OVNI - 2004 01 - January-February

Magazine Overview

This issue of OVNI, the Journal of the Phenomenon Research Association, dated January/February 2004, is dedicated to exploring various unexplained phenomena, with a particular focus on UFO sightings, alien encounters, and mysterious aerial objects. The cover features a montage of intriguing imagery including a geometric maze, a classic disc-shaped UFO, a celestial body, and a geoglyph, all under the prominent title 'OVNI'. The magazine is priced at £1 plus postage and is described as 'At The Cutting Edge', with members receiving it free.

Apollo 16 Mission UFO Photographs

The issue begins with a report on 'AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHS RELEASED FROM THE ‘APOLLO 16' MISSION'. These photographs, which surfaced on the internet on December 31, 2003, allegedly show a large disc-shaped UFO hovering over the Moon's surface on April 27, 1972. The accompanying text is attributed to Richard Boylan, Ph.D., who provides a link to the images. The article notes that the Apollo 16 mission astronauts Ken Mattingly, Charlie Duke, and John W. Young made the video from which these stills were taken. The editors express puzzlement as to why the media has not widely covered these images, offering conflicting interpretations of when they were taken – either during the approach to the Moon or during the blast-off back to Earth. The article cautions readers to be wary of hoaxes due to advancements in computer graphics. It also debunks a previous photograph claimed to be a 'creature' found in a cave in UAE, revealing it to be a tourist attraction in Somerset, England, a fact previously reported by 'Fortean Times'.

Betty Hill is Seriously Ill

A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to Betty Hill, one of the subjects of the world-famous Barney and Betty Hill abduction case. The article reports that Betty Hill, now 84 years old, is suffering from Lung Cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. An appeal from Stacey Allen McGee of the Alternative Realities Center asked for letters of support, and the PRA sent a letter, receiving a photograph in return. A resume of the Barney and Betty Hill Case from 1961 is provided. While driving through the 'White Mountains' area of New Hampshire, they spotted a light, which Barney investigated with binoculars, revealing a craft with strange beings. They then experienced 'lost time' – approximately two hours of their journey home. Under hypnosis, Barney recalled nine figures straddling the road. The following day, they experienced physical symptoms and stress. Betty had nightmares involving examination by strange beings. The article details how the couple sought medical help from Dr. Benjamin Simon, a Boston psychiatrist, who used hypnotic regression to explore their missing time. During hypnosis, Barney described beings with 'pear shaped heads' and 'large wrap around eyes', and a feeling of weakness. He also recalled a film about a man being carried to the electric chair, which he related to his own experience of his feet dragging. The article speculates if this relates to his scuffed shoes. Barney also described a device used to extract semen and Betty having a needle inserted through her navel for a supposed pregnancy test, a procedure unheard of at the time, which made Dr. Simon skeptical. It is noted that a similar procedure was later developed to test amniotic fluid. Betty recalled seeing a three-dimensional star map inside the craft, which she later drew from memory. Amateur astronomer Marjorie Fish studied this map and claimed to find a matching star system, though astrophysicist Carl Sagan later found little similarity. The article mentions that the nearby 'Pease Air Force Base' tracked a UFO on radar that same night. Dr. Simon initially concluded the couple were not lying but later suggested it was an unconscious fantasy, though he admitted 'inexplicable things' and that they were 'definitely not malingering'. Betty continued to travel and lecture about the incident after Barney's death in 1976.

A Very Strange Aircraft Over Crantock Beach

This article by Roy E. Swann, a PRA member, details an encounter on Sunday afternoon, September 21, 2003, at Crantock Beach, Cornwall. While relaxing on the beach, Swann, his daughter Jane, and friend Rod heard a loud, heavy engine sound like a helicopter or Sunderland flying boat approaching from the sea. Despite the clear blue sky, they could not see anything. The sound became directly overhead, and a swept-wing, brown aircraft appeared briefly, described as about one inch long at arm's length, before entering a small white cloud. To their amazement, nothing emerged from the other side of the cloud, but the sound continued until it faded away. The aircraft was only visible for a few seconds, yet the sound was tracked for five or six minutes. Another couple on the beach shared their bafflement. A sketch of the aircraft's flightpath and the observers' position is included.

A Belgian Crop Circle

Photographed by Jean-Marie Van der Hoop, this section describes a crop circle discovered near Waremme, Belgium, on June 25, 2003. The site was at Mielen-boven-Aalst. Aerial photographs were taken on June 29, after Van der Hoop rented a micro-light aircraft piloted by Henri de Seraing in Avernas-le-Bauduin to fly over the circle. The article includes a photograph of the micro-light aircraft and the date/time stamp '29.06.2003 ± 16400'.

Orbs and Spheres

Written by Margaret Fry of the Wales Federation of Independent Ufologists, this article discusses a photograph taken by 'Chris' of Shoreham, West Sussex, on August 31, 2003, during a time when Mars was at its closest point to Earth. Chris took 12 shots of Mars with his Kodak digital DX 4330 camera. On the second shot, an object with an electric blue circle of light was visible above his neighbour's house. Subsequent shots showed Mars and the night sky. The sixth shot revealed the object in more detail, with raised rings of bright pink and two raised round blobs, and a hole in the center. The electric blue aura remained of even width. Chris stated the light on a bush in the photos was from his camera's flash. He explained he took all twelve shots from the same angle because he was focused on photographing Mars. Fry notes the pattern of pink circles decreasing at the bottom suggests the sphere was tilted, yet the aura was even. Chris could not explain this. Fry speculates that dust or mist would not produce such detailed patterns and questions why it only appeared on one picture. The article mentions that BBC Wales featured the photos online, and AUFON in Victoria derided them. Fry shares her personal view that these Orbs/Spheres are likely part of ongoing Alien technology, possibly replacing older reports of orange balls and Adamski-type UFOs. She references articles and photos of Orbs in the October 2003 issue of 'UFO Magazine'. She also recounts her own UFO sightings since 1955 and a case in the Chislehurst Caves where a large orange ball of light appeared and then silently exploded.

An Alien Base in Siberia

This article by Omar Fowler follows up on his previous article about a potential established Alien base in Siberia. It notes reader interest and a demand for the full text of Peter Gregory's story 'Alien Contact: The Oona Story'. A contribution from PRA member Tommy Dunford is included. The article also references a 'NEXUS' magazine article from Dec/Jan 04 discussing mysterious structures in Siberia. The current evidence for these constructions is based on ancient place names and rumors. A 1936 account describes a geologist finding a smooth, reddish metal hemisphere protruding from the ground near the Olguidakh River, described as having a sharp edge and being about 2 centimeters thick. An archaeological expedition in 1979 failed to find it. The article mentions an 1853 report by R. Maak about a gigantic copper cauldron found in the forest near the Viliuy River, with only the rim visible. N.D. Arkhipov recorded a legend from ancient cultures of Yakutia about bronze cauldrons. Tommy Dunford shares his research into a news item from the 'Weekend' publication on June 25, 1980, concerning 'MID SPACE ALIENS DROP IN ON SCIENTISTS IN SOUTHERN RUSSIA'. His Russian colleague provided an updated report from January 11, 1989, stating that a top Russian Astro-Physicist, Professor Vitinas, claimed a 700-page blueprint was retrieved from a 'star ship' that crashed in Siberia in the summer of 1988. Additionally, a sighting in Siberia was observed by hundreds, including a Red Army Major, and confirmed by radar, as reported by the TASS newspaper: 'A Giant UFO Was Seen Hovering Over The Western Siberian City Of Omsk'.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of OVNI are UFO sightings, alien encounters, and unexplained aerial phenomena. The magazine maintains a stance of open inquiry, presenting various accounts and evidence while also acknowledging the possibility of hoaxes and the need for critical evaluation, as seen in the Apollo 16 photo analysis and the debunking of the UAE creature photo. The editorial team, represented by Omar Fowler (Group Leader) and Karen Richardson (Secretary), encourages reader contributions and research into these complex subjects. The magazine appears to be a platform for sharing detailed case studies and investigative reports within the ufology community.

This issue of OVNI magazine, dated January 2004 (Volume 14, Issue 10), presents a selection of recent UFO reports and other related news, including environmental concerns regarding nuclear power and space exploration updates.

Latest UFO Reports

Nottingham Sighting Nikita Samuell reported a UFO sighting on Monday, November 24th, 2003, at 2:35 am near Wollaton Park, Nottingham. The object was described as a fat boomerang flying silently overhead at less than 2,000ft. It had a dull reddish/orange glow and was travelling East. The sighting lasted about 20 seconds. The object was estimated to be about the size of a matchbox at arm's length.

Altrincham Sighting Another report, received shortly after the Nottingham sighting, details an event from November 30th, 2003, at 18:40 in Altrincham, Cheshire. A triangular object with a transparent outline and a fluid-like interior was spotted on Bold Street. After appearing static for two seconds, it rose towards the south-east in a sharp, fast movement over five seconds. The witness did not provide contact information.

Australian Sighting Dan Bright forwarded a report from Maria concerning her nephew, Joel, who was driving near Camden, Australia. On a late night drive, he saw a black triangle with lights at each angle and one in the middle following him at about 40 ft above. The craft beamed a blue-grey light onto his hands, which he described as a weird sensation that allowed him to sense an entity reading his mind and the presence of a military officer. The craft followed him to his house, and Maria called the police.

Glen Rose, Texas Sighting A report from the National UFO Reporting Center details an event on December 16th, 2003, at 22:50 in Glen Rose, TX. The witness was walking to work near the TXU Nuclear Power Plant when they spotted a low-flying object. It was described as a perfect triangle, mostly black or dark grey, with three dim lights: green on the left, red on the right, and a smaller red light in the middle. It was silent and moving steadily East/North-East at an estimated speed of 50 mph and an altitude of 120-130 feet. The witness attempted to follow it but lost sight of it behind houses and trees.

Limerick, Pennsylvania Sighting Another National UFO Reporting Center report, from November 29th, 2003, at 20:36, occurred in Limerick, PA. While travelling on Swamp Pike, the witness and their family noticed three lights which turned out to be a solid triangle with three lights on the points and a red flashing light in the middle. The craft drifted over a field, slowed down, and the red light changed to green. It then moved west towards the Limerick Nuclear power plant, and after a couple of seconds, it suddenly disappeared. The craft was described as dark silver.

Flying Triangles and Nuclear Power Stations

The magazine links UFO reports, specifically 'Flying Triangles', to warnings from 'Aliens' about the dangers of Nuclear Power. A Greenpeace report titled "SELLAFIELD AS HEAVILY CONTAMINATED WITH RADIOACTIVITY AS CHERNOBYL" is featured.

Sellafield Contamination Report Published on October 9th, 1998, this report by Greenpeace, commissioned by the University of Bremen, concludes that the area around the Sellafield reprocessing plant in the UK is as heavily contaminated with radioactivity as the zone around the Chernobyl reactor in Ukraine. Soil sample analyses showed that pollution from the americium-241 isotope at Sellafield was as much as 30,000 becquerels per kilogram, compared to 1,300 becquerels per kilogram near Chernobyl. Cobalt-60 and caesium-137 levels were also significantly higher at Sellafield. Greenpeace urged the German government to act on policies opposing reprocessing at Sellafield and La Hague. The report notes that while Chernobyl has a 30km radius prohibition, Sellafield does not.

People living near Sellafield are suing the Federal Export Office over the authorization of nuclear exports. The English and Welsh Environment Agency is also set to consider new authorizations for radioactive discharges from Sellafield.

Space and Science News

International Space Station Noise On November 26th, 2003, the U.S. and Russian crew of the International Space Station reported a brief, unexpected metallic crunching noise outside the outpost. Astronaut Mike Foale informed Mission Control that it sounded like something had struck the aft end of the Russian Module. Ground-based experts found no evidence of penetration of the station's hull or cooling system. The station's robot arm was used to scan the external areas for damage.

Asteroid XJ-7 On December 6th, 2003, at 19:04 UT, Asteroid XJ-7 passed a mere 93,000 miles from Earth, passing between the Earth and the Moon.

Mars Rover Landing NASA controllers celebrated the successful landing of the Exploration Rover on Mars on January 3rd, 2004. The rover's mission is to search for evidence of water. Detailed images revealed a mysterious, "strangely cohesive" clay-like material with alien textures near the rover's feet, which scientists could not identify as mud.

Upcoming Events and Features

Dorchester Conference Speakers for a conference on April 4th, 2004, in Dorchester include Reg Presley, Philip Mantle, Busty Taylor, Crichton Miller, Paul Vigay, and David Kingston.

International UFO Congress The 13th Annual International UFO Congress Convention & Film Festival is scheduled for February 8-14, 2004, in Laughlin, Nevada.

Contactee Story Preview An upcoming issue of OVNI will feature a story on contactee Sixto Paz Wells, described as one of the most famous contactees in the world, with a preview suggesting his revelations will be significant.

PRA Meetings Regular meetings for 2004 are announced, with the next one on Tuesday, January 27th, at 8 pm at the Royal British Legion, Allenton.

Rendlesham Forest Video A video titled "Sci-Fi's 'Rendlesham Forest'" is available for £1 on the night of the next PRA meeting.

The Evening Sky - January 2004

This section, contributed by Walter Berg, provides an astronomical forecast for January 2004. It details visible constellations like Orion, planets such as Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter, and celestial events like the Quadrantid meteor shower and a full moon. It also mentions the Earth's closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) and a notable pairing of the crescent moon with Venus on the 24th, evoking wonderment and enchantment.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently focuses on UFO sightings and related phenomena, often linking them to broader concerns such as nuclear power and potential extraterrestrial warnings. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into unexplained phenomena, with a particular interest in detailed eyewitness accounts and scientific investigations, as evidenced by the inclusion of reports from organizations like the National UFO Reporting Center and Greenpeace. There is also an emphasis on community and discussion, with mentions of UFO groups and upcoming events.