UFO Mail - No 190 - 2015

Magazine Overview

Title: Skandinavisk UFO Information
Issue: 190
Date: January 24, 2015
Publisher: Skandinavisk UFO Information

This issue of Skandinavisk UFO Information, UFO-Mail nr. 190, dated January 24, 2015, focuses on the recent media frenzy surrounding the supposed 'release' of the US Project Blue Book UFO archives. The publication aims to provide a more grounded perspective, emphasizing that this material is not new and has been accessible for years. The magazine also covers a specific UFO sighting case and a celestial event.

Project Blue Book Archives: Not a New Revelation

The lead article by Ole Henningsen, titled "Project Blue Book filer online - nu igen!" (Project Blue Book files online - again!), addresses the widespread news about the US government making its UFO archives public. Henningsen points out that this is an old story, with the archives having been accessible for a long time. He criticizes the media, including Jyllands-Posten, for presenting it as a new development, often with sensationalized headlines. The article highlights that the website bluebookarchive.org has existed since 2005, and many reports, articles, and books about the archives' content have been published since 1969. SUFOI itself has had microfilm of the Blue Book archives for years, purchased from the US National Archives.

Kim Møller Hansen, chairman of SUFOI, echoes this sentiment, stating that the 'release' is old news and that SUFOI has had access to the archives for years. He mentions Tim Printy's work on the '701 club' series, which analyzes unexplained cases from Project Blue Book, often finding natural explanations. The article also notes that The Black Vault, run by John Greenewald, is a key source for making these documents publicly available, and they are adept at marketing their efforts.

The magazine also debunks a specific photo used by Jyllands-Posten to illustrate an article about the archives. The photo, claimed to be from March 2004 showing a 'thing' over London, is revealed to be a misrepresentation. The correct information, as published in UFO-Mail nr. 127, relates to a phenomenon observed over Sri Lanka in March 2004, photographed by a retired British Air Force officer. This incident involved a ring-shaped object and a thunderclap, and the details are linked to British defense archives.

A Famous UFO Case: Ella Louise Fortune's Photograph

Another section delves into the well-known case of Ella Louise Fortune's photograph, taken on October 16, 1957. The image, showing a lens-shaped cloud formation, was initially published in a New Mexico newspaper and later circulated widely in UFO literature. APRO, the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, examined the photo, noting the object's unusual luminosity. The photo gained significant exposure when it was featured in the LOOK special edition 'Flying Saucers' in 1967 and on the cover of T.M. Wright's book 'The Intelligent Man's Guide To Flying Saucers'. The article clarifies that today, the object is recognized as a cumulus lenticularis cloud, a phenomenon that might have seemed mysterious at the time, especially when linked to its proximity to Holloman Air Force Base.

Project Blue Book: A Historical Overview

The magazine provides a historical context for the Project Blue Book archives, tracing its origins back to the late 1940s following Kenneth Arnold's famous sighting in 1947. The US Air Force established investigation groups, starting with Project Sign, then Project Grudge, and finally Project Blue Book, led by Captain Edward J. Ruppelt. Ruppelt is credited with coining the term UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) to distance the subject from the more sensational 'flying saucers'. Project Blue Book, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, received 12,618 UFO observations before its closure in 1969. The project concluded with the Condon Report. After its closure, the original files were transferred to Maxwell AFB and later microfilmed and sent to the National Archives (NARA) in Washington D.C. Personal information of observers was redacted. Interestingly, for a period, these archives were publicly accessible without anonymization. In 1998, non-anonymized Project Blue Book microfilm was located at the National Archives, containing some pages not found in the generally available NARA microfilm.

Danish Cases in Project Blue Book

The article mentions that the US Air Force project had five registrations from Denmark. These include a sighting in Vejle in 1948 where three farm workers reported seeing a shiny object 200 meters high. Other Danish reports in the Project Blue Book archives are from Bornholm (1956), Vejle (1958), and Amager (1959), where two young birdwatchers reported seeing a disk-shaped object. The article notes that the geographical distribution of these sightings leads Metroxpress to suggest that Jutland (Jylland) has been particularly visited by UFOs.

Media Coverage and Accessibility

The magazine details how various media outlets, including BT, Military Times, Fox News, and New York Daily News, reported on the 'leak' of UFO documents. It highlights the chain of sources, often leading back to The Black Vault. The New York Daily News is quoted as stating that there is no 'smoking gun' in the Blue Book archives, but they are a historical asset chronicling decades of misidentified sightings.

Comet Lovejoy

In a separate section, the magazine features an article about the visibility of Comet Lovejoy in early 2015. Photographer Jesper Grønne captured images of the green-hued comet as it approached the Pleiades star cluster. The comet, discovered by amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy, is visible to the naked eye under dark skies and can be observed with binoculars. Its green color is due to molecules of carbon (C2) and cyanogen (CN) that fluoresce under ultraviolet sunlight. The comet's tail, composed of ionized gas, is blown away by the solar wind.

SUFOI's Activities and Membership

The issue concludes with information about Skandinavisk UFO Information (SUFOI). It reiterates that SUFOI is run by volunteers and aims to provide serious information about UFO phenomena through its website, ufo.dk, and by registering unusual sky phenomena. The magazine encourages readers to become members of SUFOI's support circle for 2015 with a contribution of 250 DKK, which includes a free book. Payment details are provided, along with information on how to order the complimentary title. The publication also reminds readers that UFO-Mail is published by Skandinavisk UFO Information and outlines copyright regulations for reprinting articles.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the critical examination of media reporting on UFO phenomena, the historical context of UFO investigations like Project Blue Book, and the importance of accurate information dissemination. The editorial stance is one of skepticism towards sensationalism and a commitment to providing factual, well-researched information. The magazine emphasizes that many 'new' revelations about UFO archives are merely old news being repackaged by the media. It also highlights the ongoing work of organizations like SUFOI in documenting and analyzing UFO sightings and related phenomena, while also acknowledging natural explanations for some events, as seen in Tim Printy's work and the identification of Ella Fortune's photo as a cloud formation. The inclusion of the Comet Lovejoy article shows an interest in astronomical events as well, but the primary focus remains on UFOs and the critical analysis of information surrounding them.