UFO Research of Finland Annual Report 1982-83

Magazine Overview

This document is the "ANNUAL REPORT 1982-83" from "THE UFO RESEARCH OF FINLAND". It is the second English publication from the organization, which was founded in 1973. The report aims to make Finnish UFO events and research more accessible to international readers. It is based on the Finnish-language publication "Neljännesvuosiraportti" (Quarterly Report) and replaces a previous condensed English translation.

Editorial and Publication Details

The publication is edited by Lasse Ahonen, with translations by Ilkka Serra and Heikki Virtanen, and a Board of Editors consisting of Kari A. Kuure. The address for orders and correspondence is SF-17950 KYLÄMÄ, FINLAND. The ISSN is 0359-9620. The subscription price is USD 10, and orders should be accompanied by a cheque payable to a Finnish bank. The intended publication date for future issues is April 15th. The organization also publishes a Finnish-language "Neljännesvuosiraportti" for its members and the press. Copyright is held by The UFO Research of Finland, with permission granted for quoting provided credit is given.

Collection and Treatment of Field Data

The UFO Research of Finland employs a researcher network covering the entire country, comprising about 70 members and independent contributors, to gather firsthand data. They receive approximately 50 reports annually. The organization aims to maintain high research standards and does not seek to explain away all UFO cases. Eyewitness accounts are emphasized, but the need for detailed reports is highlighted due to the tendency of people to forget details and misinterpret phenomena like the Moon, Venus, or rocket launches. Reports are classified into three categories:

1. Unexplained observations: Cases with detailed information where natural causes can be practically excluded. These are studied thoroughly.
2. Insufficient information: Cases where details are inadequate to determine the cause, which is noted as the largest category. Investigations continue if possible.
3. Explained observations: Cases where a natural source, such as astronomical or meteorological phenomena, or a hoax, is identified.

1982: A Quiet Period

During 1982, The UFO Research of Finland received only two reports that could not be explained. Eight cases were explained, and 11 had insufficient information. The press continued to publish UFO-related articles, with over 200 appearing that year. The release of the movie "E.T." in December 1982 did not lead to an increase in sighting reports.

Summaries of 1982 Observations

• June 2, 1982, 15:00-15:50, Turku: Mrs. Eva Gröönroos and her daughter Jaana observed two bright blinking, oval-shaped objects with a silvery sparkle in the northeast. Their altitude was estimated to be halfway to the height of the nearby radio mast. The objects blinked irregularly and increased their distance, becoming visible only through binoculars after half an hour before disappearing. The weather was clear and sunny.
• December 16, 1981, 17:00-17:15, Patterinhaka, Turku: A man observed a bright light through his window that changed colors from red to turquoise. The object drifted north for about 5 minutes before disappearing, possibly behind a cloud. At the time, the star Arcturus was in that direction. This case was classified as having insufficient information.

1983: The Amount of Sightings Increases Again

In 1983, The UFO Research of Finland received five reports that could not be explained, three cases were explained, and six had insufficient information. The press coverage of UFOs had decreased compared to previous years.

A Clock-Like UFO at Näsijärvi

This section details an observation from September 3, 1983, in Niemikylä village, Kuru, over Näsijärvi Lake. Raimo and Terttu Niemelä observed a strange clock-like light phenomenon for nearly an hour. Raimo described a bright blue light ball, which he observed from his cottage. The light appeared to have twelve blue lights and a reddish-yellow light between positions ten and fourteen o'clock. The phenomenon moved quickly with sudden movements towards the northwest. Terttu, initially afraid, stayed inside while Raimo continued to observe. The light moved several hundred meters towards the northwest, hovering immovably. It then formed a W-shaped figure and turned bloodred, with blue lights around the red center and the yellowish light above. The object then emitted two bright light beams into the forest. The light phenomena remained in the same place during color changes and beam emissions. It later moved back along the same route, made another double V shape, and began to abandon the area, rising gently towards the forest edge. Two smaller blue lights followed it. The observation concluded around 02:00. Raimo also reported a yellow light beam directed at his temple later that night. He believes it was a flying vehicle (UFO) and not a weather phenomenon, noting the weather was cloudy with a gentle wind. An inquiry to the Aitovuori radar station yielded no relevant records, likely because the object was flying too low. Following this event, an unusually high number of observations (over ten) were reported, many near Tampere in August-September, suggesting increased UFO activity in Finland. The translator notes that on the same night as the Kuru observation, a man disappeared in the area, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Short Summaries of Other Observations

• September 3, 1983, 00:30, Tampere: A 58-year-old widow observed a light phenomenon as big as the moon, round but with a piece missing in the upper part, appearing illuminated from underneath. The color was metallic, and it disappeared behind a house after 10-15 minutes.
• September 3, 1983, 23:05, Tampere: A retired sergeant major observed a moving dark blue object, initially mistaken for a kite, in the north. A light switched on in the front, sparkling like fireworks. The object changed to a ball with yellow light, followed by a blue veil. It moved closer, then turned right, vanished in the southeast, and moved soundlessly with sudden, short movements. Its size was approximately 50 cm, and the observation lasted about 3 seconds. The observer's experience ruled out a meteorite.
• September 4, 1983, 01:00, Tampere (Lielahti): A 25-year-old woman and her family observed a bright yellow lightball descending in the southwest sky. It was partially visible behind the forest and vanished after about two minutes. A light larger than a star was seen moving slowly downwards behind the forest. The weather was clear, and no sound was heard. The observation lasted about 20 minutes.
• September 10, 1983, 22:00, Ruovesi: A civil engineer and a woman observed a bright yellow light over the lake that became brighter, like a halogen light, and rose straight upwards very fast without noise. The rise was estimated to be at a distance of about 1.5 km and lasted about 10 seconds.

Publication Exchange Addresses / Mailing List

The document concludes with a list of publication exchange addresses from various organizations and individuals worldwide, including A.E.S.V. (Switzerland), AFU (Sweden), BUFORA (England), Center for UFO Studies (USA), Chalker (Australia), FFU (France), Frontiers of Science (USA), Huyser Bookshop Ltd. (New Zealand), Mapit Skywatch (England), MUFON (USA), Planet (Turkey), SBEDV BOLETIM (Brazil), SOBEPS (Belgium), Syrian Cosmological Soc. (Syria), UFO Quebec (Canada), UFO-Norge (Norway), UFO-Sverige (Sweden), Veillith, M.R. (France), Zetetic Scholar (USA), AfRO (USA), Australian Internat. UFO Flying Saucer Research (Australia), CENAP (West Germany), Centro UFO-Logico Nazionale (Italy), ECRA World Headquarters (New Zealand), Firth, S. R. (England), FSR Publications (England), Malaysian UFO Bulletin (Malaysia), Modern Space Flight Ass. (Japan), Odiseja Magazine (Yugoslavia), Project Star-Light International (USA), Schnee, Nikita (USSR), SUFOI / UFO-NYT (Denmark), UFO News-Flash (Italy), UFO-21 (Belgium), UFO-Sverige Aktuellt (Sweden), and Ventla-Verlag (West Germany).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this report are the detailed documentation and analysis of UFO sightings in Finland, the methodology of UFO research, and the increasing UFO activity observed in 1983. The editorial stance is one of serious investigation, aiming for accuracy and accessibility to an international audience, while acknowledging the challenges of insufficient data in many cases. The organization does not dismiss sightings but strives for rigorous examination. There is a clear effort to bridge the gap between Finnish UFO research and the global community.