Klipprunden - 1993 00 00

Magazine Overview

This issue of 'Ufómagazin' (Issue 5, 1993) focuses heavily on the ongoing UFO phenomena in Hessdalen, Norway, exploring various facets from media coverage and scientific investigation to local tourism initiatives. The magazine presents a mix of news reports, research findings, and discussions on related paranormal topics.

Hessdalen in Japanese TV

A Japanese TV team from Nippon TV visited Hessdalen to film a program about UFO phenomena, conducting interviews with locals and UFO-Norge representatives. The program was scheduled to air in September and was expected to reach 26 million viewers in Japan. Odd-Gunnar Rød from UFO-Norge highlighted their new project to set up a station with measuring instruments in Hessdalen to clarify what is happening, noting that while activity is lower than before, information gathering is still important. He expressed concern that governments are not as proactive in investigating aerial phenomena as they are with underwater anomalies. Rød also stated that Hessdalen is the most well-known UFO-related location in Norway internationally, thanks to UFO-Norge's long-standing information dissemination.

Russian Studies Hessdalen Lights

This section details the interest from a Russian institute in studying the Hessdalen light phenomena. Professor Edward A. Manykin from the Kurchatov Institute in Moscow plans to study the phenomenon alongside Norwegian scientists. Manykin, who has experience creating ball lightning in laboratory conditions, visited Hessdalen to examine the site. He hopes to find an explanation, suggesting theories involving atomic behavior that creates light, but emphasizes the need for scientific investigation. He also noted similar observations in other parts of the world.

Selling UFO Tourism

The village of Hessdalen in Sør-Trøndelag is actively promoting UFO tourism to combat depopulation. The local development association aims to capitalize on the UFO interest by offering a unique tourist experience. Plans include selling UFO-themed crafts, opening an 'UFO café', and potentially hosting French charter tourists in the winter. The strategy emphasizes combining UFO mystique with natural experiences, ensuring visitors leave with a sense of wonder. The development team is collaborating with local and national organizations to achieve these goals.

Japanese Support for UFO Station

Sivilingeniør Erling Strand, a lecturer at Østfold Ingeniørhøgskole and a key figure in Hessdalen research since 1984, is seeking funding for a measuring station in Hessdalen. He revealed that Waseda University in Tokyo is willing to contribute funds and a special instrument for the project. Strand has applied for one million kroner from the Norwegian Research Council (NAVF) and will seek other funding sources. The Japanese professor's offer of 150,000 kroner, with potential for an additional 200,000 kroner from other Japanese interests, is a significant boost. The estimated cost for the station is between two and three million kroner. Strand remains open to all theories regarding the lights, including extraterrestrial origins or unknown natural phenomena.

UFO Station Project Details

This article elaborates on the proposed automatic measuring station to be built at Aspåskjølen in Hessdalen. It will be equipped with radar, spectroanalyzers, magnetometers, seismographs, lasers, and video equipment. Data will be automatically transferred to a central computer at Østfold Ingeniørhøgskole. The project requires significant funding, with an estimated two million kroner for the first year and one million kroner annually for the following three years. Two full-time positions are planned: a project leader and an engineer responsible for operations and maintenance.

UFO Conference in Lyon

This report covers the 7th European UFO Congress held in Lyon, France. The event, organized by SOS OVNI, brought together UFO researchers from various countries. Key themes included crop circles and animal mutilations. Hilary Evans discussed crop circle findings in England and Canada, while Christian R. Page presented on animal mutilations in North America. The article notes the increasing number of UFO sightings globally and suggests that Hessdalen phenomena might be related to unknown natural occurrences like ball lightning or St. Elmo's fire.

Ummo Affair Discussion

Journalist Renaud Marhic presented a controversial theory at the Lyon conference, suggesting that the Ummo letters, which began in Spain in the 1960s, were a KGB-orchestrated propaganda campaign to promote anti-Franco, anti-American, and pro-Soviet ideas. He linked the philosophical content of the letters to Soviet disinformation methods and pointed to José Luis Jordàn Peña as a central figure in the affair. This theory contrasted with the view that the letters might indeed contain genuine extraterrestrial information, as suggested by some researchers.

Canadian UFOlogy Perspective

Christian R. Page presented an overview of recent developments in Canadian UFOlogy at the Lyon conference. He highlighted that Canadian researchers often distance themselves from American UFO theories, such as elaborate conspiracies or 'Little Grey' aliens. While UFO sightings, animal mutilations, and abductions are reported in Canada, the emphasis is on a more grounded, scientific approach. The National Research Council of Canada receives about a hundred UFO reports annually, with a significant portion remaining unexplained. The article notes that the alleged UFO wave in 1989 was likely a myth.

Phénomèna Article on Hessdalen

This French-language article from 'Phénomèna' magazine provides a detailed account of the Hessdalen phenomena. It describes the initial sightings in December 1981 by Nils Kåre Nesvold and Per Holden, involving a luminous spherical object. The article traces the development of the Hessdalen phenomenon from 1981 to 1985, noting its geographical limitation and inexplicable nature. It mentions the involvement of UFO Norway and early investigations. The valley's characteristics, including its remote location and harsh winter climate, are described. The article suggests that the phenomena might be related to natural occurrences, drawing parallels to ball lightning or St. Elmo's fire.

Ufómagazin Cover Content

The cover of 'Ufómagazin' features several prominent articles: 'The Mystery of the Black Hole', 'Holograms in the Ceiling', and 'What Do Extraterrestrials Want?'. The main headline asks, 'IS TIME TRAVEL POSSIBLE?'. A smaller image depicts a stylized representation of a UFO or energy phenomenon interacting with city lights.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the Hessdalen UFO phenomena, scientific investigation, and the potential for UFO tourism. There's a strong emphasis on documenting and understanding unexplained aerial events through rigorous research, as evidenced by the proposed measuring station and international collaborations. The magazine also explores related topics like crop circles, animal mutilations, and the philosophical implications of UFO encounters. The editorial stance appears to favor a scientific and investigative approach, while acknowledging the public's fascination with these mysteries and the potential for commercialization through tourism.

This issue of Hírek Űrhírek, dated Tuesday, September 28, 1993, is a Norwegian publication focusing on space exploration, ufology, and unexplained phenomena. The cover prominently features the headline "OCEANS ONCE ON VENUS," alongside articles about ancient riverbeds, UFO sightings, and the Mars Observer mission.

Oceans Once on Venus

The lead article reports on findings from the Pioneer probe, which, after 14 years of observation before its deactivation, suggested that Venus had significantly larger reserves of water billions of years ago than previously assumed. Thomas Donahue, a professor at Michigan University and leader of the Pioneer mission, stated that the amount of water could have covered the planet's entire surface to a depth of 7.6 to 22.8 meters. Data also indicated the presence of storms on Venus, and that its oceans likely evaporated about three billion years ago due to the greenhouse effect. The high concentration of deuterium in Venus's atmosphere, 150 times that of Earth, led scientists to conclude that conditions on Venus might have once been suitable for primitive life.

Riverbed Under Desert Sand

Another significant discovery detailed is the identification of an 11,000-year-old riverbed beneath the desert sands of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Dr. Faruk el-Baz, a geologist from Boston University, announced that satellite imagery confirmed the existence of this ancient river, which he named the Kuwait River. The river system, formed by two interconnected dried-up valleys, stretched 850 kilometers and was up to five kilometers wide in places. This finding has implications for finding water sources through drilling for irrigation and offers opportunities for archaeologists to investigate ancient cultures that thrived in the river valley before climate change led to its desiccation.

UFO Congress and SETI

The magazine reports on the 7th European UFO Congress held in Lyon, France, from April 10-12, organized by the French UFO research group SOS OVNI. The congress focused on the increasing number of crop circles, animal mutilations, and UFO sightings. Attendees included researchers from nine countries, such as Hilary Evans (England), Gábor Tarcali (Hungary), Earling P. Strand (Norway), and Perry Petrakis (France).

In a separate piece, Dr. Jill Tarter, lead scientist for NASA's SETI program, stated at an international astronomical conference in Leicester that NASA has spent $100 million over ten years searching for extraterrestrial life. However, she indicated that even if alien signals were detected, NASA would not respond unilaterally. Tarter explained that responding would commit the entire planet, and such a decision would require global consensus, a prospect she found daunting.

Mars Observer Probe Lost

The issue covers the critical situation of the Mars Observer probe, which cost American taxpayers seven billion kroner. Experts worked frantically to save the probe after contact was lost as it approached Mars on Saturday. If contact and control could not be re-established by Wednesday night, the probe would continue on a meaningless trajectory into deep space. Experts admitted the probe might be lost, possibly due to a clock malfunction that caused the loss of contact. The probe was intended to enter orbit around Mars, but its failure meant that the billion-dollar mission might have sailed past the planet into the unknown.

Personal UFO Accounts and Sightings

A section titled "Har sett en UFO" (Have Seen a UFO) features a letter from Magnus, a 6th-grader from Hokksund, Norway, who describes seeing a brown, six-sided, three-tiered UFO with windows all over. He recounts calling his mother and using binoculars, but the object disappeared when he looked back. Magnus concludes that adults don't believe in UFOs because UFOs are afraid of adults.

Another report mentions a similar egg-shaped flying object sighted in Australia years ago. The magazine also includes a call for witnesses to a strange light phenomenon observed over Tranby in Lier, Norway, by Ole Jonny Brænne of UFO-Norge, who is collecting information on unexplained observations.

The Rakke Incident

A detailed account is given of the mysterious incident at the Rakke military exercise field in Norway on July 1, 1954. An entire detachment of 50 soldiers reportedly observed an unknown flying object for seven minutes. Fenrik Birger Gjerde, who filed the military report, described the object as neither an aircraft, balloon, nor any other known object. It was round or slightly elliptical, flat underneath, and hovered before disappearing at high speed towards the northeast. The incident, which occurred during the Cold War, raised questions about why the military did not engage the object.

UFO Enigma Unsolved

An article by Christer Lundquist discusses the nature of UFOs as unexplained aerial phenomena. It notes that while most sightings can be attributed to conventional explanations like birds, balloons, atmospheric phenomena, or hoaxes, a few credible observations are interpreted by some as evidence of extraterrestrial visitation. The organization UFO Norge, based in Tønsberg, archives UFO reports and aims to investigate these phenomena scientifically. Their research, including observations in Hessdalen in the early 1980s, measured speeds of up to 8,500 km/s, indicating material objects. Despite extensive data collection and numerous photos, the UFO enigma remains unsolved. UFO Norge reports no UFO sightings in the Larvik district, but the Rakke incident in 1954 is presented as evidence to the contrary.

Other Brief Items

There is a brief mention of a search for a submarine in Kvæfjord, Norway, which concluded without results. Additionally, a short piece on organ transplantation in Belgium notes that 180,527 residents have already opposed their organs being used after death, while the 1987 law allows for transplantation if no explicit objection is made.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently covers topics related to space exploration, particularly concerning Venus and Mars, and the search for extraterrestrial life (SETI). A significant portion is dedicated to UFO sightings and investigations, presenting both personal accounts and official reports like the Rakke incident. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into unexplained phenomena, presenting scientific findings alongside anecdotal evidence and reports from UFO research organizations. There is a clear interest in historical UFO cases and the ongoing efforts to understand them, while also acknowledging the scientific skepticism and the need for evidence-based conclusions. The magazine also touches upon broader scientific discoveries, such as ancient geological features on Earth.