Ovni 43 - No 05 - juil 1978

Magazine Overview

Title: O.V.N.I.
Issue: 43
Date: July 1978
Publisher: Groupement Langeadois de Recherches Ufologiques
Type: Bimonthly magazine focused on UFOs and related phenomena.

Editorial Stance and Content

The editorial states that the review is open to all readers and welcomes suggestions and articles, with the understanding that published articles are the sole responsibility of their authors and do not engage the G.L.R.U. (Groupement Langeadois de Recherches Ufologiques). The magazine also commits to specifying the source of press clippings used.

CE.C.R.U. Meeting in Imbours

A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to a report on the CE.C.R.U. (European Committee for the Coordination of Ufological Research) meeting held in Imbours on June 4-5. The report, written by a first-time attendee, details the gathering of approximately twenty French, Swiss, Belgian, and Luxembourgish groups. The Groupement Langeadois de Recherches Ufologiques was represented by Achard, Sarret, Peyret, and Mouilhade. They brought a magnetic field modification detector, still under development, to detect potential UFOs. The report mentions the participation of a young researcher from Vichy, M. Parot, and the presence of M. Dolso. The meeting involved discussions on organizational issues, and various commissions were formed to distribute the workload among attendees. One commission focused on 'radio liaison watches,' aiming to improve their organization and utilization.

Witness Accounts and Investigations

The Brioude UFO Case

The magazine revisits the case of a red-orange, immobile luminous ball seen in the sky above Brioude on August 4th, around 10:25 PM. The gendarmerie conducted a discreet investigation, confirming the event with about twenty precise and concordant testimonies. Tourists and locals playing pétanque at 'Le Belvédère' also witnessed the object, estimating its distance at four kilometers. The object remained visible for two to two and a half minutes before disappearing as suddenly as it appeared, described as perfectly silent. A resident observed the object with binoculars and described it as cylindrical. Despite some testimonies suggesting it might have been a whirlwind, the article notes that the gendarmerie's investigation, along with the number of witnesses, makes hallucinations unlikely. The article also mentions that the witness, M. Pays, who initially claimed to have seen nothing and attributed it to a whirlwind, later stated he was not present and that the article in 'L'Eveil' was explicit. He also mentioned receiving numerous phone calls following the article and intended to issue a denial, which had not yet appeared in print.

UFO Sighting in the Pays d'Apt

Approximately ten witnesses reported a UFO sighting in the Pays d'Apt during the night of August 2nd. The object emitted a bright red glow and lights resembling a beacon, moving silently. Witnesses unanimously stated it could not have been an airplane, and with no military activity in the nearby Albion plateau, hallucination or hoax seemed unlikely. The object disappeared in a Southwest direction.

Traces in a Field near Pierre-de-Bresse

An article reports the discovery of significant traces left by a mysterious craft in a barley field near Pierre-de-Bresse. M. Ernest Joly, a 52-year-old farmer, found a furrow measuring 8.6 meters long and 2 meters wide, with a depth of 40 centimeters at its center, ending in a point at each extremity. Within a ten-meter radius, several cylindrical anchor points, 6 to 8 centimeters in diameter and 12 to 14 centimeters deep, were found. The furrow walls and anchor points exhibited an extraordinary polish with a grayish substance, which was collected for analysis by the gendarmerie. No footprints or burn marks were found nearby. The site was located 400 meters from the nearest communication route and far from any habitation.

Strange Phenomena in Rhône

Near the village of Claveiselles in the Rhône department, a farmer and his son reported seeing a ball of fire emerge from the ground at the top of a hill, accompanied by subterranean rumblings. Witnesses described the ground being swept as if by a strong wind, with no holes in the earth. Their oxen, a few meters away, began to tremble. The local schoolteacher reported that after the phenomena ceased, the earth was covered with very fine ash. Samples of calcined debris were sent for analysis.

UFOs in Argentina

Multiple UFO sightings were reported in Argentina. A formation of about thirty very bright UFOs, arranged in a V, was observed over Catamarca. In Villa Mercedes, San Luis, several people tracked the evolutions of a similar formation. In Mendoza, a fleet of UFOs was also sighted. The Center for the Study of Unusual Aerial Phenomena attributed these sightings to the Eta Aquarides meteor shower, but Argentine enthusiasts continue to search for extraterrestrial encounters.

UFO in Ecuador

A cigar-shaped UFO was sighted in the coastal province of Guayas, Ecuador. A witness described it as emitting orange, pink, and violet sparks while performing aerial circles before disappearing. Other observers noted its high speed and an altitude of approximately 650 meters.

UFOs over the Andes

In San Juan, Argentina, five soldiers and a non-commissioned officer reported seeing two formations of flying saucers. They first observed an intense light from the Andes, followed by about fifteen luminous discs of identical size flying at high altitude. These formations, described as resembling flying saucers, flew in a triangular formation and disappeared southwest.

Fire Cloud in Madrid

A 'fire cloud' was reported to be causing mysterious damage in the village of Leroya, near Almeria, Spain. Inside houses, objects spontaneously began to burn, including bedding in a cradle, though the infant was saved. These phenomena, similar to those reported in Almeria in 1741, occurred between 5 PM and 11 PM over a 2km long and 1km wide area.

Mysterious Meteors over Lorraine

A journalist in Nancy reported observing two luminous globes, similar to electric arcs, connected by a fiery line, moving horizontally and silently at an estimated altitude of 10,000 meters. The object's speed was high but less than a shooting star, moving from south to north.

Flying Rockets over Morocco and Pic d'Ossau

Reports from Fez, Morocco, described a fusion nucleus, red in color with a long yellow-orange trail and a very thin green filament, moving rapidly from east to west and then north. Similar phenomena were reported over Tanger and the Pic d'Ossau region in France.

Astronomical Discoveries

Quasar Closer Than Expected

Astronomer Bruce Margon announced the discovery of a quasar located much closer to Earth than previously thought, only 80 million light-years away. This discovery supports the theory that quasars play a role in galaxy formation. The quasar is located in a region of space that is now better understood, suggesting a close link between quasars and galaxies, possibly indicating that every galaxy goes through a quasar phase or that there are only a limited number of them.

Black Hole Eating Stars

An international team of astronomers discovered what appears to be a black hole with a mass trillions of times greater than a collapsed star. Located in the constellation of Virgo, at the center of the galaxy M87, this object is estimated to be 300 light-years in diameter. The existence of black holes, theorized to be collapsed giant stars, is generally accepted, but direct evidence has been fragmentary. This newly discovered object may have been formed during the galaxy's initial formation.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently features reports of unexplained aerial phenomena from various locations, emphasizing witness testimonies and investigations. It also includes a section on astronomical discoveries, broadening the scope of 'unexplained' phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be open to reporting diverse accounts while maintaining a degree of skepticism and encouraging further investigation, as seen in the detailed reporting of the Brioude case and the correspondence with scientific institutions like the Royal Observatory of Belgium.

This issue of "DIVERS" (Volume 5, Issue 14), dated Wednesday, June 3, 1978, published by "La Montagne", focuses on a Soviet scientific expedition and related ufological topics. The cover headline highlights a Soviet mission attempting to unravel the mystery of the "Bermuda Triangle".

Soviet Mission in the Bermuda Triangle

The main article details the mission of the Soviet oceanographic vessel "Académicien Kourtchatov" in the Bermuda Triangle. Captain Morochkine reports that the ship encountered nine cyclones originating from the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the American continent. The vessel's primary objective is to install and ensure the continuous operation of 21 buoys equipped with devices to automatically record ocean currents and temperatures at various depths. Additionally, the crew is conducting hydrophysical surveys using probes.

Morochkine described the mission conditions as very difficult due to the cyclones and a severe storm that caused significant damage to the ship's winches and deck installations. Despite these challenges, the crew successfully repaired all damage, and the vessel is continuing its operations to deploy the buoys. This is the "Académicien Kourtchatov's" second cruise in the Bermuda Triangle area as part of a ten-month Soviet oceanographic program studying the dynamics and energy of ocean eddies.

Several other scientific vessels are participating in this ocean exploration, including the "Académicien Vernadski", "Mikhail Lomonossov", "Académicien Krylov", "Vitiaz", "Viktor Bougaiev", "Serguei Vavilov", and the "Piotr Lebedev". The article references a previous report from Monday, May 29, 1978.

Ufological Information and Publications

The issue includes a section titled "BIBLIOTHEQUE" (Library), emphasizing that the presence of a publication in the group's library does not imply endorsement of its content. Readers are encouraged to judge the quality and credibility of the works themselves.

Several books and articles related to UFOs and science fiction are listed as complements to previous issues:

• "Ces O.V.N.I. qui annoncent le surhomme" by Pierre Viéroudy.
• "Science-fiction et soucoupes volantes" by Bertrand Méheust.
• "Et si les O.V.N.I. n'existaient pas ?" by Michel Monneric.
• "Le dossier secret des O.V.N.I." by A. Schneider and B. Malthaner.

Service de Presse (Press Service)

A significant portion of the issue is dedicated to listing various ufological publications received as part of the press service. These include bulletins and reviews from numerous French and Belgian organizations:

• Bulletin of A.E.S.V. (AIX-en-PROVENCE)
• Vaucluse-Ufologie N° 7 and 8 from G.R.E.P.O. (LYON)
• Ufologia N° 12, 13, 14 from C.F.R.U. (FORBACH)
• INFO-OVNI Hors Série from Groupe 03100 (Montluçon)
• Annuaire de la France Ufologique et des pays de langue Française from A.A.M.T.
• U.F.O. INFORMATIONS, revue de l'A.A.M.T. (VALENCE)
• SPATIAL N° 22 from A.D.E.P.S. (JUAN-LES-PINS)
• Les Chroniques de la C.L.E.U. N° 5 (Belvaux, Luxembourg)
• Entre Nous N°2 and Les Extraterrestres n° 7 from G.E.O.S. (REBAIS)
• Ufologie-Contact n° 14 and 15 from S.P.E.P.S.E. (Marly-le-Roi)
• La Revue des Soucoupes Volantes nº 4 by Michel Moutet (REGUSSE)
• L'Argus des Phénomènes Spatiaux n°4 and N° Spécial Falkville from C.E.R.P.I. (BRUXELLES)
• Le Phénomène O.V.N.I. n°3, bulletin du C.S.E.R.U. (CHAMBERY)
• UFO-INFO, bulletin du G.E.S.A.G. (BRUGES)
• GEPO-INFORMATIONS n)12 (St Symphorien-de-Lay)
• Recherches Ufologiques n°5, revue du G.N.E.O.V.N.I. (LESTREM)
• Vigilance n°3, revue du SIDIP-DETECTOR (WEMMEL)
• Etude du phénomène O.V.H.I. d'après les enquêtes du G.P.U.N. (MANCY)

Surveillance Nights (Nuits de Surveillance)

The magazine informs readers that G.L.R.U. is participating in monthly surveillance nights organized by S.E.P.E.S. and coordinated within the C.E.C.R.U. framework. The dates for upcoming events are listed: July 29, August 26, September 23, October 21, November 18, and December 16. For more information, readers are directed to contact G.L.R.U. via mail or phone.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are oceanographic research, particularly concerning the Bermuda Triangle, and a broad survey of ufological literature and organizations. The editorial stance, as indicated by the "BIBLIOTHEQUE" section, is to present information and various viewpoints without necessarily endorsing them, encouraging critical evaluation by the reader. The magazine serves as a conduit for information exchange within the ufology community, listing publications and events.