UFO Newsclipping Service - 1982 08 - no 157

Magazine Overview

This issue of the SUN newspaper, dated June 24, 1982, features a prominent report on a UFO sighting over St. Vital mall in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The newspaper also includes a follow-up article identifying the object as a child's toy.

UFO Reported Seen Over St. Vital Mall

By Shirley Muir, Sun Staff Writer

On a Friday night, an unidentified flying object was reported to have hovered over Bishop Grandin Boulevard, near the St. Vital mall. At least a dozen spectators reportedly witnessed the event. Ed Barker, director of the Manitoba Centre for UFO Studies, stated that he had received numerous reports from eyewitnesses, though he did not release their names.

Eyewitnesses described the object as disc-shaped and silver-gray on top with a dark underside. The distance from the observers varied between 200 and 2,000 feet, and the object's size was not determined. A photograph taken by one spectator was being analyzed by the centre's laboratory. Barker noted that the object moved in an unusual pattern, unlike a plane or bird. He also mentioned that the sighting coincided with the beginning of the Planetarium's 'Fly n' Saucers' show, but denied it was a promotional gimmick.

Some witnesses expressed that they were "quite matter-of-fact about it," while one woman reported that her 13-year-old daughter was still afraid to be alone after the sighting. Witnesses specifically requested anonymity to avoid ridicule.

'UFO' Nothing More Than a Child's Toy

By Maureen Scurfield, Sun Staff Writer

This article reveals that the mysterious "UFO" witnessed the previous week was identified as a popular child's toy called a "space pet," a helium balloon often made of silver foil. Manitoba UFO expert Ed Barker had one of these balloons in his office.

Barker explained that the mystery was solved when he received a call from the mother of an eight-year-old boy who had lost his "space pet" near Garfield and Wolseley. Another call came from a man working in the nearby RCMP building who reported the object floating by his fourth-floor window.

Barker stated that both individuals described the object in a way that suggested they were not fabricating the story. He added that the prevailing winds on Wednesday would have carried such a floating object towards St. Vital, where sightings were reported. The object was found in the same downtown neighborhood where it had been photographed.

Barker attributed the apparent size of the object to the human eye's inability to judge size at a distance. He also cited "wishful thinking" as a factor, suggesting that people want to believe in UFOs and therefore perceive them as large. He quoted, "People think 'Oh my God, it's a UFO, it's got to be big.' You know, the brain tells us what the heart wants to hear."

The UFO Mystery Unraveled?

This section, which appears to be a digest of an article by Boris Konovalov published in the newspaper Izvestia, discusses Soviet scientists' explanations for disc-shaped objects in the atmosphere and oceans as natural processes.

Where They Come From

Soviet scientists Andrei Monin and Georgi Barenblatt have proposed that disc-shaped objects can arise from natural processes in the atmosphere and oceans, which are layered media in constant motion. Waves forming on the borders of these layers can become crested and then fall. The process of mixing creates a homogeneous spot that differs from the surrounding medium. This spot eventually diffuses, and a brim-like formation can grow, turning it into a disc.

This phenomenon was studied mathematically and experimentally. A key observation was that whatever the initial shape of the spot, it eventually becomes circular before diffusing. The diffusion of mixed liquid is much slower than that of familiar contrails.

Creating the Unknown

Theoretical formulas were tested on a special installation. Experiments showed that a spot of mixed liquid or air, when formed, would eventually become circular and then diffuse. The process of particle diffusion in a layered medium was studied, revealing that turbulence plays a role. In the surrounding medium, density is greater below, causing particles to fall. However, within a spot, turbulence is greater, allowing particles to be suspended.

American researchers confirmed this experimentally, observing pulsations of wind-flow speed. They established that disc-like areas with sharp boundaries can exist within air masses. When these "discs" encounter falling aerosol particles or dust, they can trap them. If enough dust accumulates, the disc becomes visible.

The article suggests that "atmospheric discs" are essentially air within air. The trapped dust makes them visible. The typical characteristics of UFOs, such as disc-like form, thickening at the center, great accelerations, sharp turns, and sudden disappearances, are explained by this theory. The lightness of the dust-filled disc allows for rapid acceleration, and as it diffuses, it resembles a "pancake" before mixing with the surrounding air and disappearing.

Studies in Space

Soviet cosmonaut Georgi Grechko's observations of star scintillation beyond Earth's horizon were explained by the existence of disc-shaped atmospheric formations predicted by Soviet scientists. While this model does not explain all UFO instances, it accounts for the most typical ones.

The article addresses the argument that such discs cannot exist in outer space. It notes that Soviet cosmonauts have observed bits of oil separated from the station, which could be perceived as objects. However, these were quickly understood. Soviet and U.S. astronauts have reported no encounters with mysterious objects in space.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newspaper appears to be reporting on UFO sightings and related phenomena with a degree of skepticism, particularly when the phenomena can be explained by natural causes or misidentification, as seen in the St. Vital case. The article on Soviet scientific explanations for UFOs suggests an editorial stance that favors rational, scientific explanations over more speculative theories. The inclusion of the "UFO mystery unraveled?" section, which digests a Soviet scientific article, indicates an interest in providing a grounded perspective on these topics.