UFO-Nytt

Magazine Overview

This issue of UFO-Nytt, dated January 26, 1985, is a compilation of UFO reports and related discussions, heavily featuring the Hessdalen phenomenon and numerous eyewitness accounts from across Norway. The magazine's editor details his intense schedule preparing for and hosting a visit from 'UFOlogiens yppersteprest' (the high priest of ufology), Hynek, who is in Norway to gather information and view video evidence.

Hynek's Visit and Hessdalen Experience

The issue chronicles the editor's journey to pick up Hynek from Oslo and their subsequent trip to Hessdalen. The editor describes Hynek as an unassuming and pleasant individual. Their journey to Hessdalen was marked by challenges, including a near-miss with a police car and a significant delay due to a car breakdown in extreme cold (-41 degrees Celsius) near Røros. Despite the car trouble, they received unexpected kindness and assistance from locals in Røros, who helped repair the vehicle and offered hospitality, impressing Hynek with Norwegian friendliness.

Upon arriving in Hessdalen, they joined other participants, including members from the Oslo group and representatives from UFO-Sverige. The conditions in Hessdalen are described as harsh, with strong winds and cold temperatures, but the atmosphere among the participants is characterized by camaraderie and a shared passion for the phenomenon. The editor emphasizes the value of the friendships formed through these projects, hoping they will endure.

UFO Sightings and Reports

The magazine presents a collection of UFO sighting reports from various Norwegian newspapers and regions:

• Narvik: Ellen Teigen and her grandson Alexander reported observing a bright, pulsating object resembling a crystal ball for over an hour over Beisfjord. Another report from Narvik describes a stationary light observed by a doctor for nearly an hour.
• Kvæfjord: Several people in Bogen observed a luminous object with multiple lights moving west for about four hours, described as a large sphere with white landing lights.
• Deset: Three women observed a bright, serpentine object that changed shape and color, later reappearing as a cigar-like object.
• Saltdal: Four people witnessed a pulsating, yellow-orange, silent object moving from left to right.
• Tysfjord: Two witnesses observed a dark, egg-shaped or cylindrical object with five orange-yellow lights moving erratically.
• Øya: A resident observed a bright object moving at high speed with green and white lights, disappearing south without sound.
• Klyve: A reader reported seeing a strange light that remained stationary before moving erratically, appearing as four lights in a square.
• Voss: A dark cloud formation was observed, from which a reddish-brown light emerged and disappeared rapidly.
• Alta: A pilot reported seeing an object over Norwegian territory in Finnmark.
• Adal: A photograph of Hval church appears to show an unidentified object near the spire.

UFO-Norge and Official Response

The issue includes an annual report from UFO-Norge's Northern Norway branch, noting a decrease in reported sightings in 1984 compared to 1983. The report details two interesting cases from Saltdal and Tysfjord. There is a recurring theme of frustration among pilots and witnesses regarding the military's perceived dismissive attitude towards UFO reports. The magazine highlights that Widerøe pilots are particularly dissatisfied with how their reports are handled by the defense forces.

Editorial Stance and Recurring Themes

The editor expresses personal stress due to the demands of compiling the magazine and managing the visit of Hynek. He also voices irritation with administrative delays in payments for the magazine's distribution. The overall tone of the magazine is one of earnest investigation into UFO phenomena, driven by eyewitness accounts and a desire for answers. There's a clear sense of community among UFO enthusiasts, contrasted with a perceived lack of official engagement or transparency. The magazine aims to document these events and encourage further investigation, while also highlighting the personal efforts and challenges involved in such endeavors.

This issue of Arbeider-Avisa, dated January 2, 1985, features a prominent article about the impending visit of American astronomer J. Allen Hynek to Hessdalen, Norway, a site known for UFO sightings. The article, written by Gudmund Lovo, highlights the controversy surrounding the Hessdalen phenomena and the differing scientific and ufological perspectives.

J. Allen Hynek's Visit to Hessdalen

J. Allan Hynek, described as the spiritual leader of the UFO movement, is set to visit Hessdalen in late January 1985. Hynek, who led the Center for UFO Studies in Illinois, was also the chief astronomical advisor for the film 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind.' His visit aims to understand the observations made in the Hessdalen area over recent years. Hynek's work in investigating and understanding UFO phenomena is presented as potentially revolutionary for humanity's view of the universe.

Hynek is known for his past role as an advisor to the US Air Force's Project Blue Book (1948-1969), which aimed to catalog UFO reports. After years of studying these reports, Hynek summarized his views, suggesting that many previously unexplained 'unknown' reports would be quickly clarified with the help of scientific teams. However, he also stated that there was no physical evidence for the existence of unnatural phenomena, though he later qualified this by not completely ruling out the possibility of extraterrestrial visitors.

NIVFO Report on Hessdalen Phenomena

The article discusses a report by Norsk Institutt for Vitenskapelig Forskning og Opplysning (NIVFO) which concludes that the light phenomena observed in Hessdalen do not fall outside known explainable phenomena or objects. The report, based on two and a half years of study, suggests that the increased number of observations in recent years is due to increased public awareness and a focus on looking for specific light phenomena. However, it asserts that only natural objects and phenomena have been observed, leaving no basis for claims of extraterrestrial spacecraft.

NIVFO's report lists several potential explanations for the sightings, including planets (especially Mars, Venus, and Jupiter), balloons, satellites, meteors, aircraft (both passenger and small planes), and geological discharges in the Earth's crust that could create balls of light from plasma or ionized gases. The report also considers 'inversion theory,' where a layer of warm air over cold air creates a reflective surface, and suggests that plasma lights could be reflected in such layers. Airborne pollutants in the Hessdalen area are also mentioned as a possible cause.

UFO Norge's Rebuttal

Leif Havik, department head for the Midt-Norge division of UFO Norge, strongly disagrees with the NIVFO report. He states that the report's authors have very little to base their conclusions on and that his organization takes the report with a large grain of salt. Havik argues that NIVFO has few observations from Hessdalen itself, making the report's conclusions based on a thin foundation. He points out that similar light phenomena exist in other parts of the world, and no definitive conclusions have been reached elsewhere.

Havik expresses skepticism about explanations like 'downbursts' or 'mixing with aircraft' being responsible for the widespread phenomena in the region. He finds it incredible that such common occurrences could explain the Hessdalen events. He also notes that while the phenomena might be mysterious and exciting, they are unlikely to be 'exchanged' for mundane plasma phenomena or ball lightning.

Key Incidents and Quotes

The article quotes J. Allen Hynek from a 1977 article in New Age magazine by co-editor Patrick Huyghe, comparing Hynek's connection to UFOs to Darwin's to evolution, Freud's to dreams, and Nixon's to Watergate. Hynek's statement from his 1977 book, 'The Hynek UFO Report,' is also cited, where he would not use a single moment on the UFO subject if he did not have a serious conviction that the phenomenon is real.

New Interest Group

A representative from a newly formed interest group in Hessdalen, dedicated to finding explanations for the light phenomena, plans to hold a meeting to discuss the NIVFO report. They intend to present their comments on the report after this meeting.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue highlights a clear division between scientific skepticism, represented by the NIVFO report, and the ufological perspective, championed by UFO Norge and figures like J. Allen Hynek. The editorial stance appears to lean towards presenting both sides of the debate, with a focus on the upcoming visit of Hynek as a significant event in the ongoing investigation of the Hessdalen phenomena. The article implicitly acknowledges the public's fascination with the unexplained while also presenting the rational, scientific counterarguments.