UFO Potpourri No 332

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: 332
Volume: RX12/689
Date: Saturday, January 21, 1989
Publisher: JOHN F. SCHUESSLER
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of UFO Potpourri focuses on sightings of bright lights in the night sky, primarily identified as Soviet rocket bodies re-entering Earth's atmosphere. The magazine presents multiple eyewitness accounts from various regions of the United States, alongside official explanations.

Space Junk Lights Up Night Sky

This section, by Norma Martin of the Houston Chronicle, details the experience of David Czarnek and his 11-year-old daughter, Laurie, who observed a very bright, falling light on a Friday night. They initially mistook it for a plane but noted its unusual brightness and yellowish hue with a small tail. The object was identified by Army Maj. Alex Mondragon, a spokesman for the U.S. Space Command near Colorado Springs, Colo., as a Soviet rocket body re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.

Czarnek described the object as "real bright, a little yellowish, with a small tail," which shimmered before disappearing behind trees. Katheryn Berger of Spring, Texas, also witnessed the event while walking her dogs. She described it as "just an orange explosion in the sky" that was traveling at a great rate of speed and leaving a bright orange trail.

Berger initially feared it was an airplane crash but was reassured by the airport that it was a satellite. She stated, "It was the most horrible thing I ever saw, and it scared the heck out of me." Maj. Mondragon explained that rocket bodies are used to put satellites into orbit and re-enter the atmosphere about once a day. He confirmed that the Space Surveillance Center identified it as a Soviet rocket body based on tracking schedules and that no reports indicated any part of the object survived re-entry. These objects typically burn up from heat and friction at speeds of about 300 miles per second.

The phenomenon was reported by people across Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas, leading to a flood of calls to news organizations and government agencies in Houston. The Federal Aviation Administration, National Weather Service, and military bureaus were inundated with calls from curious individuals. The object reportedly traveled from southwest to northeast.

Bright Lights in Sky Puzzle Residents of East Coast

This Associated Press report details mysterious lights that brightened the sky from New York to Virginia early Tuesday. Officials and witnesses offered differing descriptions, including blue lights, a fireball, and a meteor shower. Maryland State Trooper Paul Keplinger described the event as a bright yellow light traveling across the sky with a reddish flare, which lasted about five seconds and was followed by a sound like thunder. He speculated it might have been a meteor.

In Cape May, N.J., Coast Guard Petty Officer Carlos Johnson reported a radio call from a ship about a meteor shower. The sheer volume of calls from Virginia to New York led officials to assume it was a meteor shower.

Light In Sky Was Soviets' 'Space Junk'

This article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, by Christine Bertelson, reports on the same Soviet rocket re-entry event as seen by Midwesterners. Laura Kyro, an astronomer at the St. Louis Science Center, described the sight as "the most spectacular thing I have ever seen in the sky," even surpassing a shuttle landing. She observed a spectacular blaze of white light that split into multiple glowing streamers moving across the sky around 8:10 p.m. Friday.

The object was identified by the North American Air Defense Command post in Colorado Springs as part of a Soviet rocket launched the previous month. No reports indicated any parts of the object reached the ground or caused injuries. The light show was seen from Iowa to Texas and generated numerous calls to police, airport officials, and media outlets, with many initially believing a jetliner was on fire.

Feldt, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in St. Louis, described the object as a "useless piece of space junk" that moved from southwest to northeast and burned for about a minute. Gene Murray, an advertising executive, described seeing multiple streams of white light bright enough to illuminate the road. Clark Willett noted it was brighter and slower moving than a falling star, with no sound.

Objects speeding through the atmosphere vaporize due to heat and friction, producing a glow from burning metal and atmospheric gases. Unlike meteors, space junk moves more slowly and burns longer. St. Charles County Police dispatcher Denise Cordry reported about 20 calls suggesting a meteor shower, an airplane with engines ablaze, or a UFO.

Mark Coulombe, a photographer, described the event as large, moving slowly, breaking apart with multicolored streaks and flashes of light. Tim Hayes saw the object moving like a cluster across the sky from horizon to horizon. Maj. Bob Perry at the North American Aerospace Command Center confirmed awareness of the rocket body and its debris, noting that its re-entry created a brilliant light.

Disintegrating Soviet Rocket Lights Up Sky

This Associated Press report, also covering the Soviet rocket re-entry, notes that people from Montana to Mississippi reported vivid streaks of light. The event was described as a fireworks show with "spectacular, beautiful colors." Scores of people called police, news media, and air traffic controllers.

Maj. Alex Mondragon of the U.S. Space Command identified the cause as the re-entry of a Soviet rocket body used to launch the Raduga 21 communications satellite. He explained that the space command tracks about 7,000 man-made objects in orbit using radar, telescopes, and sensors, and knew it wasn't a missile.

The article mentions that trackers spotted the falling rocket over the coast of western Canada and followed its course across the United States. Paul Kellenbarger of Pea Ridge, Ark., described it as "spectacular, beautiful colors" and "like a helicopter, with red and green lights." Sam Burrage of WPSD-TV in Paducah, Ky., reported receiving calls about blue and reddish-orange lights.

Soviet rocket lights up sky during re-entry

This McClatchy News Service report details bright lights seen by Northern Californians early Sunday morning, also attributed to a Soviet rocket disintegrating upon re-entry. The Air Force spokesman confirmed the cause.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the widespread observation of bright lights in the night sky, which are consistently explained by authorities as the re-entry of man-made space debris, specifically Soviet rocket bodies. The magazine presents eyewitness accounts that range from awe-struck to frightened, highlighting the public's fascination and occasional alarm regarding unexplained aerial phenomena. While the editorial stance leans towards providing official explanations, the very nature of the publication, "UFO POTPOURRI," suggests an underlying interest in the unusual and unexplained, even when rationalized.

The issue emphasizes the global reach of these events, with sightings reported across multiple states and even continents. It underscores the role of eyewitness testimony in reporting such phenomena and the efforts of various agencies, including the U.S. Space Command and NORAD, in tracking and identifying space objects. The contrast between the spectacular visual experience and the mundane explanation of "space junk" is a central element.