UFO RESEARCH NEWSLETTER

Magazine Overview

This issue of the UFO Research Newsletter, Volume V, No. 8, dated October-November 1977, is published by UFO Research Associates (UFOR) and focuses on UFO sightings enhanced by photographic evidence. It covers reports from March to September 1977, detailing numerous encounters across the United States, Canada, Italy, Argentina, and the Soviet Union. The newsletter also includes information on a planned NASA study into UFO reports and reviews several books on the subject.

UFO Photographs Enhance Sighting Reports

The lead article highlights UFOs that were photographed, tracked on radar, and caused various effects on witnesses, animals, and the environment. Reports include an object descending into the sea and emerging, and UFO light beams illuminating witnesses and areas. Residents in Italy reported a UFO descending into the sea on July 31, 1977, described as bright white and elliptical. On August 6, 1977, in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, 13 UFOs were observed, with one descending and emitting a light beam. In Avellaneda, Argentina, on July 19, 1977, witnesses saw a formation of UFOs flying overhead that zoomed off at tremendous speed.

International Sightings

Reports from Canada include a sighting on March 9, 1977, in Victoria, British Columbia, of a shiny oval object near tree-top level emitting a humming noise. On April 15, 1977, in London, Ontario, an arrow-shaped formation of lights was observed. On April 23, 1977, in Edmonton, Alberta, two red, flashing lights appeared as V-shaped tongues of red fire.

U.S. Sightings

Several U.S. sightings are detailed. On July 31, 1977, near Lunenburg, Vermont, a bright diamond-shaped glow was observed. On April 10, 1977, in Enfield, Connecticut, about 20 yellowish-orange objects changed shape from a diamond to an arrow and then a wedge. On June 24, 1977, in Wilson, New York, a strange red glowing light was seen over the woods. On May 3, 1977, in Rasselas, Pennsylvania, a silver UFO emitted a white light beam before accelerating straight up.

Pilots and Police Observe UFOs

On April 12, 1977, witnesses in East Cleveland, Ohio, observed UFOs, including a boomerang-shaped object with lights and a formation of yellow-orange lights. A police captain at Lost Nation Airport observed four orangish lights at an altitude of 3,000 feet, which radar tracked at 24,000 feet. In Michigan, on August 11, 1977, a deputy sheriff observed a large, round flying vehicle with spotlights. Police in Canada also reported sightings, including a car being pushed back by a strange flying object and a UFO emitting an unbearable noise.

Historical Sightings

The newsletter includes a section on historical UFO reports, dating back to pre-1947. A sighting from John Winthrop's diary in 1638 describes a 'great light' pulling a barge upstream. Another historical report from Boston on August 14, 1765, details a 'small black cloud' that descended, emitted vapor, smoke, sparks, and thunder, then moved through the city causing explosions and damage before vanishing.

Book Reviews

Several books are reviewed: 'Celestial Passengers; UFOs and Space Travel' by Margaret Sachs and Ernest Jahn, which is described as a hodgepodge of cases but includes an interesting account from Albert Chop. 'The Cosmic Pulse of Life' by Trevor James Constable, which attempts to link orgone energy to UFOs, is critiqued for its weak case. 'Secret of the Ages UFOs From Inside the Earth' by Brinsley Le Poer Trench is dismissed as lacking evidence for a hollow earth theory. 'UFOs: The American Scene' by Michael Hervey is criticized for its lack of analysis and factual errors. 'Visitors From Outer Space' by Roy Stenman is noted as the first 'art' book on UFOs but is otherwise a warmed-over history. 'The Great Flying Saucer Myth' by Kelly L. Segraves is called one of the most worthless UFO books, with theological inaccuracies.

U.S. Government to Scrutinize UFO Reports

This section details that NASA will study UFO reports from the past decade to assess the possibility of a new, intensive investigation. Dr. Frank Press, science adviser, requested the study, and a panel of inquiry will be formed to look for new significant findings since the Condon Report.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently reports on a wide variety of UFO phenomena, emphasizing witness accounts and photographic evidence. It appears to maintain an open, albeit critical, stance towards UFO reports, presenting information from various sources and including book reviews that offer diverse perspectives, from scientific inquiry to more speculative theories. The editorial stance seems to be one of documenting and analyzing UFO activity, encouraging further investigation while also pointing out weaknesses in certain claims or books.