1953 04 00 Popular Science Menzel

Magazine Overview

Title: POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY
Issue Date: April
Publisher: Popular Science Publishing Co., Inc.
Country: USA
Price: 25¢

This issue of Popular Science Monthly, dated April, features a prominent cover story asking "Who Is Building the BEST BOMBER?" and highlighting "All About 18 Little Cars." The main article, however, delves into the phenomenon of "flying saucers" from a scientific perspective.

Saucers on Radar? ...an Expert's Verdict

By Dr. Donald H. Menzel, a Harvard astronomer and Professor of Astrophysics, this article presents a compelling argument that the mysterious "blips" detected on radar scopes, often interpreted as flying saucers, are in fact atmospheric mirages. Dr. Menzel, who worked on radar mirages during World War II, asserts that these phenomena are "as real as rainbows, and no more dangerous."

World War II Precedents

Menzel recounts an incident during World War II where a cruiser in the Mediterranean detected a mysterious target on its radar. Despite opening fire, the projectiles had no effect. Upon closing in, the crew found only ocean, revealing the target to be a mirage. He explains that radio waves, like light waves, are subject to bending. He also mentions a case off the coast of Japan in 1944, dubbed the "Galloping Ghost of Shoto," where radar operators reported ghostlike images that appeared to move and change course, which he identifies as a radar mirage.

The Washington "Saucer Armada"

The article directly addresses the widely publicized "saucer armada" sighting over Washington D.C. in July 1952. Menzel notes that while headlines proclaimed sightings by eye and radar, investigations by airline pilots and jet planes yielded no concrete evidence. He criticizes the media's portrayal of radar mirages as a new phenomenon, emphasizing their prevalence and difficulties during World War II.

How Radar Works and Causes Mirages

To explain his theory, Menzel provides a basic explanation of how radar functions: sending out short pulses of radio waves and measuring the time it takes for echoes to return from solid objects. He details how peculiar atmospheric conditions can create "radar mirages." Specifically, a layer of cool air close to the earth's surface, surmounted by a warmer layer (a temperature inversion), can trap radar waves. These waves then bounce around, sometimes reflecting multiple times off moving objects, creating echoes that appear to come from objects moving at speeds far greater than possible for conventional craft.

He illustrates this with the example of a submarine sending out pulses. If these pulses are reflected multiple times, the echo might return as if from an object moving at twice the submarine's speed. Menzel suggests that if people were expecting flying saucers, they would have seen "dozens."

The "Air Sandwich" Theory

For the Washington sightings in July 1952, Menzel, supported by Maj. Gen. John A. Sanford of the Air Force Technical Intelligence Center, proposes the "air sandwich" theory. This theory posits that a combination of cold and warm air layers, possibly exacerbated by a severe drought and prolonged heat, caused the visual and radar sightings. The article includes diagrams illustrating how radar sees mirages and how a temperature inversion creates a "duct" that allows radar to penetrate shadow zones.

Buildings as "Corner Reflectors"

Menzel further explains that buildings, particularly those with upper stories forming wings that meet at right angles above a roof, can act as "corner reflectors." When radar beams strike these structures, the reflected waves can travel back along the path from which they came, potentially appearing as moving blips on the radar screen. He notes that the "darting 'saucers'" seen by Washington radar operators could have been caused by signals reflecting off such buildings, especially if the warm air layer was causing the beam to rock and tilt.

The "Galloping Ghost" Explained

The rapid movements and sharp right-angle turns reported by observers are attributed to the rocking and shifting of the hot-air layer. As the radar beam sweeps past, it might pick up a new corner reflector each time, leading the operator to interpret the phenomenon as a speeding saucer. Menzel emphasizes that only reflections, not actual vehicles, can execute such sharp turns, which defy the laws of mechanics.

Conclusion

Dr. Menzel concludes that the "saucers" observed were not alien craft but rather the result of natural atmospheric phenomena interacting with radar technology. He suggests that the lack of precise meteorological data often hinders the correct interpretation of these events, but the evidence points strongly towards radar mirages and reflections from terrestrial objects.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine's stance, as presented in this article, is to provide a rational, scientific explanation for phenomena that often capture public imagination. The editorial stance favors demystifying UFO reports by attributing them to known scientific principles, such as atmospheric optics and radar technology, rather than succumbing to sensationalism. The recurring theme is the importance of understanding the limitations and quirks of scientific instruments like radar, and how natural atmospheric conditions can create illusions that mimic extraordinary events. The issue also touches upon automotive innovation and military technology, as indicated by the cover headlines.