Nordic UFO Newsletter - 1985 No 2

Magazine Overview

Title: NORDIC UFO NEWS LETTER
Issue: No. 2 1985
Publisher: Nordic UFO Groups
Date: February 1985

This issue of the Nordic UFO Newsletter, published by a consortium of Scandinavian UFO organizations, presents several selected cases from 1984 and 1985. The newsletter is published twice a year and is available on an exchange basis or via subscription.

Organizational Information

The Nordic UFO Newsletter is a collaborative effort by UFO-Norge (Norway), Riksorganisationen UFO-Sverige (Sweden), and Suomen Ufotutkijat r.y. (The UFO Research of Finland). Each of these organizations also publishes their own periodicals. UFO-Norge publishes "UFO" four times a year, and Riksorganisationen UFO-Sverige publishes "RUFOS" with "UFO-Aktuellt" four times a year, along with an internal periodical "Internt UFO-Sverige". The UFO Research of Finland publishes "Neljännesvuosi Raportti" (Quarterly Report) in Finnish and an annual "Yearly Report" in English.

Subscription rates are provided, with prices varying by region: Nkr. 10,- per issue for Norway, Nkr. 15,- for Europe, and Nkr. 20,- for elsewhere. Payment can be made via Norwegian bank transfer or international money orders. The publication notes that its timing may be irregular and recommends subscribing for one issue at a time.

Featured Cases

Close Encounter of the Third Kind in Småland, Sweden

This article, by Håkan Sterner, details an incident reported by Ante Jonsson on the night of February 3, 1984, between Växjö and Tingsryd. Jonsson claims he encountered a large, oblong, black object hovering above a meadow, estimated to be 250-300 feet long and 30 feet high. He returned home to get his camera, and upon his return, the object was gone. Subsequently, he encountered a similar black object blocking the road, approximately 50-60 feet wide and 20-30 feet high, with three bulges underneath. While trying to maneuver his car, he was grabbed by a small creature, described as 4-5 feet high, wearing a cowl. He was pulled from his car, and other creatures appeared. He then saw another object hovering nearby. The encounter ended when a car's headlights illuminated the scene, and the creatures released him. Jonsson was found in his car by police in a state of shock. The report notes conflicting statements and the difficulty in confirming details, but highlights that no civil or military air traffic was present, and weather conditions were clear. A mysterious phone call to the police from an unknown driver reporting the incident is also mentioned.

UFO Flap Over Västerås, Sweden

Authored by Stig Aggestad, this section covers strange light phenomena observed around Christmas and New Year 1984/85 in Västerås. Marianne Gustafsson reported seeing a strong light from the northeast, as large as street lamps, which stopped, grew, shrank, and changed direction. The Åkerman family witnessed a yellow-orange ball with vibrating movements, appearing to have a directed light. Roland Åhlén observed a stationary ball-shaped object surrounded by light, which then moved west. Witnesses distinguished these phenomena from New Year's rockets or fireworks.

Giant "Candy" Over Tynset, Norway

This case describes a sighting by Lisa Moxness Vestli and three children on February 18, 1985, near Tynset. The object was described as a "giant candy," hovering motionless for nearly half an hour. It shimmered in green, red-orange, and red patches. The phenomenon was shaped like a cigar, with protrusions. Beams of light were intermittently "shot down" from the object. After observing from outside, the witnesses watched from inside as the object descended and then rapidly moved west, disappearing without sound. The witnesses could not estimate the size due to the darkness but believed it to be very large.

Strange Light Phenomenon at Saarijärvi, Finland

This brief mention in the table of contents indicates a report from Finland, though the details are not elaborated upon in the provided text. It is noted as a "strange phenomenon, although not necessarily UFO related."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme in this issue is the reporting of UFO and anomalous aerial phenomena from the Nordic countries. The editorial stance appears to be one of presenting documented cases and investigations, acknowledging the challenges in confirmation and the potential for misinterpretation. The inclusion of detailed witness accounts, investigative notes, and cross-referencing with other publications suggests a commitment to thorough reporting within the field of ufology. The publication encourages exchange agreements, indicating a collaborative approach within the international UFO research community.

This issue of "UFO" magazine, dated February 20, 1985, features reports on unexplained phenomena, primarily focusing on a strange light sighting in Finland and a prior event in Norway. The magazine is published by UFO-Norge and includes translations from Norwegian and other sources.

Report: Norway Incident

The first report details an observation by Lisa Moxness Vestli in eastern Norway, which was relayed to Mr. Knut Aasheim, the leader of UFO-Norge. Vestli, who had not previously paid much attention to such phenomena, accepted that some things defy logical explanation. She expressed some uncertainty about the nature of her observation, a sentiment shared by the children present. Due to its sheer size, they ruled out the possibility of it being a star, describing the object as resembling a large parachute.

Mr. Knut Aasheim received this report via telephone three days after the observation. It is noted that Lisa Moxness Vestli had worked in the same firm as Mr. Aasheim for almost 10 years. Vestli had previously reported another strange phenomenon in January 1979, when she was awakened at 3 AM by what sounded like a powerful explosion, followed by a humming sound that gradually weakened. This event lasted about 5 minutes, but nothing was seen outside, although two dogs in the house reacted to the sound. This report is an excerpt from the newspaper "Arbeidets Rett" (Røros) dated February 20, 1985, supplemented by a phone call from the observer on February 21.

The source for this report is cited as "UFO" no. 1 1985, page 14.

Strange Light Phenomenon Observed at Saarijärvi, Finland

This section details a sighting that occurred on Monday, July 29, 1985, at 12:00 PM in Saarijärvi, near the town of Mahlu in central Finland. The witnesses were Olavi Schroderus and Erkki Nieminen. The nature of the sighting was described as a strange sparkling light spot with a light column.

The Observer's Account (Olavi Schroderus)

Schroderus recounts that on the evening of July 29, 1985, he and Erkki Nieminen were at Nieminen's summer cottage. The weather was calm, cloudy, and dark. Around 10:30 PM, Schroderus went outside to move his car from the road, parking it about 40 meters from the cottage. Later, around 12:00 PM, he went to move the car again to the grass in the yard to allow access to the cottage's lights, as the TV's accumulator was needed. While walking towards the car, he noticed a reddish, strangely sparkling light spot on the ground, about 16 meters away and approximately 0.5 meters in diameter. He stopped, unable to see or hear anything, and initially wondered if the light came from Lake Kalajärvi.

After observing for about 15 seconds, Schroderus approached the light. At a distance of 2 meters, he saw the light descending in tapelike sections from an altitude of about 3 meters. He halted again, listening, but heard nothing unusual. He then approached the light spot on the ground and attempted to feel for warmth with his hands, but found no increase in temperature. He then placed both hands into the bandlike stream of light descending from above. The light clung to his hands, sparkling, which scared him. He tried to shake it off, but it spread around. He could not feel the light, nor did it have any weight, burn, or emit any smell. He then dared to take more of the light into his hands from about 20 cm off the ground, where it was denser, and ran towards the cottage with the light sparkling in his hands.

While running, he observed that the light did not react to the stream of air. Upon reaching the porch, he called out to Erkki, exclaiming that something strange was happening. Erkki was perplexed. Schroderus explained that more of the sparkling substance was on the road and that he could not feel it. He then showed his sparkling fingers, stretching them, and observed that the light still sparkled between his fingertips, a distance of about 5 mm. The bright areas were not pointing upwards like flames but blazed between his fingers, and on his fingertips, they pointed outward from his body. The light did not illuminate the cottage.

The brightness began to vanish from his fingers after about 30 seconds and disappeared completely. Schroderus immediately went out to reinvestigate the forest road, but the light had also disappeared. Erkki looked through the window but did not see Schroderus due to the darkness. Schroderus listened and looked for about five minutes but nothing happened. He then cautiously drove his car back to the cottage yard.

Post-Sighting Investigation

That night, Schroderus had trouble sleeping. The next morning, he and others investigated the area where the light was seen but found no trace. It had rained lightly that morning. On Tuesday, July 30, they returned with other persons, but nothing happened.

On Wednesday, Schroderus contacted professors at the Biological Institute and the Institute on Environmental Research at the University of Jyvaskyla. They could not provide definitive answers but suggested two possibilities: fireflies, which emit pointlike light, or luminous bacteria, which emit yellow-green light. However, these phenomena are typically observed near the equator, making them unsatisfactory explanations for this sighting.

Further Investigations

Lasse Ahonen from The UFO Research of Finland visited the observation site with Olavi Schroderus on August 10, 1985. The location was the left side of the forest road. Nothing unusual was seen on the ground, although there were ant paths and the insects seemed to move normally. The initial observation from 16 meters away showed a clearly contrasted reddish light spot on the ground, approximately 50 cm in diameter and 2-3 cm thick. When Schroderus approached to within 2 meters, a light pillar about 3 meters high could be seen. The source of the light was unknown, and the pillar ended at 3 meters. The light descended in bandlike wedges and was so dense on the ground that the ground itself could not be seen behind it, though trees behind it were visible. The light was bright but not dazzling. Branches of a nearby spruce were close but not within the light pillar, and the ground vegetation was not lit up.

When the light clung to Schroderus's hands, it did not illuminate his arms or shoes, despite them being near the light spot. He experienced no after-effects such as eczema or illness. The light spot remained stationary for the entire observation period of 1-2 minutes. During the observation, the weather was cloudy, very dark, and windless. No thunder was detected, and the temperature was about 10°C.

The cause of this phenomenon remains unexplained. It is unlikely to be an electric phenomenon from a manmade device, as there were no power lines in the vicinity. No reflecting objects were visible.

The source for this report is cited as "Ultra Magazine" no. 10 1985.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently presents reports of unexplained aerial phenomena and strange lights, often with detailed eyewitness accounts and subsequent investigations. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these phenomena, presenting evidence and witness testimony without immediate dismissal, while also acknowledging the need for scientific explanations and the limitations of current understanding. The inclusion of translations and collaborations with international UFO research organizations suggests a commitment to a global perspective on UFOlogy.