs were observed by astronomers. In Japan, bright OVNIs resembling stars and two 'moons' were seen.

Diagram and Analysis

A diagram is presented, showing a number of peaks separated by intervals, which the authors note could be due to incomplete information or actual discontinuities in the phenomenon. They compare their findings with Vallée's work, acknowledging the difficulty of direct comparison due to unknown sources.

Contemporary Observations (Page 1)

The first page details a more recent sighting from the 1970s involving multiple witnesses (OS and OP) who observed several luminous objects. These objects appeared immobile at first, then moved towards the east. Some witnesses described them as small, round, and fast, while others noted their size and a pulsating red light. The objects were described as silent and were observed for a duration of 10 to 45 minutes before disappearing eastward. The LAET (research group) conducted calculations suggesting the stationary object (OP) was between 2,880 and 3,980 meters away, with an estimated altitude of 2,420 to 4,980 meters, and a perceived apparent dimension of 115 to 160 meters.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the historical documentation and analysis of UFO phenomena, emphasizing that such sightings are not a recent invention but have occurred throughout history. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious inquiry, presenting documented cases and encouraging further research, while acknowledging the challenges in verifying and interpreting historical accounts. The article implicitly supports the idea that UFOs are a real, albeit often unexplained, phenomenon.