RESPONDENTS' ACCOUNTS and interesting information: _______________________________________________________ March 5, 2010 Deb Among featured guest speakers at 22nd Annual Ozark UFO Conference Deb will be speaking at the 22nd Annual Ozark UFO Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas from April 9 through April 11, 2010. The Conference will feature numerous other prominent UFO researchers and experts. Be sure to visit the Ozark Condrence link posted on this page and others on this site to find details on how to arrange to attend this conference. _______________________________________________________ March 4, 2010 Tennessee UFO Sightings on the Rise Updated: Wednesday, 03 Mar 2010, 7:48 PM CST Published : Wednesday, 03 Mar 2010, 7:48 PM CST [VIDEO SEGMENT AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/030310-local-ufo-sightings-on-the-rise] MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Bright white lights and strange, triangular shaped objects, Tennesseans are reporting some unusual things overhead. Don't expect that to stop anytime soon, a local group that investigates UFO close encounters says sightings are on the rise. For decades millions of people have reported seeing UFO's. A recent poll shows one in 12 Americans have seen a mysterious object in the sky, and that a third of adults believe it's likely aliens have visited earth. While some say the increase in volume of reports in Tennessee are enough to make any investigator sit up and take notice, others say it's all in their heads. The skies over Tennessee have been busy lately, but some say, it's not your typical air traffic. A commercial airline pilot from Memphis shows us where he spotted a UFO. He pointed out the UFO's path, saying, "It started here, passed over about this speed and leveled out down there." This pilot, who doesn't want to be identified for fear he'll lose his job, says he saw a UFO in the sky over Cordova around 9:45pm on November 24, 2009. "[It was] absolutely not an airplane, not an airship, this object speed it was flying at, the shape there is nothing in the air even similar in the least bit to what I saw," the pilot claimed. The pilot, who has more than 25 years experience, said the black triangle he saw was flying as fast as 1,000 miles per hour, but was completely silent. He said it looked exactly like YouTube video of what an estimated 13,000 saw flying over Belgium in 1990. "I could not honestly believe what I saw," he amazed. "[I] stood there for honestly a few minutes thinking what I was going to do or who I was going to report this to." The pilot reported it to the Tennessee Mutual UFO Network, or MUFON. MUFON is the largest UFO research and education organization in the United States. The non-profit group is made up of volunteers like Alyson Burgess. "All we do is if someone reports an object we try our best to figure out if we can identify it," said Burgess. "If we can't identify it it's called an 'unknown.'" The pilot's sighting is classified as 'unknown,' but Burgess says 90% of sightings can be attributed to things like airplanes or meteors. What the group can't explain is the uptick in reports. "[It] seems like it's going to be a busy year for us," said Burgess. The pilot's was one of 30 sightings in Tennessee from October to December of last year. Typically, there are between 4 and 8 a month. There have been 10 sightings so far this year. State MUFON Director, Eddie Middleton said the skies have never been so active in Tennessee. "It's like building to some sort of crescendo getting more intense all the time," said Middleton. "I don't know where it's leading; it's getting more intense, something's got to give here before long landing on the White House lawn or whatever." While many report seeing large black triangles, others see flying saucers or cigar shaped crafts. Middleton said, "The evidence is overwhelming we are being visited. If anyone takes time to look they will find it extremely compelling." James McGaha has looked. He's an astronomer and a scientific consultant to the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, a group that encourages critical examination of unusual claims. He believes popular UFO TV shows are contributing to increased reports. "A light in the sky is a light in the sky," stated McGaha. "There are hundreds of different things that can be light in the sky, and not aliens or spacecraft from other worlds." He's particularly skeptical of the black triangle sightings. "It appears the object is a large solid craft when it's simply not, it's 3 airplanes flying in formation that is responsible for most of those sightings." McGaha, a retired air force pilot, also questions the Memphis pilot's sighting. "It should be pointed out pilots are not trained observers, pilots are trained to fly airplanes and fly them safely and they are no more reliable than any other witness." McGaha says whether or not extraterrestrial life exists, it's almost impossible for it to visit earth on a regular basis, saying travel at speed of light is not easy. "From an astronomer's view, there are other issues that make it very difficult for aliens to get here because simply physics of it, the amount of energy and time takes for aliens civilization to reach the earth." Despite a field investigative manual showing pictures of aliens, MUFON does not take a stance on extraterrestrial life. "I'm not sure if these craft are coming from beyond the planet, I'm not sure if they belong to us or other countries," said Burgess. "What I am sure of there are a lot of people seem to be seeing this, they can't explain and they deserve a voice and to be listened to." The Memphis pilot we spoke with says he doesn't drink, do drugs or take medication. He admits his sighting had him questioning his sanity and if he's a "believer." "It's been confusing for me but I know what I saw, it was unreal. If this other intelligent _______________________________________________________ January 27, 2010 Canadians see unusual flying object Published: Jan. 26, 2010 at 7:04 PM http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/01/26/Canadians-see-unusual-flying-object/UPI-29451264550682/ HARBOUR MILLE, Newfoundland, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Some people in the Canadian community of Harbour Mille say they are puzzling over the unidentified flying object they saw over Newfoundland's south coast. Darlene Stewart told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. she saw the mysterious object zoom missile-like overhead, trailing flames or heavy smoke. "I knew it wasn't an airplane. It was something different," Stewart said. She took a picture of the object but it wasn't clear from the picture what the thing was. Another witness, Elly Pardy, told the CBC it appeared to be over the middle of the bay. "It appeared to come out of the ocean," she said. "It's kind of scary because you don't know if something is being set off out in the bay, (or) if someone is doing experiments." The Royal Canadian Mounted Police sent an officer Tuesday to investigate the reports. © 2010 United Press International,Inc. _______________________________________________________ December 25, 2009 The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 12-24-09 The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) will be featured this Sunday Night, December 27th on Coast to Coast AM radio when George Knapp will host a program dedicated to the most compelling UFO events of 2009. Mark Easter, MUFON's Director of Public Relations will be joined by Chuck Reever, who is MUFON's Director of Investigations to talk about some of the most interesting UFO cases investigated by MUFON this past year. The REAL X-Files! This is information you won't want to miss. Premiere Radio Networks and Coast to Coast AM with George Knapp. Sunday Night December 27th, at 10pm Pacific Standard Time. ### Mark Easter The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) International Director of Public Relations and Certified Field Investigator Phone: 775-358-9205 _______________________________________________________ December 24, 2009 FAA Taps Aerospace Technology Firm As New UFO Reporting Center December 24, 2009 7:30 a.m. EST http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017352385 Windsor Genova - AHN News Writer Las Vegas, NV, U.S. (AHN) - The Federal Aviation Administration has designated the Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies.(BAASS) as one of the reporting centers for UFO sightings and unexplained phenomena. In its Dec. 10 update to air traffic control organizations, the FAA said pilots and air traffic controllers should refer the said reports to the Las Vegas-based company that explores extremely advanced aerospace technology. The BAASS can be reached at 1-877-979-7444 or reporting@baass.org. Prior to BAASS, the National Institute for Discovery Sciences (NIDS) was the contact center for UFO concerns in the U.S. However, NIDS is now defunct. The BAASS makes inflatable low-Earth orbiting modules, It is currently hiring astrophysics, biochemists, microbiologists, nanotechnolgists, physicists, and propulsion and stealth technology experts. Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7017352385#ixzz0aeFJmvnz _______________________________________________________ December 7, 2009 Britain UFO Hotline Closed Down After 50 Years - Money Woes Blamed http://net-news-daily.com/3/?s=VC_Pop8n By Kate S. Campbell Dec 6, 2009 The Ministry of Defense in Britain has terminated its UFO project after over 50 years.  According to ABC News in the US, "The Defense Ministry has quietly shut down its UFO hot line as a cost-cutting measure and will no longer investigate any sightings."  Can we blame it on the economy? "I think it's a stupid thing to do because this could create a threat to national security," said Roy Lake, founder of the London UFO Studies group. "We take this quite seriously. We know that sometimes things can be explained as natural phenomena, but there could be that one thing that's not. I think the government knows damn well what's going on up there, and they're covering it up." According to the UK Guardian, "The news was slipped out so as not to attract attention. An amendment was made to an existing document in the freedom of information section of the MoD website, entitled "How to report a UFO sighting". The announcement states: "In over fifty years, no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom."" A  spokesman said closing the UFO inquiry unit would save about 44,000 pounds ($73,000) a year.  Nick Pope writes here, "With UFO sightings at record levels, the Ministry of Defence should not have closed its hotline. This is a sad day for science. _______________________________________________________ December 7, 2009 August 2010 Denver Ballot Urges Electorate to Vote for an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2457814/august_2010_denver_ballot_urges_electorate.html?cat=9 December 04, 2009 by Sylvia Cochran Should You Keep Watching the Skies? Jeff Peckman is convinced that only a Denver based Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission will lead to true governmental transparency about space aliens, their visits to earth, and the implications this will have on humankind. Voters decide in August 2010. Denver August 2010 Denver Ballot Urges Electorate to Vote for an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission Denver's Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission Ballot Measure As outlined by Petition Online, the initiative asks a very simple yes or no question of the August 2010 voter: does s/he favor the creation of an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission that oversees the safe interaction of Denver residents and space visitors or their vehicles? If the answer is yes, the commission would be funded through gifts, donations and grants. The underlying reason for the extraterrestrial UFO ballot measure is to create a UFO Truth Commission. Jeff Peckman: Crackpot or Visionary? As an avid (former) Art Bell listener, I can attest to the large number of Americans who believe wholeheartedly in the presence of extraterrestrial life forms on earth and UFOs in the skies. It would be simplistic to label Jeff Peckman a crackpot, merely because he concerns himself with things that are out of this world. He is actually in good company. Take for example former President Jimmy Carter, who filed a written UFO sighting report with the International UFO Bureau. Mr. Carter was so convinced that he had witnessed something extraterrestrial, from mid spring through the fall of 2007 his White House domestic policy staff worked with Alfred Webre to study extraterrestrial communication. The goal was to provide Americans with information about alleged UFO sightings and the data that may have been gathered by military sources. The project was suddenly and without explanation shut down; since then there has been little official acknowledgment of any extraterrestrial affairs or UFO sightings. _______________________________________________________ November 22, 2009 http://www.examiner.com/x-2363-UFO-Examiner~y2009m11d19-KOLO-News-follows-MUFON-Ely-Nevada-UFO-investigation KOLO News follows MUFON Ely, Nevada UFO investigation November 19, 2:45 PMUFO ExaminerRoger Marsh Video from KOLO News. A senior news reporter at a Nevada television station reported from the isolated town of Ely on multiple UFO reports, according to a press release from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). MUFON's international Director of Public Relations, Mark Easter, made a presentation in Ely recently in search of additional witnesses to recent sightings. Many more people in this region turned out for the event and more reports were collected, according to the release. Ed Pierce reports for KOLO News. The mainstream media has been faulted by American ufolgoists in past decades for not reporting significant UFO sightings, making fun of witness testimony, or badly covering reports. Easter commends this reporting as serious and on-target. _______________________________________________________ December 7, 2009 Britain UFO Hotline Closed Down After 50 Years - Money Woes Blamed http://net-news-daily.com/3/?s=VC_Pop8n By Kate S. Campbell Dec 6, 2009 The Ministry of Defense in Britain has terminated its UFO project after over 50 years.  According to ABC News in the US, "The Defense Ministry has quietly shut down its UFO hot line as a cost-cutting measure and will no longer investigate any sightings."  Can we blame it on the economy? "I think it's a stupid thing to do because this could create a threat to national security," said Roy Lake, founder of the London UFO Studies group. "We take this quite seriously. We know that sometimes things can be explained as natural phenomena, but there could be that one thing that's not. I think the government knows damn well what's going on up there, and they're covering it up." According to the UK Guardian, "The news was slipped out so as not to attract attention. An amendment was made to an existing document in the freedom of information section of the MoD website, entitled "How to report a UFO sighting". The announcement states: "In over fifty years, no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom."" A  spokesman said closing the UFO inquiry unit would save about 44,000 pounds ($73,000) a year.  Nick Pope writes here, "With UFO sightings at record levels, the Ministry of Defence should not have closed its hotline. This is a sad day for science. _______________________________________________________ December 7, 2009 August 2010 Denver Ballot Urges Electorate to Vote for an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2457814/august_2010_denver_ballot_urges_electorate.html?cat=9 December 04, 2009 by Sylvia Cochran Should You Keep Watching the Skies? Jeff Peckman is convinced that only a Denver based Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission will lead to true governmental transparency about space aliens, their visits to earth, and the implications this will have on humankind. Voters decide in August 2010. Denver August 2010 Denver Ballot Urges Electorate to Vote for an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission Denver's Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission Ballot Measure As outlined by Petition Online, the initiative asks a very simple yes or no question of the August 2010 voter: does s/he favor the creation of an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission that oversees the safe interaction of Denver residents and space visitors or their vehicles? If the answer is yes, the commission would be funded through gifts, donations and grants. The underlying reason for the extraterrestrial UFO ballot measure is to create a UFO Truth Commission. Jeff Peckman: Crackpot or Visionary? As an avid (former) Art Bell listener, I can attest to the large number of Americans who believe wholeheartedly in the presence of extraterrestrial life forms on earth and UFOs in the skies. It would be simplistic to label Jeff Peckman a crackpot, merely because he concerns himself with things that are out of this world. He is actually in good company. Take for example former President Jimmy Carter, who filed a written UFO sighting report with the International UFO Bureau. Mr. Carter was so convinced that he had witnessed something extraterrestrial, from mid spring through the fall of 2007 his White House domestic policy staff worked with Alfred Webre to study extraterrestrial communication. The goal was to provide Americans with information about alleged UFO sightings and the data that may have been gathered by military sources. The project was suddenly and without explanation shut down; since then there has been little official acknowledgment of any extraterrestrial affairs or UFO sightings. _______________________________________________________ November 22, 2009 UFO's? Man Says He's Got Recorded Proof Updated: Friday, 20 Nov 2009, 10:57 AM EST Published : Thursday, 19 Nov 2009, 9:40 PM EST NED HIBBERD Reporter MyFox Houston Report http://www.myfoxillinois.com/dpp/news/dpgo-ufo-proof-Chris-Hardman-HOU-200911201258729230838 HOUSTON - Chris Hardman won't be insulted if you don't believe him. After all, not even his fiancee believes in UFOs. But Hardman swears he has videotaped dozens of extraterrestrial spacecraft over the past year, both here in Houston and in Austin. "Most of them are triangular in shape or kind of a teardrop," Hardman says. He posts his videos on his YouTube channel where you can now view 51 clips, including last Saturdays close encounter with what he describes as an alien flying machine that approached within a few hundred feet. "They're totally silent but this is the one time I could actually hear one, it got so close. It made kind of a humming sound." MUFON, the Mutual UFO Network, lists 23 reports of UFO sightings over Harris county so far in 2009. Hardman thinks that number is a gross underestimate, which is why he keeps his camera handy and his YouTube channel busy. "People should know about it. People should pay more attention to what's going on over their head." Hardman is not alone in the belief that earth creatures are not alone in the universe. Chickenfoot lead vocalist Sammy Hagar has an alien face depicted on his guitar because he says aliens made contact with him when he was 20 years old. The popular singer and founder of the Cabo Wabo tequila brand also says that aliens downloaded music into his brain. -- Houston UFO Buff's YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/HardmanChris#p/u _______________________________________________________ November 21, 2009 http://www.allnewsweb.com/page9699891.php (ED NOTE: The above link also includes several comment threads not included here. Debunkers of this event choose to debunk the entire issue based on the digital photo itself, claiming a CCD fault. . . . . . That would be plausible, were it not for the fact that more than a dozen eye-witnesses saw exactly the same thing with the naked eye. . . . . . Unless debunkers add mass-hysteria and that the people were all viewing the incident through digital viewfinders at the same time. To debunk a sighting, the debunking has to be as scientific and conclusive as the demands made upon those postulating the event is NOT prosaic.) Scientists investigate mass sighting of a UFO in China, Photo Michael Cohen m.cohen@allnewsweb.com Many westerners are not aware of just how much interest in UFOs there is in China. No less than 300,000 Chinese citizens are members of UFO research organizations. One of the largest networks of these groups is the UFO Research Association. This is an umbrella group that encompasses numerous branches throughout China including the one in Kunming, headed by retired physics professor Zhang Yifang who has recently received publicity. Another member is Wang Sichao who is also involved in the Purple Mountain Astronomical Observatory, in Nanjing, where a UFO was recently filmed during the recent solar eclipse. One UFO sighting that the many scientists active within the UFO Research Association are seriously investigating occurred in the town of Nianyang in the Sichuan Province. On July 20 of this year at around 7pm numerous members of the public witnessed a classic ‘Walnut’ or ‘Dumpling ‘(As they refer to this type of UFO in China) UFO. No less than a dozen witnesses called in to the local paper and one witness managed to get a series of photos of the UFO hovering directly between him and his view of the sun. The Witness, a Mr Wang also saw the object with with his own eyes and noticed it morphing in shape before fading. Investigators are leaning towards declaring this event genuinely anomalous and not showing any known natural or man-made object or occurrence, rather something as yet unclassified by science. Source: http://khsj.chinawestnews.net/system/2008/08/18/010027786.shtml _______________________________________________________ November 13, 2009 NASA: Water found in moon crater By The Associated Press http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/13/nasa-water-found-in-moon-crater/ Friday, November 13, 2009 at 9:19 a.m. LOS ANGELES — NASA says a spacecraft that purposely slammed into the moon has turned up evidence of water. Scientists have been analyzing a mile-high plume of debris kicked up by the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite last month after it crashed into a crater near the moon's south pole. On Friday, they presented preliminary data that show the presence of water in the crater. Over the last decade, scientists have found some hints of underground ice on the moon's poles, but this is the best evidence yet. _______________________________________________________ November 11, 2009 More UFO sightings in the news November 11, 10:49 AMSalt Lake City Paranormal ExaminerSteven Symes http://www.examiner.com/x-18799-Salt-Lake-City-Paranormal-Examiner~y2009m11d11-More-UFO-sightings-in-the-news For some who have seen the Fourth Kind in theaters, the question of whether there is life outside of our own planet has been stirred up in their minds. Others have wondered at the possibility without prodding from a movie or book. Some claim to have witnessed what they believe to be extra-terrestrial activity on our own planet, since they have no other explanation for what they saw. There is a continual stream of stories in the media about such events. Here are some of the more interesting recent stories. England seems to be a hotbed of reported UFO sightings. http://www.examiner.com/x-18799-Salt-Lake-City-Paranormal-Examiner~y2009m8d31-Orange-UFO-lights-over-England Many have described seeing orange lights floating through the skies of England. These sightings have been controversial, like all UFO sightings, with skeptics pointing out instances of people mistaking Chinese lanterns for UFO lights. The orange lights made a special Halloween visit to South Tyneside, reports the Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette. http://www.jarrowandhebburngazette.com/latest-news/Did-you-see-a-UFO.5813857.jp 34-year-old Gary Sinclair reported seeing the orange lights in the sky while he looked out his window. According to Sinclair, the lights moved slowly at first, then sped off to the north. The lights must have been fairly bright since Sinclair thought at first it was a plane on fire. Others in the area reported seeing the lights as well. Also in England, the Fenland Citizen http://www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk/news/Are-Fenland-UFO-sightings-just.5807978.jp tells the story of a man coming forth with a possible explanation for recent UFO sightings. The man claims laser light shows from garden parties could be to blame for lights in the skies. No word on if the lasers are synchronized to U2’s hit songs. The most interesting piece of UFO news was reported by 9News http://www.9news.com/news/watercooler/article.aspx?storyid=126763&catid=337 in Denver, Colorado. People in Denver have been experiencing their own light show in the sky, only nobody has come forth with any laser light show claims. The night sky lights were witnessed by thousands at the Broncos game, causing speculation about alien activity in the night sky. Some took photos of the event, which can be seen on 9News’ website. After all was over, it was revealed the lights were from a team of skydivers. The Mile-Hi Skydiving Center jumped out over the night sky, lighting pyrotechnics – all to put on a show for the Broncos game. People in the stadium were told what was happening, but others outside the stadium were left to wonder. Police were called since the skydiving team forgot to notify authorities of the jump, but no citations were issued. Finally, check out an interesting piece on El Defensor Chieftan’s website http://www.dchieftain.com/dc/index.php/news/462-officer-made-ufo-report.html chronicles a local police officer who reported a UFO in the 1960’s. The Socorro, New Mexico police officer was well-known and liked in the community. The story chronicles what some undergo after reportedly seeing a UFO. _______________________________________________________ October 15, 2009 Multiple witnesses spot UFO in northern Germany Published: 14 Oct 09 11:14 CET http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20091014-22559.html Police and fire departments in northern Germany received dozens of phone calls on Tuesday evening from people claiming they saw a mysterious burning orb in the night sky. Reports of a burning sphere and glowing object in the sky came in from Bremen, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Lower-Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein around 7 pm. A Bremen police spokesperson said once caller reported seeing the unidentified flying object (UFO) as it broke apart and fell to the earth. Authorities confirmed that there were no plane crashes in the area. In Bremen and Lower Saxony no evidence of impact or damages has been found, the spokesperson said. We assume that it was a meteorite. Meanwhile Mannheim-based hobby astronomer Werner Walter, who runs CENAP, a UFO research network and sighting hotline, said he took calls late into the night. Descriptions of the incident included a white-green glowing orb with a vapour trail that fell silently for several seconds from the sky. Walter also said he suspected the object was a meteorite. DPA/The Local (news@thelocal.de) _______________________________________________________ September 28, 2009 Greenwich CT police respond to 'UFO' sighting By Debra Friedman STAFF WRITER Posted: 09/28/2009 08:52:45 PM EDT http://www.greenwichtime.com/ci_13439926?source=most_viewed GREENWICH -- It wasn't a bird, a plane or Superman, but residents of downtown Greenwich thought a myriad of lights in the sky just may have been an unidentified flying object passing overhead Saturday night. The bright, moving lights in the sky caused several people to call police to report a possible UFO sighting. Some reports indicated there had been 30 to 40 individual lights glowing in the night sky. The questions prompted police to send two marine officers to investigate the sighting. However, it didn't take long for police to determine the possible extraterrestrial sighting was actually a bunch of "genuine oriental sky lanterns" being set off at a birthday party taking place on Steamboat Road. Officer Dennis O'Donnell said it didn't take much work to figure out what was going on. "We got our binoculars and looked down," said O'Donnell. "We went down and spoke to the homeowner. We didn't want to ruin their fun." O'Donnell said while the lanterns were legal, the amount of distress caused by the sightings caused them to ask the homeowner to keep the lanterns, which are like mini hot-air balloons, to a minimum. Lt. Daniel Allen said several calls had been received about the lights. The bizarre sighting sparked discussion on town blogs where bystanders at the town's teen center had sent in anonymous pictures. Walter Urda, a town resident, said he saw the lights and while he didn't think it was a UFO, he said it was hard to believe they were lanterns because of how fast they were moving. "These were being propelled," said Urda. "If it was an air current, the balloons would have been very lethargically moving along." Urda said the "intense" orange lights were traveling in pairs, and sometimes threesomes. Urda estimates he saw 30 to 40 go by. "They kind of disappeared into the clouds all at the same spot," said Urda. "I was standing there in total amazement." Urda said he thought the lights may have been the exhaust of fighter jets moving at a slow pace, or perhaps a strange sort of natural phenomenon. However, police said they were confident the sightings were from the Chinese lanterns. "The wind was due out of the south, which caused them to have some velocity," said O'Donnell. "They are perfectly legal and biodegradable." Allen said while it is rare to have calls for UFO sightings in town, it does happen. "Obviously this particular accident was alarming to a number of people so they called to determine exactly what was going on," said Allen. _______________________________________________________ September 22, 2009 BIG SURGE IN UK UFO SIGHTINGS Monday September 21,2009 http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/128818/Big-surge-in-UFO-sightings- Are we being watched? By Daily Express Reporter A RECORD number of UFO sightings have been reported in Britain this year, Government figures show. X Files-style Ministry of Defence documents released as part of a Freedom of Information request say 394 mysterious hovering objects have been seen in our skies between January and the end of last month. Among the sightings, a pilot said he saw a 30ft-long black cylinder above his plane in Otmoor, Oxfordshire and a giant bright orange UFO was spotted hovering over Gorey Castle, near Jersey airport, earlier this year. Gary Heseltine, a British Transport Police officer and UFO expert, said yesterday: There is no doubt in my mind that a small number of these sightings are genuine extraterrestial phenomena. The fact is, so many people have UFO sightings but are afraid to report it for fear of ridicule. The record number of sightings comes as a new book about their history in this country is released. The UFO Files, by Dr David Clarke, claims there were defence officials in the Nineties who thought UFOs could have been carrying out 'tourist' visits to the UK. _______________________________________________________ September 16, 2009 at 15:59:43 Document Shredding by the FAA Destroys Valuable UFO History http://www.opednews.com/articles/Document-Shredding-by-the-by-John-Greenewald-090916-876.html By John Greenewald (about the author) opednews.com ENCINO, CALIFORNIA (BlackVault) - September 16, 2009 - On November 17, 1986, Japanese Air Lines Flight 1628 (JAL-1628) witnessed three UFOs while flyingover Alaska. At 35,000 feet elevation, and traveling about 600 miles per hour, Captain Kenju Terauchi first noticed two unidentified lights roughly 2,000 feet below his position. Assuming it was possibly a fighter jet from the United States, he did not think much of the sighting. But in his own words, about 8 minutes later, two "space ships"suddenly appeared in front of his aircraft spewing light into the cockpit. He believes these two craft were the original lights he saw -- instantly appearing in front of him. The pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer watched the UFO for more than thirty minutes. Attempts to take photographs failed. But as interesting is this case is, what is further intriguing is the documentation regarding it. In 2001, I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the FAAfor information regarding this event. Throughout the processing, they determined that I was what is called a "commercial" requester, and was going to charge me excessive fees for the search and duplication of responsive records, which totaled more than 100 pages. This was one of hundreds of examples of game play by our U.S. Government and Military agencies while processing my FOIA requests. When you file, you fit into one of three "fee categories." The basic definition of categories is commercial, non-commercial, or all other. What you pay for the request and records is dependent on which category you fit into. Commercial is the most expensive, wherein you pay for everything; search, document review and duplication. Their search fees can range from $45-$85 an hour, so if they want to send you a large bill, they certainly can! (In one FOIA case, the NSA gave me an estimated cost of $8,000 just to search for records. If I paid that amount, I was told I may not even receive one page of responsive material. Think about it, $8,000 for nothing.) After a telephone conversation with Jean Mahoney on June 5, 2001, I was told I could withdraw my request and the documents would be sent to me free of charge. Although I do not have record of it since it was sent on a crashed computer which lost its data, I know I sent an email withdrawing my request in hopes to receive the package. The package never came. Unfortunately, I received a letter in the mail that stated, "On June 5, 2001, I contacted you to by telephone and discussed the fees for search, review, and duplication of documents pertaining to your May 9, 2001, request for UFO sightings in or around Alaska between 1981 and 1988. We have determined that you would be considered a commercial requester and would be charged for all search, review, and duplication of the records. I advised you that approximately 107 pages of documents could be made available to you outside of the FOlA without fees. These documents do not include radar tracking data and simulated radar data for JL1628. It was agreed that you would withdraw your request by either fax (907-271-2800) or E-Mail (jean.Mahoney@faa.gov) and l would forward the 107 pages to you on receipt of your withdrawal. As of this date, I have not received your withdrawal. If I have not heard from you by July 12, 2001, we will consider your request cancelled. In addition, all documents pertaining to this UFO citing [sic] will be destroyed in 30 days from the date of this letter." Due to irrelevant circumstances, I did not read this letter until the thirty day deadline had come and gone. Of course, I feared the worst; that the documents were destroyed. Subsequent e-mails and letters regarding the documents went unanswered, and due to multiple other FOIA cases that I filed, I let this one slip away and forgot about it. So recently, I decided to open up many of the past cases of The Black Vault, to see what documents might have surfaced since I originally filed. I came across this letter, remembered my original frustration, and re-filed a FOIA request to see if anything came up. I was told that the documents were destroyed. The biggest question was why? Why is it that if the letter that was sent to me remained unanswered, that the documents would be destroyed? They claim due to their records retention schedule (how long certain records are kept) authorized such a destruction. Was it coincidence that my letter came thirty days before they would destroy the documents? Or did my request prompt them to destroy the documents? Although I try not to create such conspiratorial scenarios, it makes one wonder. It's possible these documents are floating around in some investigators filing cabinets -- and they are somewhat in the "public domain." But that isn't the point. The larger issue is that these types of games are being played while processing FOIA requests, and the true spirit of government openness and transparency is too often ignored at nearly every level. As a result - important historical records are being destroyed. Interestingly, I was able to uncover a reference to the JAL-1628 UFO encounter through another FAA facility. Also, making anyone suspicious of how agencies are processing FOIA requests. One office says all documents relating to the event were destroyed. Another office of the SAME AGENCY says here are two pages referencing the incident. The newly found record is what is known as an "Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing" or ASIAS report. Although not very descriptive, at least from a historical standpoint, the UFO case remains a part of documented history, at least for now. Yet in the future, these references presumably will be destroyed, completely wiping out the fact that this event ever happened. Even though the UFO community has long debated this case since it occurred, it sparks the question of how many others do we not know? The U.S. Government and Military maintains records dating back decades, even a century. Many don't realize that classified records exist prior to World War II even beginning! But yet a 1986 UFO encounter is something they quickly want to shred. And to think, seventeen years prior, Project Blue Book and the entire military and government powerhouse adopted the notion that UFOs were easily identifiable and explainable. Relevant Documents 1. FAA Lettersof Correspondence along with ASIAS report (PDF) at: http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/ufos/JL1628.pdf John Greenewald, Jr. - http://www.theblackvault.com In 1996, John Greenewald, Jr. began researching the secret inner workings of the U.S. Government at the young age of fifteen. With targets like the CIA, FBI, Pentagon, Air Force, Army, etc. _______________________________________________________ September 14, 2009 UFO sightings in Suriname prompt creation of hotline Jadyn Cassidyhttp://www.allnewsweb.com/page8988987.php A rash of recent UFO sightings that have caused concern amongst residents of Suriname, South America, has prompted the creation of that nation's first 24-hour UFO hot-line in Paramaribo, the country's capital city. The hot-line will take down details of all sightings of UFOs and then investigate if need be. One recent UFO sighting that gave impetus to the establishment of this hot-line occurred around two months ago and was reported by the 'Netherlands World Radio Service': 'A most remarkable observation was the one which transpired on July 19. That evening three UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) flew over Paramaribo and many people saw them. Sham Binda sat with some visitng tourists in his car when a child he was with pointed to the lights. "The boy saw the lights move and claimed that they were UFOs. I thought he was joking. Only when I turned my gaze to the sky I saw a strange yellow light and when I looked further, I saw three, "said Binda.' 'The beams were quite large and flew in formation, according Binda. UFO reports are so frequent that recently a UFO hot-line was established in Paramaribo.' Paranormal personality Michael Cohen, noted that 'It is hardly surprising that Suriname experiences such a high level of UFO activity, due to that country's proximity to North East Brazil. It is believed an exit and entrance to a significant galactic highway exists near the city of Fortaleza. Aliens both from this galaxy, such as the group commonly referred to as 'Greys' and from other galaxies, such as the Axthadan race from Andromeda are using the 'highway exit' to come into and go out of Earth's atmosphere.' Source: Radio Netherland World Service Comment on this story: info@allnewsweb.com _______________________________________________________ September 9, 2009 More mass UFO sightings in China http://www.allnewsweb.com/page8978978.php (Images and Twitter links available at the previous web link) Michael Cohen m.cohen@allnewsweb.com In the wake of two UFO mega-events that took place in China over the last few months, namely the solar eclipse UFO incident and the two 'mothership' UFOs seen over Shandong, Chinese media and authorities are being flooded with more reports of UFO sightings. In the city of Shandong, numerous residents reported seeing a UFO on the night of Monday the 7th of this month. The government-owned news outlet Xinhua carried the story. The UFO was described as a spinning glowing ball that circled above the city before moving away, sometimes going at incredible speeds and sometimes slowing down. A number of earthly explanations have been given for this UFO event. These include the possibility that the UFO may be a kite or neon signs reflecting off clouds. Other recent UFO events have been satisfactorily explained in this manner, however, in this case, Xinhua notes that 'Many people still insist' that what they saw was not an ordinary luminous body, but a legendary UFO.' Many are unconvinced by the explanation given by the authorities for the Shandong 'motherships' incident as well. That is, the UFOs were spotlights reflected against clouds that happened to only be in the specific area the lights were shone: giving the appearance of 'cloud' UFOs. Observers point to the video of the UFOs to demonstrate the feasibility of this explanation (see video here). Meanwhile a UFO has been reported as having being seen and photographed above Changbai Mountain in the Jinxian area on July 16. This UFO (seen below) was reported in a local paper. Interestingly researchers have noted that this UFO bears some similarity to the Deqing Eclipse UFO of July 22. Source: Xinhua Yanbian News Comment on this story or join our mailing list on: info@allnewsweb.com Follow this story on Twitter _______________________________________________________ September 9, 2009 Weekend rash of UFO reports include sightings in Pittsburgh, Jeannette; multiple reports in Ohio http://www.examiner.com/x-4810-Pittsburgh-UFO-Examiner~y2009m9d8-Weekend-rash-of-UFO-reports-include-sightings-in-Pittsburgh-Jeannette-multiple-reports-in-Ohio September 8, 12:21 PM Pittsburgh UFO Examiner Richard Sanner It was a busy holiday weekend for UFO sightings in the region. Locally, reports were received of sightings in Pittsburgh, and Jeannette, while there appeared to be a massive outbreak of sightings in Ohio, particularly in the metropolitan Cincinnati region. The following are reports that have been received: Jeannette, Pennsylvania - September 5, 2009 - Witness has reported repeated sightings of over a dozen orange/yellow orbs coming out of the woods in front of the valley where he lives. Having had previous similar sightings in May, the witness has been observing this area on a frequent basis. One after another came up from the woods, turned on what appeared to be conventional FAA lights, before speeding up and flying off. Some appear to start flashing out of nowhere, higher up from the area without having the orb appearance at first. This area is actually located near a Penn Township golf course near the border of Murrysville. Note: the Murrysville area has been the "epicenter" of many sightings over the past year. The witness claims to have taken photographs of the area after seeing some faint flashes. The photographs reveal multiple orbs, several of which are orange or yellow. The witness drove to the maintenance road by the golf course and observed an "active plasma ball orb" hovering above the golf course. As the witness attempted to shoot some pictures, the object moved to the right behind a patch of trees. The witness then drove to another location to attempt to get a better view of the object. From there, the witness was able to get a better angle of the object and claimed it "transformed into a 'fake plane' by blinking a colored light on each side of the large orb, which tones down into a headlight appearance, then turns off to reveal what appears to be a regular wing-tip navigation red/green lights with flashing white strobes." As the object flies over, the white strobes illuminate what appears to be a tail. Blow-ups of the still photographs reveals that the "tail" is a structure that changes and transforms a little between each shot. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - September 5, 2009 - Witness was parked at the Pittsburgh Mills mall parking lot, waiting for his family to return from some shopping. He had his sunroof open and was watching the clouds when he noticed a dark circle, pea-sized in dimensions. At first he thought the object might be a balloon. Using a pair of binoculars he had in his vehicle, the witness observed the object to be shiny at times, then become semi-transparent, before becoming more cylindrical in shape. The witness estimated the object to be between 40-100 feet in width, and flying at an altitude of 5,000 feet. The following are some of the many reports that have been coming in from the metropolitan Cincinnati, Ohio region... September 7, 2009 - Amid some approaching storm activity, with multiple lightning strikes, several witnesses observed an object in the sky to the north, over some nearby baseball fields. The object looked football-shaped, and the witnesses estimated the distance from them to be be approximately 500 yards. The object seemed to be bigger than a helicopter. The witnesses continued to observe the object for 15-20 seconds. The area around the object seemed kind of hazy, or wavy - as if some kind of energy surrounded it. It was at this time that the object seemed to change into a crescent shape, with an opening at the top. The object moved up, and to the left, before returning to its original shape. September 6, 2009 - Witnesses, celebrating Cincinnati's annual "Riverfest" event reported observing multiple fiery, or meteor-like, controlled objects. Media, Ohio - September 6, 2009 - Two witnesses reported seven to ten glowing orange balls of light moving very slowly in a east to west direction. There were three objects in a straight line, then four more in a triangular shape behind them, in addition to two separate lights from the pattern approximately 100 feet behind the second group. One witness reported that the line of the objects was huge, estimated at about 300 feet long, possibly more. The objects were observed for over two minutes as they moved west and seemed to just fade out. Southington, Ohio - September 6, 2009 - Several witnesses were sitting around a bonfire, in the late evening, when they noticed an orange ball traveling over them. Shortly it was gone, only to have a second object come by several minutes later. This object appeared to be traveling at a much higher altitude than the first and then shot straight up in the air, leaving an orange tail behind. A third object appeared and displayed similar activity as the second object. One witness claimed to have observed the exact same phenomenon in the neighborhood two weeks earlier. Recent report received from Colorado... Littleton, Colorado - September 7, 2009 - Witnesses observed an orange colored, cigar-shaped object. The object's movement was not similar to conventional aircraft. The object traveled in a north, northwest direction and appeared to be very large, although it was at a great distance from the witnesses _______________________________________________________ September 9, 2009 Chinese Say UFO Filmed For 40 Minutes During Eclipse http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016326856?Chinese%20Say%20UFO%20Filmed%20For%2040%20Minutes%20During%20Eclipse September 7, 2009 4:25 p.m. EST Melvin Baker - AHN Reporter Nanjing, China (AHN) - Astronomers here say they have confirmed that a UFO was filmed during a solar eclipse this summer. Ji Hai-sheng, director of the Purple Mountain Observatory, told sina.com that an unidentified object was filmed for 40 minutes near the sun during a total solar eclipse on July 22. He declined to speculate on the nature of the object, saying that scientists will study the footage before drawing any conclusions. Reports of UFO sightings are not uncommon in the Nanjing area. A researcher at the Purple Mountain Observatory, Wang Sichao, reported in 2008 that UFOs visit the provincial capital every five or 10 years. In 2007, Wang used his personal savings to establish annual awards for people who observed and recorded details about UFOs. Nanjing was the site of the first recorded sighting of a UFO in China in 1892. Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016326856?Chinese%20Say%20UFO%20Filmed%20For%2040%20Minutes%20During%20Eclipse#ixzz0Qbsfrl4k _______________________________________________________ March 17, 2009 UFOs Filmed By SA Cops 3-15-9 http://www.rense.com/general85/ufosf.htm Twenty three lights moved steadily in the night-sky of Witbank, South Africa on Friday March 6 2009 -- and scores of residents in nearby Middelburg also saw them. They called in the police, who filmed the odd formation of lights on their cellphones. Mrs Hetta Malan of Middelburg was one of the many Middelburg, South Africa residents who spotted the formation that Friday-night. It was moving steadily towards the nearby mining town of Witbank, she told the Afrikaans-language newspaper Beeld. And in Shropshire in the UK yesterday, many people also reported seeing many strange globes and lights in the sky - see: http://www.shropshirestar.com/2009/03/14/more-lights-baffle-ufo-experts/ In South Africa, police inspectors Chris Gatzonis and Awie Labuschagne of the Middelburg police station even filmed the lights, alas the images on their cellphones were poor. The footage, shown on the Beeld newspaper website, can be seen here http://jv.news24.com/Beeld/Video/0,,3-2082_2483091,00.html "We were on active duty and driving across the bridge at Aerorand in Middelburg. First we saw five orange lights, moving in formation going in the direction towards Witbank. Later only two were left. Then the clouds moved in front of them and we lost sight of them,' said Chris Gatzonis. This was the first time the lights were spotted. And last weekend, the two police officers saw similar lights again -- this time they counted a pattern in formation of 23 lights, coming back from Witbank. See the cellphone video - with Afrikaans commentary by the two cops, here http://jv.news24.com/Beeld/Video/0,,3-2082_2483091,00.html Many UFOs in South Africa South Africa has had numerous UFO sightings over the years. - and many were seen by skilled observers. One of the most famous incidents occurred on September 17, 1965 by police constables John Locken and Koos de Klerk, who were were patrolling on the Pretoria-Bronkhorstspruit road, shortly after midnight - not very far away from the latest sighting in Middelburg last weekend. On september 17, 1965, these two patrolmen were shocked when their van's headlights illuminated an unusual object on the road ahead of them. Right in the middle of the highway sat a disc-shaped UFO. Copper Colored Disc The patrolmen estimated the diameter of the object at about 30 feet, and it was of a copper color. Within a moment, the disc-shaped object began to rise up from the road, shooting flames from below through double tubes of what the patrolmen thought were engines. Flames on the Asphalt The two men reported their sighting, and in part of the report, Constable Locken said: 'Its lift-off was quicker than anything I have ever seen." The men also reported that the flames were three feet tall above the road, and the great heat from the exhaust kept the asphalt afire for a time after the object had flown away. Road Caved In After the asphalt had cooled, the road was blocked off and the area of the sighting more closely examined by a large group of policemen. It was found that part of the road had actually caved in under the heavy weight of the UFO. There was a burned area of about 6 feet in diameter, which would indicate the approximate size of the engine ports. The official governmental investigation was done by Lt. Col. J.B. Brits, District Commandant of Pretoria North police station at the time. Highly Secret Nature After the investigation was completed, Lt. Col Brits was interviewed by a Pretoria newspaper. He was quoted in the paper as stating: "... the case of the UFO landing was considered as being of a highly secret nature and an inquiry is being conducted in top circles." Case Remains Unsolved There were trace element samples taken from the area of the landing, and sent for scientific analysis to the police forensic laboratories in Pretoria -- but the results of these tests were never released to the public. It is quite obvious that something very unusual landed in South Africa, left landing traces, and was seen by two reliable witnesses. Unfortunately, it is quite certain that no further details will be released, and the mystery of what exactly landed in South Africa on September 17, 1965, will remain unsolved. see http://ufos.about.com/od/visualproofphotosvideo/ig/Best-UFO-Photographs/1956safrica-jpg.htm A photograph of an overflying UFO was also taken by the wife of an Air Force Officer, a couple of high standing in the community, in KwaZulu-Natal. Many other incidents were also reported in the Karoo desert north of Cape Town over a period of at least twenty years. Heidelberg in 1967 Andre Jordaan of Pretoria writes that he has actually seen UFOS in broad daylight, at the opening of the Higher Volks School in Heidelberg in South Africa in 1967, together with more than 1,000 pupils."We saw these strange objects carrying out incredible high-speed manouvers which we still cannot emulate today,' he said. "And because we all saw it together it could not have been hallucinations. Two weeks later, my mother told me about seeing a similar craft early in the morning from very close up while it flew across the defence force military camp where we lived. "Only after she told me, did I tell her what all the pupils had seen two weeks earlier - so she could not have been influenced by our earlier experience. If I hadn't experienced this myself, I would probably be quite sceptical about such events. I feel privileged that I witnessed this event.'" see http://jv.news24.com/Beeld/Video/0,,3-2082_2483091,00.html Conspiracy theories abound: And some people say UFO's were experimental oscillation designs from nazi Germany by an Austrian forester called Viktor Schauberger, who worked on the so-called "Repulsine' project. see -- http://www.scene.org/~esa/search/frank.germano. com/2006_03_10/viktorschauberger_5.htm One thing everybody does however agree on: nobody knows what these mysterious lights and machines really are. What are they? Unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, are merely the popular term for any aerial phenomenon whose cause cannot be easily or immediately determined, says Wikipedia. "Both military and civilian research show that a significant majority of UFO sightings are identified after further investigation, either explicitly or indirectly through the presence of clear and simple explanatory factors, The United States Air Force, which coined the term in 1952, initially defined UFOs as those objects which remain unidentified after scrutiny by expert investigators, though the term UFO is often used more generally to describe any sighting unidentifiable to the reporting observer(s). Popular culture frequently takes the term UFO as a synonym for alien spacecraft. Some investigators now prefer to use the broader term Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (or UAP), to avoid the confusion and speculative associations that have become attached to UFOs. Only a small percentage are hoaxes "Studies have established that only a small percentage of reported UFOs are actual hoaxes, while the majority are observations of some real but conventional object - most commonly aircraft, balloons, or astronomical objects such as meteors or bright planets - which have been misidentified by the observer as anomalies.' A small percentage of reported sightings (usually 5%-20%) are classified as unidentified flying objects in the strictest sense. The first reports and official investigations of UFOs began during World War II with sightings of so-called foo fighters by Allied airplane crews, There were widespread sightings of European "ghost rockets" in 1946. UFO reports became more common after the first widely publicized US sighting - reported by private pilot Kenneth Arnold in 1947 - which gave rise to the popular terms "flying saucer" and "flying disc". Since then, millions of people believe that they have seen UFOs, and tens of thousands of such reports have been catalogued. Although various conspiracy theories and pseudosciences revolve around UFO sightings, no support for non-natural explanations of UFOs has emerged from within mainstream science. One of the largest maintained databases, (http://www.ufocat.com/)UFOCAT, listed 172,000 sightings as of 2003, while the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) has collected over 40,000 reports since 1998. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unidentified_flying_object) see http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/269197 _______________________________________________________ January 5, 2009 UFOs on Cape Fear? By Corey G. Johnson Staff writer http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=314933 A Hope Mills man was recently on the Discovery Channel after claiming to see UFOs while fishing at the Cape Fear River. Christopher Bledsoe Sr, former owner of Bledsoe Properties, was the centerpiece of a documentary-style show on the cable channel called, UFOs over Earth. The show, which ran on Dec. 13, featured UFO investigator interviews with Bledsoe, who claimed he, his son and three friends saw three bright yellow circular objects hovering over a wooded area as they were fishing on the Cape Fear River in 2007. Producers with the show flew from California in June and spent several days videotaping and doing interviews. The experience moved the Fayetteville native from being a skeptic to now, devouring any bit of information about extraterrestrial life, he can, Bledsoe said Sunday. "Imagine seeing something as big as a school bus hovering in the air," Bledsoe, 47, said Sunday. "It scared the bejesus out of me." Several years ago, Bledsoe grappled numerous lawsuits and community scorn from scores of angry homeowners and suppliers who accused his company of unfinished repairs, unpaid for work. Eventually, Bledsoe quit the construction business and paid out thousands in liens and settlements. Although he is unemployed, Bledsoe"s reputation seems be on the upswing. Since the broadcast, hundreds of messages of support and interest in his UFO claims have crowded his Google e-mail account from places as far as Canada, Poland and Sweden. A wave of attention has beset the Bledsoe household. Last month a specialist in hypnosis spent days talking with Bledsoe about a possible book, he said. Bledsoe is also in demand as a speaker on UFO sightings. "I've never believed in UFOs and I never thought of such stuff," Bledsoe said. "But now, this might become one of the biggest cases in the world." Staff writer Corey G. Johnson can be reached at johnsonc@fayobserver.com or 323-4848, ext. 487 _______________________________________________________ January 5, 2009 'UFOs' spotted over North West UK http://www.derryjournal.com/journal/39UFOs39-spotted-over-North-West.4845292.jp Reports have been made of an unidentified flying object, described as a "ball of orange," over the north west during the Christmas period. Seven stargazers claim to have have spotted a UFO hovering over Fahan - or could it have been Santa on his sleigh? It appears the group of people-turned X-File detectives spotted round lights in the sky on Christmas eve. The awe-struck witnesses first thought the two orange-coloured lights was a helicopter or plane before realising they were too far apart and too low to be either. The group, who have not been identified, were so wowed by the sighting they decided to investigate further in the hope of discovering if anyone else had also saw what they believed to be a UFO. They even posted information of their sighting on a UFO worldwide sightings website, called www.ufoinfo.com. Their submission reads: "I noticed two lights in the sky. "They were an orange colour like street lights. They were far apart but moved together. "I thought it was a helicopter or airplane but they were too far apart and too low. there was no noise at all. "They moved across the sky maintaining the same distance from each other. I found your site after Googling UFO in News, sounds like a recent report from Scotland. I'd be really interested in finding out what the objects were." Meanwhile a family of three witnessed a sighting over Limavady at 4.58pm on Christmas Day. "Whilst out in the courtyard for some fresh air after Christmas dinner I saw a very bright fiery object in the sky directly overhead," the witness wrote on www.hbccufo.org "My first impressions where that it was a plane on fire because of the intense orangey red light emanating from the object. However, it slowed down to a standstill at which stage I ran for a witness; my son and his wife duly came out and confirmed the sighting. "At this stage the object started to move in a northerly direction and the fieriness of the object changed into three circular disks in a triangular formation as it moved away. It must have been at low altitude as it was under the cloud cover. My grandson reckoned it was Santa Claus going home after a busy night!" The festive sighting is not the first in Limavady. On February 13, 2008, other witnesses reported a similar sighting. "While having a cigar in the back garden I noticed a three-line formation of lights orange in appearance," wrote one man on www.ufoinfo.com "The three lights were blurry, but flashing quite large in size compared to a normal airplane. "They travelled in a south to north direction covering the line of sight in approximately 15 seconds a lot faster than a normal plane would travel." If you have also seen the mystery object, we would like to hear from you. Please contact our Derry Journal reporter, Donna Pryce on 048 7127 2277 or email donna.pryce@derryjournal.com Last year the a UFO report in the Journal sparked debate worldwide when Michael Harkin from Galliagh photographed a suspected UFO in the Prehen area of Derry. report listed at: http://www.derryjournal.com/journal/UFO-spotted-in-Derry.4068021.jp _______________________________________________________ Oct. 14, 2008 David E. Steitz Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1600 david.steitz@nasa.gov MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-202 NASA RELEASES DOCUMENTARY CELEBRATING AGENCY'S FIRST 50 YEARS WASHINGTON -- In celebration of its 50th anniversary, NASA will premiere the documentary "50 Years of Exploration: The Golden Anniversary of NASA" on NASA Television's Public and Education channels Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 9 p.m. EDT. Neil Armstrong hosts the 90-minute documentary that features film and video highlights of the agency's first half-century. Included are insights and perspectives from astronauts, scientists, engineers and others whose contributions have helped shepherd America's space program. Interviews include former NASA astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn, Apollo Flight Director Gene Kranz, author Ray Bradbury, NASA scientist and Nobel Prize winner John Mather, and presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. "50 Years of Exploration: The Golden Anniversary of NASA" is a production of NASA Television. It will be re-broadcast on NASA TV's Public and Education channels at 1, 5 and 9 p.m. EDT on both Thursday, Oct. 16, and Friday, Oct. 17. For NASA TV streaming video, schedules and downlink information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv For more information about NASA, visit: http://www.nasa.gov _______________________________________________________ October 12, 2008 UFO Gives A Kelowna Man The Fright Of His Life, West Of Kamloops, British Columbia Brian Vike October 11, 2008 http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/77182 I (Brian Vike) had been wandering around the town of Houston, B.C. when I met a person who stopped me and asked if I had heard from a man who lives in Kelowna, B.C. over a UFO sighting he had. The lady ended up giving me the name and number of the guy who wanted to contact me. His name is Harry who at one time used to live in Houston, B.C. where I am, and he was eager to tell his story of what went on around the Savona, British Columbia area. He related an amazing story to me over what he experienced. Harry had a large UFO incident which took place on August 31, 2008 at approximately 1:30 a.m. when he was on a week's holiday. The man was driving his pickup truck and pulling a trailer. All was fine on his journey as he traveled down Highway 97 heading south from Lac La Hache. He came to a main junction at Cache Creek where the highway can take you to Vancouver, B.C. following highway 97 south, or you can head east on the Trans-Canada Highway 1. The shortest route for him was the highway 1 which headed towards Kamloops, B.C. and other communities along the way. I should point out that this entire region of British Columbia is a hot, dry area. The climate around Savona is a semi-arid steppe climate due to its rainshadow location. While situated in a semi-arid valley, Savona has winters that are generally mild and very short with an occasional cold snap where temperatures can drop to around -30 DEG C (-22 DEG F) when arctic air floods over the Rocky Mountains into the interior. Harry reached Savona, still heading east and on the left/north side of the highway there is a fairly large company with all different types of used mining equipment scattered throughout their property. Just down the road a way, he came to a little store off to the side of the highway. All of a sudden to his right/south and coming from over top of the mountain was a very bright light. At first he thought maybe it might be people driving a 4x4 vehicle, but he quickly thought about it and he knew at that point there were no dirt roads on the side of the mountain. The light was still moving about and coming directly at him. (keep in mind this mountain wasn't all that high in altitude) As the light drew closer to him he was able to see clearly that this wasn't just one light, but three. Two lights positioned at the top and a single light at the bottom. Basically the lights took on the shape of a triangle. Eventually the three lights swooped down towards him and crossed over top the Trans-Canada Highway 1 and Harry's truck, placing the object on the north side of the highway and flying at tree top level. The craft made a turn and was now heading in the same direction as Harry was traveling, which would be east towards Kamloops, B.C. Harry tried to keep an eye on the object but at the same time watching where he was driving. The craft seemed to be pacing the truck then rose up slightly and then again swooped downward and Harry finally lost sight of it. He said it surprised him that the object vanished as he was sure it would appear again. Harry tried to rationalize what he had seen. Maybe an aircraft with pontoons landing on the lake, etc. But nothing seemed to click into place for him because it was a very unusual sight. Excitement over with, Harry continued driving. He went up a steep part of a hill which had a few sharp curves, he gets to the top and starts his descent down the hill and ahead of him on the highway, coming in his direction are the same lights he just finished observing minutes ago. He thought to himself, this has to be a truck or some type of vehicle and they should meet up very quickly. To his surprise the lights vanished once again. There was no turn off that he was aware of, so as he sat in his vehicle he wondered what the heck was going on. Not too far down the highway he spots what appears to be blue and white flashing lights and he thought that maybe there was a police road block or an accident. He slows the truck down preparing to come to a stop if need be, but what he thought was an emergency vehicle on the road wasn't the case. About 500 to 600 feet off to the left hand side of the highway was a strobing light. Harry said the flashing was intense, approximately every half second there was another flash. It was so fast and so very bright. Also it was stationary just off of the ground. All of a sudden the object jumped (as Harry put it), in other words, from a stationary position it appeared to rise up and drop down again. If you can, picture children playing leap frog is the best term that I can think of to use to illustrate the UFOs movements. He said the object went from a stop, then made about a 20 foot jump into the air in a split second, it jumped again and this time it made an estimated jump of approximately 50 to 60 feet and then it kept jumping at greater distances. He figured the UFO was now moving around 500 feet at a time. The object made numerous jumps and Harry wasn't sure if he was able to hear any sound or not. He thought the UFO gave off a swooshing sound, but again he couldn't be completely sure of this. This thing traveled along at an incredible speed. It made a final jump which had it heading straight towards Harry's truck. Pretty much freaking out at this point, Harry said the UFO, with one of the last jumps, landed maybe 100 feet behind the trailer he was pulling. This would have had the UFO hitting the asphalt/road behind him. After this he wasn't able to see the UFO anymore. He said he hit the gas pedal and was out of there. He told me that he had no plans of stopping to check this out and wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. That was it for his night's scary encounter with an Unidentified Flying Object. Brian Vike, Director HBCC UFO Research and host of the Vike Report UFO Eyewitness radio show. email: hbccufo@telus.net Website: http://www.hbccufo.org http://www.brianvike.com, http://www.hbccufo.com, http://www.hbccufo.net HBCC UFO Research International: http://www.hbccufointernational.org/ Just added, the Vike Report Radio Show Blog. You can check the blog out for archived radio shows and all the new and upcoming programs I do. http://thevikereport.blogspot.com/ HBCC UFO Research, Box 1091 Houston, British Columbia, Canada - VOJ 1ZO _______________________________________________________ October 12, 2008 UFO flight will be re-enacted on 30th anniversary 4:00AM Friday Oct 10, 2008 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10536744 Thirty years ago Safe Air pilot Bill Startup saw something out the window of his Argosy freight plane that has baffled UFO sceptics and believers to this day. Now, the famous Kaikoura UFO sightings of 1978 are to be repeated in a replicated flight in December, with Mr Startup and other crew and passengers in the plane. Marlborough-based film maker Paul Davidson, who owns the same Argosy at the centre of the mystery - the Merchant Enterprise - said a charter flight had been arranged to follow the same path at exactly the same time on December 30. Mr Davidson said the sightings were unique because not only were they witnessed by the two pilots, but they were also filmed by a professional news cameraman on board the flight. Two separate radar systems tracked the mysterious lights off the Kaikoura Coast at the same time as the sightings and previous witnesses had also reported strange lights in the area. Various theories have been put forward to explain the lights including atmospheric disturbance and distorted lights from the ground, but those aboard have no doubt what they saw. Mr Startup, who still lives in Blenheim, said there were "lots of funny things happening" that night. He wrote a book based on his observations. Cameraman David Crockett and journalist Quentin Fogarty were aboard the Merchant Enterprise specifically to try to see for themselves the strange lights that others had reported. Mr Fogarty also wrote a book on the subject. Mr Davidson said the flight later this year would take off from Blenheim Airport and head to Wellington, as the Merchant Enterprise had done. It would leave Wellington Airport at 11.50pm and head for Christchurch where they first encountered the strange lights over Kaikoura. All of those on the original flight had been invited and there would be seats available for those wanting to relive the UFO experience. The replica flight was one of a number of events taking place to mark the Kaikoura UFO Anniversary in Blenheim from December 28-31. Also planned is a UFO Symposium at the Marlborough Research Centre, tours of the Argosy aircraft involved and the premiere of Kaikoura - The Light Inside of Me, a contemporary musical inspired by the events of 1978. - NZPA _______________________________________________________ October 12, 2008 UFO Festival comes to Jersey City next weekend http://www.hudsonreporter.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1291&dept_id=523586&newsid=20160447&PAG=461&rfi=9 Does the terms UFO and alien abduction get your heart racing with excitement? Do you feel like you're the only one among your family and friends who thinks there are other beings besides humans in the universe? Then the second Annual Culture of Contact UFO Festival happening next weekend (Oct. 16 -18) at the Landmark Loew's Theatre in Jersey City is the place to be. It is the first year that the festival is taking place at the Loew's. Last year, it was held in Manhattan. The festival will feature experts discussing UFOs and alien abductions, as well as movies, music and art with an UFO theme. Among the festival highlights will be the appearance of William J. Birnes, star of the History Channel series UFO Hunters, and a screening of the 1953 film version of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds (also made into a movie in 2006 by Steven Spielberg) about an alien invasion of Earth. In conjunction with the events at the Loew's, there was an art exhibition at the Monroe Center for the Arts in Hoboken this weekend (Oct. 10-11). Culture of Contact formed last year out of a loosely-knit group of "experiencers" of alien contact who were living in New Jersey and New York. They came together to create an annual multimedia festival-like conference in New York City. Jeremy Vaeni, one of the organizers of the festival, talked last week about the event. "I think it is important because as people who believe in these sorts of things, we are out of place," Vaeni said. "I think one of the things is to show that people in positions of power are experiencing alien contact." Also participating in the festival will be Jersey City artist Melissa Reed, who says many of her works were influenced by her experiences with alien life. "Waking up to the infinite possibility that exists beyond everyday life is vitally important," Reed said. Saw UFO in Vermont Vaeni, a writer based in Queens, said this festival is an opportunity for people like him who have either witnessed aliens or UFOs. A Massachusetts native, Vaeni recalls at the age of 14 a family trip to Vermont to visit his grandparents. He said he had a unique encounter. "I look out among the fields and mountains and I see this object that's luminescent green and it's spinning in one direction at the top and in another direction on the bottom," Vaeni said. "When [my family] gets to our grandparents' house, we expect to be laughed at when we tell what happened. But instead they confirm they had similar sightings, and on their coffee table was the Time-Life book, "Mysteries of the Unknown." Vaeni also said this year's festival theme is "Mythology Is Reality," where there will be discussions on how myths and folklore in ancient history may be more than just stories, but are actual accounts of extraterrestrial life forms visiting this planet. "When archeologists look at the building of the pyramids in ancient Egypt, they come across accounts where it tells that the gods came down and gave us the knowledge to build the pyramids," Vaeni said. "But there is a belief that it may have been aliens, and we want to explore that further." Culture of Contact schedule The Culture of Contact Festival will be held at the Landmark Loew's Theater, 54 Journal Square, Jersey City. Details, directions and tickets can be found at www.cultureofcontact.com. The schedule of events is as follows: Thursday, Oct. 16: 6:30 p.m. - Jeremy Vaeni, Melissa Reed, and William J. Birnes 7 p.m. - "In Search of The Future" documentary screening. Intro w/Director Andrew Cameron Bailey & Producer Connie Baxter Marlow 9 p.m. - Q&A w/ Bailey & Marlow Friday, Oct. 17: Noon-5 p.m. - "Experiencer" and Native American chat circles. Pat Marcatillio's UFO Museum. Explore your own brain using Masahiro Kahata's brain tech inventions and your mind with Raymond Strano's perception-altering musical device. (Attractions run all day Saturday) 6 p.m. - Jeremy Vaeni introduces Washington lobbyist Stephen Bassett, who talks about possible government disclosure of alien presence. 7 p.m. - Native American band Ghosthorse performs. 8 p.m. - Tiokasin Ghosthorse gives keynote address for the festival. 9 p.m. - William J. Birnes introduces "War of The Worlds" screening. 9:15 p.m. - "War of The Worlds" screening. Saturday, Oct. 18: 10:30 a.m. - Michael Mannion & Trish Corbett 11:30 a.m. - Richard Dolan 12:30 p.m. - Giorgio Tsoukalos 1:30 p.m. - Lunch break and/or screening of documentary on Combustive Motor Corp. w/director Chris Noble 2:30 p.m. - Peter Robbins 3:30 p.m. - David Biedny 4:30 p.m. - Farah Yurdozu 5:30 p.m. - Dinner break and/or sneak peek screening of "The Hidden Hand" documentary w/Director James Carman 6:30 p.m. - Keynote addresses by Dr. Gregory L. Matloff and C. Bangs from NASA 7:30 p.m. - Speaker roundtable with surprise guest 8:30 p.m. - William J. Birnes 9:30 p.m. - "The Silent But Deadly Truthvolution of Truth," a comedy film premiere w/director Jeremy Vaeni Sunday, Oct. 19: Noon-4 p.m. - Culture of Contact Festival after-party at the Monroe Arts Center in Hoboken. Comments on this story can be sent to rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com The Hudson Reporter 2008 _______________________________________________________ October 6, 2008 SMALL ASTEROID TO LIGHT UP SKY OVER AFRICA WASHINGTON -- An asteroid measuring several feet in diameter is expected to enter the atmosphere over northern Sudan before dawn Tuesday, setting off a potentially brilliant natural fireworks display. It is unlikely any sizable fragments will survive the fiery passage through Earth's atmosphere. The event is expected to occur at 5:46 a.m. local time (10:46 p.m. EDT Monday). "We estimate objects this size enter Earth's atmosphere once every few months," said Don Yeomans of the Near-Earth Object Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "The unique aspect of this event is that it is the first time we have observed an impacting object during its final approach." The small space rock, designated 2008 TC3, will be traveling on an eastward trajectory that will carry it toward the Red Sea. "Observers in the region could be in for quite a show," Yeomans said. "When the object enters the atmosphere, it could become an extremely bright fireball." The small space rock first was observed by the Mount Lemon telescope of the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey early Monday. NASA detects and tracks asteroids and comets passing close to Earth. The Near Earth Object Observation Program, commonly called "Spaceguard," plots the orbits of these objects to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet. For more information, visit: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ _______________________________________________________ October 4, 2008 From Jason Baker, MRIPA Founder/Director [mailto: info@mpripa.net] I wanted to let everyone know about an upcoming paranormal convention in January. Jim McMichael (founder of N.I.G.H.T Paranormal) also here in Indiana, is working on setting up for a huge para-conference that will be downtown Indy at the Convention Center in January. MRIPA is very happy to be assisting NIGHT Paranormal with this fantastic event! Jim is looking for representation of all facets and beliefs, not only for vendor booths but also for workshops, motivational, inspirational and metaphysical specialities and speakers. This is all in the hopes of networking and helping the communities with any questions they might have. These will all be a masquerade ball and events etc as part of a fundraiser for "Make a wish foundation" The details are still being worked out, but hopefully be posted within the next few weeks so that planning can start. If you would like to submit interest in obtaining booth space or speaking. Please contact Jim at help@nightparanormal.com or Jason at info@mripa.net Please keep watching www.nightparanormal.com & www.mripa.net for more information regarding this great upcoming event!!! _______________________________________________________ September 23, 2008 Flaming UFO spotted last night in Wigan, Lancashire, U.K. Published Date: 23 September 2008 http://www.wigantoday.net/wigannews/Flaming-UFO-spotted-last-night.4518764.jp A man has emailed the wigantoday newsroom asking if anyone else saw a bizarre Unidentified Flaming Object in Shevington last night. His email in full reads ... Hi ... Did anyone else in the Shevington area/Shevington Moor area see the fire ball above Shevington High? I live opposite the playing fields on Parkbrook Lane. At about 9pm last night my daughter and I witnessed what looked like a giant firework/rocket flying several hundred feet on a horizontal path towards Elnup Woods. It was a only a matter of several seconds and disappeared or broke up before the woods. It was twice the speed of a firework and had a trailing flame behind it. This is not a wind up, other people in the area must have seen it. Frank Welch If you saw the object add your comments below ... Another email sighting dropped in regarding the story that appeared in the Wigan Reporter last week. It reads ... Hi, I saw a very similar object between 1996 and 1999. Don't remember the year. It was summer however. The difference between the drawing on your site and my siting was that there was a center ball with the others around it in a similar fashion as was drawn. Lest you think, I don't know what I saw, well I didn't know what it was and I am a recently retired airline pilot for Northwest Airlines. I flew for 21 years at NWA and 10 years prior at a regional airline(s). All the best, they're out there! Jeff "Griff" Griffin Colorado Springs And another one ... There were several of us sat outside at the Robin Hood in Orrell that saw the 'flaming' UFO on Sun 31 Aug. The flames were quite large, engulfing most of the object as it travelled from the Billinge Area towards Orrell Post, passing more or less directly overhead, and well below the cloud level. P Heywood And another one ... Dear sir/madam Last week me and my friend did see a white cloud-shaped object moving back and forward in the sky in the Worsley Mesnes area. This happened on a Friday night about 9pm, it wasn't a cloud or something because it was moving in the same place back and forward. _______________________________________________________ September 23, 2008 Another mass UFO sighting in Australia MATT CUNNINGHAM September 24th, 2008 http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/09/24/6103_ntnews.html THREE station workers and three backpackers have been left stunned after witnessing strange lights flying over a remote station in the NT outback. Ray Aylett, Normie Hooker and Alan "Doc" McIntosh were sitting on their pergola at Muckaty Station with three European backpackers when a bright light appeared. Mr Aylett, 58, said they were all stunned by the bizarre sighting. "This strange light was coming straight for us, over the house," he said. "We all walked outside and were watching it come towards us, then it went straight east and faded out.'' Mr Aylett, who has lived at the station north of Tennant Creek for eight years, said he couldn't believe his eyes as the bright light approached on a Thursday night two weeks ago. "This thing was strange,'' he said. "I have never seen anything like it. "Normie and Doc had never seen anything like it either, and those backpackers, they were in shock. "I was sitting there watching for a couple of minutes. "You could see it coming towards us but it wasn't a plane. It made no noise - you couldn't hear anything.'' Mr Aylett said there was no way their judgement could have been affected by alcohol. "Me and Doc had had a couple of beers, but Normie doesn't drink,'' he said. He said the light returned the next night, this time coming from the other direction. "One bloke went out with a pair of binoculars and said it just turned and went east,'' he said. _______________________________________________________ September 21, 2008 SAD NEWS: This evening, we received a short message notifying us that a close friend and wonderful lady, Anne Morrison passed away peacefully at her home this morning at 10:05 A.M. ET. As most know, Anne fought a desperate battle against extremely aggressive cancer. We are greatly grieved to hear this sad news, and our hearts go out to her family at this time. We also are so thankful for so many wonderful memories we have of Anne. She was a wonderful person and will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know her. Please pray for eternal peace for Anne, and solace for her family. ~Deb and Dave _______________________________________________________ September 19, 2008 Odd-shaped UFO spotted Published Date: 18 September 2008 (depiction of UFO posted at link: http://www.wigantoday.net/wigannews/Oddshaped-UFO-spotted.4505709.jp) Another weird-looking UFO has been spotted in the skies above Wigan. The day before the Wigan Reporter printed details of a mysterious object seen hovering near junction 27 of the M6 in Shevington Moor last month, another UFO was spotted by a number of people in Ashton-in-Makerfield. John Jones, from Ashton, was not aware of the story in the Reporter when he made his sighting, but felt compelled to come forward when he read about it the very next morning. John takes up the story: "It was about 7.30pm on Friday night (August 29) and I was looking up at the sky when I saw it. "It was a slightly overcast evening and the clouds were grey when I saw six very dark objects in very close formation. "They were like rubber balls and they were very close together in a circle. "My son was with me and we both had a look through our binoculars. The objects were turning towards the Downhall Green area and were in sight for a good five minutes below the line of the clouds. "They were very slow-moving but it definitely wasn't balloons and after observing them for some time they just seemed to vanish from sight." The next morning John saw our report of the Shevington UFO and couldn't believe his eyes. "I showed some people the picture in the paper and said that I had seen something similar the night before," he added. John thinks the strange object could have been an unmanned surveillance drone of some sort and is convinced it wasn't a plane or a helicopter. "It wasn't just myself and my son that saw the object - my son pointed it out to some of our neighbours as well and they agreed it was very strange. It didn't wobble at all, it just flew silently and slowly across the sky." In a separate incident, a man from Billinge e-mailed the Reporter on the subject of UFOs. His email read: "Did anyone else see the unusual flaming object in the sky over Billinge/Orrell at 9.35pm tonight? (Sunday, August 31). "It travelled in from the south west low in the sky, below cloud level, moved east slowly then picked up speed rising in the sky to the south east gathering speed until it disappeared. "Three of us saw this, we thought at first it was a balloon using the flame, but obviously it was not!" Have you seen a UFO in the skies above Wigan? Email us by clicking here newsroom@lancspublications.co.uk and let us know. _______________________________________________________ September 19, 2008 Update to Readers on Debbie's sister's medical condition: Debbie's sister Kathy, whom was also a subject in Budd Hopkins' book, "Intruders", and contributed to Debbie's book "Abducted", recently suffered a serious stroke. The latest report is that Kathy's condition has improved markedly and she is now continuing therapy at her home. All indications are that she is on a road to complete recovery. Many thanks to all those who supported us during this personal crisis. -Deb and Family _______________________________________________________ September 16, 2008 RAF officer breaks 37-year silence on UFO radar mystery Published Date: 14 September 2008 By Marc Horne http://news.scotsman.com/uk/RAF-officer-breaks-37year-silence.4489914.jp IT IS a close encounter of the official kind. A former RAF officer has claimed that UFOs are real and may have invaded UK airspace, branding official resistance to such theories as "stupid and arrogant". Wing Commander Alan Turner MBE was sworn to secrecy after he tracked a series of unidentified objects soaring over southern England at incredible speeds. But now the airman, who was honoured by the Queen for his years of distinguished service, has broken his silence and spoken publicly for the first time about his extraordinary experience. Turner, 64, a former head of air traffic control at RAF Lossiemouth, insists it is "stupid and arrogant" to rule out the existence of extra-terrestrials and is open to the suggestion that he witnessed craft from another world. But the Ministry of Defence stressed last night there were "realistic explanations" for such reports. The incident, which has baffled and haunted Turner for decades, took place at RAF Sopley on the south-west coast of England in the summer of 1971. At the time he was Duty Military Supervisor and had the responsibility of monitoring the skies on radar screens for potential Soviet incursions. On the day in question, Turner and his 13 colleagues were alarmed by a sudden and unexpected development. He said: "I can clearly remember people shouting: 'What the hell is that?' I got to a console and people were loudly telling me to look to the east of Salisbury Plain. "Twenty miles east of the eastern extremity was a series of returns, or radar blips, which were appearing in that position. There were five of them initially. Then six and then seven all following the same track. "They were tracking south-east, each exactly six to seven miles apart and moving at exactly the same speed. At about 40 miles from the point they appeared on radar, they disappeared, to be followed almost immediately by a replacement at the point of origin. "The objects were about 3,000ft above ground level when they first appeared and climbed so rapidly that, by the time they disappeared from radar they were in excess of 60,000ft. "To climb to such a height in only 40 miles was beyond the ability of almost any fighter aircraft at that time." In a bid to solve the mystery Turner diverted an RAF Canberra jet, which was returning from West Germany, to intercept the intruders. "When the pilot got within a mile or so of one particular blip, he reported, in a very agitated voice, that his radar had picked up something on his port side that was 'climbing like the clappers'. Neither the pilot nor his navigator made any visual contact with whatever it was." Within days, Turner was summoned into the Squadron Leader's office and questioned by two men, who wore civilian clothes and were not identified, about the incident. "I, along with all the others who were in the room on that day, were told in no uncertain terms not to relate what we had seen until cleared to do so." Turner, who was awarded the MBE in 1984 and retired from the force in 1995, has been assured that there were no training operations, classified or otherwise, going on at the time and there were no weather balloons or probes in the area. "I have no idea what they were, but I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility that they were UFOs. There is certainly a chance that we have been visited by extra-terrestrials," he said. "It is terribly arrogant and silly to think that we are alone in the universe." He feels the time is right to end his silence and has accepted an invitation to be the keynote speaker at an international UFO conference in Pontefract, Yorkshire, next month. "I have spoken to three ex-Air Force mates, who held senior positions, and they have seen similar things, but did not report them as they felt their personal integrity would be questioned. That is why I kept quiet for so long, but I know what I saw." _______________________________________________________ September 10, 2008 A Hoosier family needs our help. Brigitte has been a good friend to me for almost 25 years and has never asked anyone for any help. As a matter of fact, she is mentioned in Budd Hopkin's book about my family as well as my book. She has witnessed some of the strangeness that is my life and even had a few of her own weird expereinces. She is a good person who would do anything for her friends. So now it's time for her friends to do something for her and Brad. Please help if you can, by either attending the hog roast or making a donation. And, of course your prayers are deeply appreciated! A couple of years ago Brad Miller was diagnosed with lymphoma. This summer he had a successful bone marrow transplant and we are are happy to say, he is on the road to recovery. Because his immune system had to be completely shut down in order to accept the transplant, he will not be able to return to work for a few months. In the meantime, the company he works for was recently acquired by another company and his short term disability claim is being denied as a "pre-existing condition". His wife, my friend Brigitte, was laid off from her job and on top of everything else, they have had to take on the responsibility of raising their 5 year old granddaughter. They are having a hard time making it through these trying times and are in danger of losing their home. So, a bunch of Brad's fellow John Marshal High School Alumni are having a Hooligan Hog Roast! Saturday, October 4th, 2008 2 - 8pm $25 per adult ticket Students with ID $15 Children 6 and under free 6327 N. 300 W. Greenfield, IN 46140 (one block north of Tuttle's Orchard ) Mapquest link: http://www. mapquest. com/maps?city=Greenfield&state=IN&address=6327+N.+300+W.&zipcode=46140 FOOD * FUN * FRIENDS * FAMILIES Live Music * Corn Hole Tournament * Euchre Tournament * Bouncing House * Raffles * Prizes Live Music by Vinnie & the Moochers featuring JMHS Hooligan Kim Linn Karaoke / DJ / MC JMHS Hooligan Rhett Coles ALL proceeds go to help the Miller family with mounting expenses until Brad is able to return to work. Please spread the word! To purchase a ticket, make a donation or get more information, contact: Cindy Roberts Kelle - JMHS '72 317-595-0366 Donnie Bowsher - JMHS '72 317-354-3058 Tom and Debbie Welsh Ford - JMHS '69 & '70 317-823-8936 John and Carolee Tremain - JMHS '70 317-357-5692 Vicki Stephens - JMHS '70 317-842-0144 _______________________________________________________ September 10, 2008 Wednesday, 10th September 2008 UPDATE - more UFO sightings in orange lights 'mystery' Published Date: 09 September 2008 By Gemma Gadd http://www.louthleader.co.uk/news/UPDATE--more-UFO-sightings.4472283.jp Tuesday 3pm - MORE sightings of orange light 'UFOs' over Louth have been witnessed recently - leading some to suggest the mystery is far from solved. As the Leader reported last week, Legbourne residents Jeff and Eve Sardeson spotted three orange orbs moving silently across the sky from their garden on August 24. Now others have come forward to say they saw similar lights last Saturday, September 6. One witness, David Winfarrah from Louth, said the encounter left him shook up: "I was walking near the old malt kiln at around 9.30pm and saw an orange light hovering and moving around in an erratic way before disappearing. I didn't know what it was and it really shook me up so I turned back for home shaking." David Howard from Louth said he also saw orange lights on Saturday night: "I was outside my house with a neighbour looking towards Grimsby and saw three of the lights moving across the sky in the same pattern." On reader suggestions they could have been sky lanterns, Mr Howard added: "There wasn't much breeze that night, and if they were sky lanterns I would have expected some flickering or variation in their flight pattern, but there wasn't." However, as previously reported, some readers who claim the truth is out there have contacted the Leader with their theories. Ellie Butler from South Ormsby claimed to have seen one of the orbs up close, as she explained: "The orange lights had me confused too as I was at Cadwell recently and spotted one. "However the next night I witnessed the truth - they were indeed sky lanterns. One set off from a tent near ours and headed off towards Louth with a beautiful orange glow." She added: "So I am afraid the UFO is now an identified flying object." -What do you think the orange lights were? Email gemma.gadd@jpress.co.uk _______________________________________________________ September 3, 2008 UFO caught on camera above Bradford, UK 8:29am Wednesday 3rd September 2008 By Will Kilner [video available at link: http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/3641726._UFO__caught_on_camera_above_city/] A Bradford man has described the moment he saw a UFO in the skies above his home. Richard Ing, of Westminster Avenue, Clayton, said he watched in amazement from the balcony of his house as it passed over Bradford city centre, Clayton and off towards Denholme. The 40-year-old printer said: "There were eight of us who saw it " four adults and four children. "We are all sensible people and were amazed by what we saw. "It was a massive fireball half the size of an aeroplane. "We got it on a mobile phone, which does not do it justice. "Maybe someone else has seen it or can explain it. It was 8.20 on Saturday night. If I had not seen it myself, there"s no way in the world I would have believed it." Mr Ing"s daughter, Chloe Ing, aged 12, said: "It was like a glowing ball, it was orange and just kept going across the sky." e-mail: will.kilner@telegraphandargus.co.uk _______________________________________________________ August 28, 2008 UFO mysteries deepen with more encounters Published Date: 28 August 2008 By Ian Duncan http://www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk/news/UFO-mysteries-deepen-with-more.4433496.jp SCARBOROUGH is continuing to have close encounters after more reported sightings of strange objects in the sky. At the end of July there were reported sightings of a white glowing sphere above houses, travelling slowly in an easterly direction before disappearing into a sea fret. Now, a witness has contacted the Evening News to say he spotted strange orange coloured lights above Scarborough Castle on the night of Friday August 15. Adam Meads, a 30-year-old graphic designer from Burniston, said he had just dropped some items off at one of the North Bay chalets and was driving past the former site of the Corner Cafe when he saw the UFOs at 9.30pm. He said: "There were two lights above the castle and they seemed to be stationary. They started moving so I got out of the car. I turned the engine off but I couldn't hear anything. They then flew out over the bay and they became four lights." Mr Meads added the objects were fairly large and if they had been an aircraft then he would have heard the sound of engines. He said: "The light was orangey and they were big enough to notice that they were circular." And similar lights were filmed on two separate occasions, later that same night, by former fighter pilot Win Keech. Russ Kellett, a Filey-based UFO hunter, sent the clips to the Evening News for its website. The first clip was filmed at about 10pm from Saltersgate, over RAF Fylingdales, and shows two orange balls of light which are very close together. And the second clip was filmed about 30 minutes later from Whitby and shows the lights banking before flying out over Robin Hood's Bay. Mr Kellett said: "It is an ex-pilot who filmed it, he knows what he's talking about. What was an aircraft doing in a no-fly zone, over Fylingdales?" He added that sometimes mysterious lights in the sky can be explained as Chinese lanterns � gas filled lights which float, have no means of propulsion, and are at the mercy of prevailing winds. "These are definitely not Chinese lanterns," he said. "I would say that sightings go through peaks and troughs. About four years ago it peaked and we did have quite a few good sightings and videos as well." Mr Kellett first became interested in the subject after he experienced a "close encounter" in West Yorkshire, in 1988 when he was waiting at a level crossing and was hit by a beam of light from above. He thought nothing more of the event until the next day at work when people asked if he had seen himself in the mirror -- his face and hands were completely sunburned. _______________________________________________________ August 27, 2008 UFO-style lights in sky confirmed 3:04pm Wednesday 27th August 2008 By Hannah Crown http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/localnews/3626062.UFO_style_lights_in_sky_confirmed/ THE SIGHTING of a strange orange rugby ball-shaped UFO in Winchmore Hill has been confirmed by more readers. Last week investment banker Alison Moynihan told the Independent how she had seen the objects making their way purposefully through the skies close to her home in Hillcrest. Now, five more people have contacted the Independent with reports of UFOs, ranging from a cone-shaped light with an orange halo to a rugby-ball shaped spacecraft. It has emerged that in the neighbouring street the lights were also seen by Trina Archer when they appeared on the night of Sunday, August 10. She said: "I saw one circling the tree in Barber Close and it went off towards Grange Park. I think it's quite fascinating. It was very bright orange." Ms Moynihan ruled out the possibility of it being a Chinese lantern or an aircraft but it seems it has not been the only unexplained sighting. Mrs Archer, of Wades Hill, was alarmed by a sighting of lights above her street the previous weekend. She said: "The only way I can describe it was as a jellyfish type of light. They changed colour from white to green and they appeared to be playing. "My husband called the police and while he was on the phone I called one of my neighbours out. "She went inside and rang her husband and he said he could see them from Chase Farm." After the incident, Mrs Archer's husband Neil Edwards contacted the Ministry of Defence to see if they knew anything about it, but they told him that the only sighting they had received that evening was from Somerset. He said: "But when I spoke to the police they told me there had been lots of other sightings that night." Mr Edwards, a former member of the Paratroop Regiment, said: "It takes a commercial aircraft 45 seconds to travel from one side of the sky to the other and this thing took three seconds." * Do you have an explanation? Call the newsdesk on 8884 7414 or email hcrown@london.newsquest.co.uk _______________________________________________________ August 25, 2008 QinetQ's Zephyr Captures Unmanned Flight Record The solar powered aircraft soared 60,000 feet above the Sonoran Desert for more than 82 hours. By K.C. Jones InformationWeek August 25, 2008 10:53 AM A British company that consults with the U.S. Department of Defense said Sunday that it has set an unmanned flight record. QinetiQ said its Zephyr, a solar-powered, high-altitude, unmanned aerial vehicle, flew for 82 hours and 37 minutes from the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. That exceeds Zephyr's previous record of 54 hours, which was set last year. The previous record for an unmanned flight was 30 hours and 24 minutes. A Northrop Grumman Global Hawk set that record in 2001. "The Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona was an appropriate setting for Zephyr's world beating flight as many landmark aviation developments have taken place there in recent years," Simon Bennett, managing director of QinetiQ's Applied Technologies business, said in an announcement. "In addition to setting a new unofficial record, the trial is a step towards the delivery of Zephyr's capability for joint, real-time, battlefield persistent surveillance and communications to forces in the field at the earliest opportunity." The U.S. Department of Defense funded the demonstration flight after cooperating with its counterpart in the United Kingdom to develop the Zephyr under their Joint Capability Technology Demonstration Programme. The program aims to deliver urgently needed technology to the U.S. military for combat, and the Zephyr flight marks the first time the U.S. and U.K. governments worked together on a joint demonstration of a high altitude, unmanned aerial vehicle, according to QinetiQ. Zephyr is an ultra-lightweight, carbon-fiber aircraft, powered by amorphous silicon solar arrays thinner than paper. The arrays cover its wings and provide power during the day. Rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries, from SION Power Inc, store the energy and power the aircraft at night. Satellite communications and autopilot allowed the Zephyr to fly at an altitude of more than 60,000 feet above the Sonoran Desert -- where temperatures soared to 113 degrees F -- from July 28 to July 31. The trial allowed the military to assess U.S. government communications payload and the information gleaned could be applied to Earth observation and communications relay for military, security, and civilian purposes. U.S. CENTCOM, which is responsible for command in Iraq and Afghanistan, supported the Zephyr, as did the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) for Advanced Systems and Concepts (AS&C) and the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC). _______________________________________________________ August 23, 2008 UFOs, Sovereignty and Politics http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/71678 Michael Salla August 22, 2008 "UFO ignorance is political rather than scientific"- that's the conclusion of two prominent university professors who had the results of their research on UFOs published in the August 2008 edition of Political Theory. It was the first time a major political science journal had published an article dealing with the UFO phenomenon so it has predictably sparked controversy in the academic world. The joint authors of "Sovereignty and the UFO," are Alexander Wendt, Professor of International Security at Ohio State University; and Professor Raymond Duvall, Chair of Political Science at the University of Minnesota. Their article breaks new ground in opening up for academic debate the way in which evidence of UFOs has not been seriously analyzed in the modern era. Their main argument is that this is due to a "metaphysical threat" that UFOs pose to the sovereignty of modern states. This threat comes not from the reality of UFOs as an inexplicable physical phenomenon that ultimately have mundane explanations, but the implicit assumption that UFOs are intelligently guided vehicles controlled by extraterrestrial intelligences (the extraterrestrial hypothesis). Wendt and Duvall argue that a serious study of UFOs could undermine the "anthropomorphic sovereignty" under which modern states operate. They explain in their paper: "When sovereignty is contested today, therefore, it is always and only among humans, horizontally so to speak, rather than vertically with Nature or God. In this way modern sovereignty is fundamentally anthropocentric (pp.607-608)." Put simply, only humans compete for sovereignty over the population, resources and territory of the planet. In the absence of any conclusive scientific evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life, political sovereignty remains an exclusively human affair. This is why, according to Wendt and Duvall, modern states have not devoted sufficient scientific resources to the UFO problem. Since 1947 over 100,000 UFOs have been reported worldwide, many by militaries. However, neither the scientific community nor states have made serious efforts to identify them, the vast majority remaining uninvestigated... . For both science and the state, it seems, the UFO is not an "object" at all, but a non-object, something not just unidentified but unseen and thus ignored (p. 610). This directly led to Wendt and Duvall concluding that states are deliberately promoting an "epistemology of ignorance." They write: "our puzzle is not the familiar question of ufology, "What are UFOs?" but, "Why are they dismissed by the authorities?" Why is human ignorance not only unacknowledged, but so emphatically denied? In short, why a taboo?" (p. 611). One critic, Henry Farrell, responded to their paper arguing that "the evidence is inadequate to the claims made." . In their online response to Farrells criticism , Wendt and Duvall agreed that they had supplied insufficient evidence in support of their theory but that the "intent in the paper is not in any case to test our theory: it is to demonstrate the existence of an unacknowledged puzzle, and then, in the spirit of systematic theorization, offer what we think is a plausible solution to it." Farrell's criticism is the familiar skeptical position used not only to challenge the evidence supporting UFO research and the extraterrestrial hypothesis in the first place, but also claims that governments are systematically covering up, or in denial over, the evidence. Wendt and Duvall are not positing a systematic government cover up of the evidence, but are proposing the theory that there exists a deep denial by the modern state over the significance of UFO evidence: "the sovereign represses the UFO out of fear of what it would reveal about itself (p. 625). UFO researchers have long claimed that the governments have covered up evidence confirming the extraterrestrial hypothesis, or are in denial over the evidence. Terms such as "Cosmic Watergate" have been coined to describe the government UFO cover-up, and how this systematically has influenced public perceptions over the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Other researchers have referred instead to a government "foul-up" which is that governments basically have mangled the scientific research of UFOs, and its up to civilian researchers to shepherd government authorities back onto the right track. Wendt's and Duvall's theory is a variation of the government foul-up argument. Rather than governments consciously choosing to neglect the serious study of UFOs through a deliberately thought out public policy process, this denial is expressed unconsciously due to the metaphysical threat posed by UFOs. They point out that these "are questions of social rather than physical science, and do not presuppose that any UFOs are ETs. Only that they might be" (p. 611). Consequently, this leads to arguably Wendts and Duvalls most significant observation about the fundamental nature of the UFO issue stated at the beginning of this article, "UFO ignorance is political rather than scientific" (p. 613). The greatest contribution of Wendt's and Duvall's article is that it correctly casts light on the political factors that contextualize evidence of UFOs and the extraterrestrial hypothesis. For decades, many have argued that the study of UFOs is a scientific problem that requires a strict application of the scientific method to get definitive answers. The scientific approach has made little progress since political factors have not been properly accounted for in the way modern states are in denial about the evidence (the foul-up thesis), and/or cover-up hard evidence supporting the extraterrestrial hypothesis. The shift from a purely scientific approach to a more politically oriented understanding ought to be greatly welcomed. It will provide greater awareness of how modern states participate in the study of UFOs and the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Wendts and Duvalls "Sovereignty and the UFO," moves academia one step closer to formal political studies of evidence concerning the extraterrestrial hypothesis, and its public policy implications. That will ultimately lead, as I argue elsewhere, to the development of exopolitics as the formal political discipline for studying the public policy implications of extraterrestrial life. _______________________________________________________ August 23, 2008 Mystery lights fuel UFO speculations throughout Calder Valley Published Date: 23 August 2008 By Staff Copy http://www.todmordennews.co.uk/news/Mystery-lights-fuel-UFO-speculations.4411735.jp IT'S not the first time that Calder Valley residents have seen mysterious lights in the night sky, but a number of sightings over the past few weeks are remarkably similar in description. Between the end of July and this week householders up and down the length of the valley, from Todmorden to Mytholmroyd, have described seeing silently moving bright yellow or orange lights make their way across the sky in a way that does not seem like conventional aircraft. And another possible explanation, that they are hot air balloons, seems unlikely because the lights are seen in the night sky. First residents in the Burnley Road area of Todmorden saw patterns of lights on the night of Saturday, July 26. Gemma Kipping said family guests were visiting. "Some of them left before the others and were walking home but rang us after they had set off to say 'there are aliens above your house!' "So we went outside and I saw three bright orange lights moving uniformly with what looked like a straggler at the end. The three at the front looked like a triangle effect. They weren't making any noise," she said. While the family watched, a dozen or so customers from the nearby Hare and Hounds pub on Burnley Road, Todmorden, were also watching the lights move across the sky, said Gemma. "I didn't know what they were," she added. "The ideal explanation would have been that they were a hot air balloon, but surely not in the dark?" Similar lights were also seen on the night of Saturday, August 2, at 11.15 pm by other Burnley Road residents including Sylvia Sinclair, who contacted the newspaper after reading about similar descriptions of lights in the sky from residents of Mytholmroyd in our sister paper the Evening Courier. Sylvia explained that friends were leaving her home at Lineholme when they all saw the lights, which appeared to be coming over to the Whirlaw side of the valley. "They came in twos and looked like big orange lights. They were making no noise and there were six, in pairs. The last one seemed to float over," she said. Like Gemma, Sylvia wondered if they could be balloons but thought they were too high for that. "While we were looking a teenager came down the street and said they were out at the Hare and Hounds looking at the lights. They were just silent, going slowly across the sky," she said. The next sighting of strange lights came further down the valley, on Monday, August 11, in the Mytholmroyd area. Cragg Vale resident Chris Granger told the Courier he was shocked to see six strange lights for two to three minutes before they disappeared, emerging from the cloud base in pairs and moving towards Hebden Bridge. The ex-RAF avionics technician said: "They moved in a very erratic manner and did not display the flight characteristics of a conventional aircraft. Nor did they display the normal lighting array of a conventional aircraft - flashing white strobe and red and green navigation lights." Cleveley Gardens residents Peter and Marion Ackroyd also saw something spooky. They also wondered if they were balloons but thought they were going too fast, in addition to the lack of any engine noise. Earlier this week Mytholmroyd resident Mark Jeffreys said his wife Mandy called him and sons Matthew and Liam outside where they saw seven orange lights coming over, two together, another two, then one and then a final two. Mandy said: "It couldn't have been helicopters because they were orange lights, not white. I've never seen anything like it, but Mark said he thought he'd seen something similar when he was a kid." The Calder Valley is home to one of the world's most famous cases involving Unidentified Flying Objects, that of Todmorden's Alan Godfrey, then a serving policeman. Alan's case, which dates back to 1980, was examined by a Channel 5 documentary only weeks ago. While on mobile patrol in Burnley Road he described and sketched in his police notebook an object which appeared to be hovering over the road. He then cannot consciously remember anything for a period of time, coming round further down the road. Under hypnosis with a senior police officer present he described being taken aboard an alien spacecraft and examined - but remembers none of this consciously. Police officers from two different forces reported seeing an unexplained object zip across the valley on the night in question and the amount of information officially logged made it one of the best documented cases in the world, and one which continues to fascinate people who discover it. Can anyone explain the latest series of so far unexplainable sightings? _______________________________________________________ August 23, 2008 Man wants to give Obama UFO briefing http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/08/22/Man_wants_to_give_Obama_UFO_briefing/UPI-74061219440402/ DENVER, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- A man who wants to form an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission in Denver says he would like to meet with Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama. Jeff Peckman is pushing a ballot initiative that would create the panel. He has offered to give the Illinois senator a briefing on space aliens, The Rocky Mountain News reported Friday. "I can get him information that I believe is better than what he would get as president," Peckman said. He added that a meeting with Obama is unlikely. Obama will be in Denver to accept the Democratic presidential nomination next week. "I don't expect anybody to let me meet him in person," Peckman said. In addition to a meeting with Obama, he is also asking the Democratic Party to include a plank in their platform that includes holding "open, secrecy-free hearings on the UFO/extraterrestrial presence on and around Earth." _______________________________________________________ August 14, 2008 UK UFO group 'serious' over new sightings 09:47 - 14 August 2008 http://www.royston-crow.co.uk/content/crow/news/story.aspx?brand=ROYWestOnline&category=News&tBrand=HertsCambsOnline&tCategory=newslatestROY&itemid=WEED14%20Aug%202008%2009%3A51%3A42%3A597 BARELY a week has passed this summer without one national newspaper or another carrying a story about UFO sightings across Britain. And now UFOs are claimed to have been spotted over Royston, too. The Crow was contacted by paranormal investigation group Scope Paranormal, which said that four employees on the York Way industrial estate had spotted an unusual object in the sky at 1am on July 25. The witnesses said that they saw a "bat-winged" shape with an orange circle of light in the middle hovering silently over the industrial estate for about 20 seconds. It then disappeared at speed. And when Scope Paranormal decided to visit the industrial estate to investigate further, we went to meet them. Sharon Chesterman, one of the group's investigators, said that most of this summer's sightings can be dismissed as Chinese lanterns, which are often lit and released into the night sky at parties and barbecues. But she does NOT believe that Chinese lanterns are responsible for the sightings in Royston. "We are taking this sighting seriously because the shape of the bat wings is very rare and there was also more than one witness," she said. "Out of hundreds of sightings nationally this summer, we believe this is the first bat-winged object." According to information released by the Ministry of Defence, the last reported UFO sighting over Royston was on September 2, 2001. The report states that a witness saw a rectangular-triangle shaped object with a white pulsating light moving north-east. Scope Paranormal was founded in November 2007 and offers a free, confidential investigation service for all things paranormal, including UFO sightings. Trevor Shreeve, one of the co-founders of the group, said: "We use scientific techniques to try and prove or disprove whether something is paranormal or a natural or man-made occurrence." To contact Scope Paranormal, call 01438 235 778 or e-mail mail@scope-paranormal.com _______________________________________________________ August 12, 2008 UFO sighting in Hoboken? by Jason Monday August 11, 2008, 12:17 PM http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2008/08/ufo_sighting_in_hoboken.html Take me to your leader! Hoboken has apparently been targeted as a cool vacation spot for extraterrestrial travelers. Yes, you heard it here, a UFO was apparently sighted in the skies over the Mile Square City on Saturday night, perhaps in town to attend the nearby All Points West Festival, or maybe just dropping in to pick up some of that famous, out-of-this-world cannoli at Carlo's. There's even video evidence - or, is that "evidence"? (AT URL: http://aliencasebook.blogspot.com/2008/08/ufo-sighting-hoboken-new-jersey-aug-9.html) Anyone else spot ET on Saturday night? _______________________________________________________ August 12, 2008 Gran sights UFO over New Forest By Ash Bolton http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/latest/display.var.2423148.0.gran_sights_ufo_over_new_forest.php A HAMPSHIRE camper claims to have spotted a UFO that was travelling "faster than a plane" over the New Forest. Grandmother Jasmine Percy was packing up her tent to leave Ashurst campsite when she spotted an orange oval disc shaped object that appeared to be on fire. Mrs Percy, 60, a childcare worker, from Farnborough, said: "My first reaction was good grief it looks like there's a plane on fire. There was no noise or no sound and it was travelling faster than a plane. "I have no idea what it was but it seemed to be coming from Brockenhurst and heading towards Southampton. It was very bright and visible for about a minute." Did you see the UFO at 10.30pm on Sunday night or take any pictures? If so email ash.bolton@dailyecho.co.uk or phone 02380 424496. _______________________________________________________ August 11, 2008 Ufo Sightings In Welwyn Garden City And Hatfield 10:57 - 11 August 2008 [ photo of UFOs available at: http://www.whtimes.co.uk/content/whtimes/news/story.aspx?brand=WHTOnline&category=News&tBrand=HertsCambsOnline&tCategory=newslatestWHT&itemid=WEED11%20Aug%202008%2010%3A57%3A58%3A303 ] OVER the weekend the WHT have been inundated with reports of UFO sightings across Times Territory skies. Readers have seen a mass group of lights flying in formation on several separate occasions. On Friday night "eight orange diamond shaped objects" were seen at 11pm across Welwyn Hatfield. Rachel Albuquerque, from High Grove, WGC, said: "I heard one of the taxi drivers say what on earth is that in the sky. "I looked up to see a number of probably eight orange diamond shaped objects. "These were high above the Howard Centre and shimmering. "One of the objects travelled to a different position whilst the others appeared to be hovering. "They were definitely not aeroplanes, my husband is a pilot and he would know, he would estimate they could have been 20 or 30 miles away if not further. "We watched for a couple of minutes and as some cloud cleared there appeared to be more coming in from the west. "I felt panicked by the sighting and hurried home, thinking something awful might be about to happen. It did feel like being in a sci-film for a few minutes." The weekend previous, on Saturday August 2, Emma Madgwick, who was at a house party in Valley Road told the WHT she also saw lights flying in formation across the sky. "There is no way they were aeroplanes or anything like that. "I was the first to see them and at first I thought they were just stars but they were glowing yellow, a really unusual colour. "I then called out everyone and we were all out watching them for ages. "My friend was so convinced that they were some kind of UFO that she turned on the news. _______________________________________________________ August 11, 2008 Published: August 10, 2008 10:50 pm West Virginia almost a UFO heaven? Mannix Porterfield Register-Herald Reporter http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_223225053.html West Virginia prides itself as a land of majestic mountains, sparkling streams, coal to feed hungry power plants, a unique place in American history and a fiercely independent people accustomed to overcoming hard times with a resiliency unrivaled by anyone else. Now add another chapter to the 35th state's storied history -- more documented UFO activity than any other place in America. Even eclipsing Roswell. For proof, author-researcher Frank Feschino points to his exhaustive study that revealed three separate alien aircraft crash-landed a combined 10 times on the historic night of Sept. 12, 1952, the benchmark of the UFO phenomena, when the "Flatwoods Monster" was born. All of the craft escaped, although heavily damaged by hopscotching across the rugged terrain of West Virginia, flying low to avoid radar detection, he says. "They were damaged and puddle jumping, and taking off -- that's what they were doing," Feschino says. On a steep hillside, a bevy of youngsters drawn away from a game of sandlot football, along with some adults, were shaken out of their shoes by the spectacle of a 12-foot, metallic object that emanated a pungent odor of sulfur and made sounds that reminded one witness of bacon sizzling in a fry pan. Feschino has two books published on the Flatwoods incident, and a third is a work in progress to be titled "The Flatwoods Monster -- From Myth to Reality." Come Sept. 12 -- the 56th anniversary of that riveting episode in Mountain State folklore -- Feschino and renowned UFO researcher-lecturer Stanton Friedman plan to headline the opening of a two-day, second extravaganza, this one set in St. Albans, where the author says a craft landed in a frenzy of activity half a century ago. This year's show is titled "Flatwoods Monster meets Mothman," the latter a reference to a bird-like creature said to have haunted Point Pleasant just before the 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge. A key player will be Freddie May, one of the youngsters lured from a pickup game of football back in 1952 and a surviving witness to the "Flatwoods Monster." An illess kept him from appearing at last summer's first such event. Feschino gleaned up to 70 percent of his findings in plowing through the Air Force's official document on unknown aircraft, titled "Project Blue Book," and finds its amazing that Roswell, N.M., for all its reputation, is covered very little in government papers. "You have some newspaper reports that say the Army captured the saucer, but as far as the case itself, the official standing on the Roswell case is that it didn't happen," he says. Based on "Blue Book," 1952 was the high water mark for UFO activity, with 1,501 reports and 303 officially listed as "unknowns," and the largest concentration -- 1,134 reports -- came in the summer months of July, August and September. Officially, the government uses the term "flap," describing it as "a condition, a situation or a state of being, of a group of persons, characterized by an advanced degree of confusion that has not quite reached panic proportions." For some reason, Feschino says, no one paid any attention to Flatwoods, but the author invested 17 years of his life digging into the story, learning of 100 different locations where suspected alien craft were spied in nine states, largely along the Eastern Seaboard. "There were thousands of people who saw these things, up and down the East Coast," he says. "What I did was to figure out the flight path trajectories. I worked with all types of people -- aeronautical people, pilots, astronomers, scientists, jet people, police officers, Air Force people. They helped and assisted me by putting this whole mess of sightings together." Using his own master map, he pinpointed the flights unearthed by exhaustive research. "And over all the years researching the story, it just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger," Feschino said. "By using the 'Blue Book' as my primary source, I would go into local newspapers and just pick up the trails. When I figured out what direction these UFOs were flying, I would go from the Baltimore area and through Maryland, West Virginia and Ohio, and I picked up the trail these UFOs were flying that night." On the critical night of Sept. 12, Feschino says, he learned of 21 hours of sustained UFO activity, and West Virginia was the hub of it all. "There were 10 actual crash landings that night in West Virginia," he says. "They're all documented. This is what took 17 years to figure out." In order, some of those landings occurred when the first spaceship crashed at Oglebay Park near Wheeling, at St. Albans, in Charleston, then up in a suburb named South Hills, back into the Watt Powell Park area of the capital and in Cabin Creek, where the same UFO landed five times, the author says. A second craft buzzed the nation's capital, flew over Virginia, then landed in Flatwoods at 7:25 p.m., where the local denizens christened it the "Green Monster," Feschino said. Finally, a third ship hit the earth in a community called Holly, just outside Flatwoods, took off and crashed a second time in Sugar Creek along the Elk River, lifted off again and then went into a third tailspin at Frametown, the author said. Some debris was scattered at the Flatwoods crash site and was shipped off by an Air Force officer to Washington, including pieces of metal and chunks of an unknown, plasticlike material. "I suppose if you went digging through some of these areas, you might find something," Feschino speculated. Feschino cannot say if any effort was ever made by any of the alien invaders to make contact with West Virginians or other earthlings, but says their ships ranged from the standard saucer-shape model to the round ones with a flat side, to ones that resembled cigars. Yet, his long-running and exhaustive research have convinced him that he has unearthed the truth. "I actually re-drove and re-enacted that whole night, driving all through Braxton County," he said. "It took me years to do it. It was a cold case and I reconstructed it." -- E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com _______________________________________________________ August 11, 2008 Australian UFO sightings surge Lea Emery and Darren Cartwright August 10, 2008 06:00pm [photo gallery available at URL http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24157056-952,00.html] THIS year could set a record for UFO sightings across Australia as the new X-Files movie sparks renewed interest in extra terrestrial lifeforms. That's according to Diane Harrison, national director of the Australian UFO Research Network, which has recorded more than 50 apparent UFO visits across the country in the past fortnight. "We usually only get between 10 and 20 reports a week," she told couriermail.com.au. The release of the X-Files film I Want to Believe is being credited with encouraging the recent surge in UFO reports - which is all the more remarkable as sightings usually dip in the winter months as people spend less time out of doors. The most likely place you'll see strange lights in the sky is in northern Queensland. "There are a lot of sightings around the Atherton Tablelands, Ravensbourne, Tully and Dalby," she said. "I'd say that is because the sky is clearer and lights in the sky are easier to see. The Sunshine Coast also has a little bit of activity. Closer to Brisbane, Ipswich is considered the southeast's alien hotspot. Have you seen a UFO? Contact couriermail.com.au _______________________________________________________ August 7, 2008 New sighting report from July 24, 2008 near Kokomo, Indiana A close friend reported she and 6 relatives witnessed OBOLs in the sky above her property on July 24th (2008) around 9:30 P.M. They were in the northwestern sky. (She is on 300 S, about 4 miles west of US 31, in Howard County, Indiana.) They had just settled down into their lawn chairs around a campfire to socialize and to have some snacks. The night was pleasant and the weather conditions were ideal for skywatching and sitting outside. The objects they sighted were described as sparkling orange balls of light (OBOLs). The witnessed objects showed up out of nowhere. As they kept appearing and disappearing, she estimated there might have been a dozen of them. The sighting lasted for an estimated 15 minutes. They were so stunned at the sighting that no one thought to grab a camera. She mentioned that no one felt threatened or frightened. The respondent of this report said they were HUGE. She described them as being about the size of a door knob or light bulb, in the sky at arms length. She said they were willy nilly all over the sky, about 1000 ft up at about a 45 degree angle. She stated there were no noises from the objects. She reported that they popped in and out and had no formations nor were they in any line or row, unlike the last time she saw them. This time they were not in any organized line or formation and would disappear from one spot and reappear in a totally different place. She said it was amazing. She doesn't want her identity known. She might be persuaded to explain the sighting at the MUFON symposium in Kokomo on August 16th. (see information about the Symposium on the links page on this website.) She is a totally credible person. I have known her well for 15 years and will totally vouch for her credibility. She is very stable and level-headed and a very kind soul who would never intentionally deceive anyone. I believe her. The other witnesses are all from other towns, but If they ever come back, I hope to interview them all, as well. She showed me where they were sitting and where the lights were. ~Deb _______________________________________________________ August 6, 2008 UFO sightings - "It's time for an official inquiry." Paranormal investigators want Government probe following sightings in Bedfordshire http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/bed-news/UFO-sightings--34It39s-time.4346098.jp Leading paranormal enthusiasts have called for an inquiry following a spate of claimed UFO sightings across Bedfordshire this summer. Last month the Times & Citizen reported that a mysterious object had been spotted in the skies above Clapham and captured on video. That led to readers from across the county telling us about their own close encounters -- and now UFO Investigations UK wants the Ministry of Defence to probe the issue. Spokesman James Hatfield said: "More than 200 people got in touch one day in June claiming to have seen UFOs. "Normally we receive ten to 15 calls a day. So far we've not been able to explain all the sightings. "It's time for an official inquiry." Subsequent reports of UFOs were made in Putnoe, Luton and Leighton Buzzard. UFO Investigations UK also heard of sightings as far afield as Sussex, Devon and Lancashire. But Sharon Chesterman, who is the spokesman for Scope-Paranormal.com, which collects data on UFOs from across the area, said: "You can ask for all the inquiries you like but you are dealing with the Government here. "They will only tell you what they want you to know." See our original story - and the accompanying video - by VISITING http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/bed-news/VIDEO-Resident-captures-film-of.4226287.jp _______________________________________________________ August 6, 2008 UFO festival commemorates Shag Harbor this weekend Two-day event highlights 1967 sighting by Carla Allen/The Vanguard Article online since August 6th 2008, 9:33 http://www.novanewsnow.com/article-237616-UFO-festival-this-weekend.html By Carla Allen THE COAST GUARD NovaNewsNow.com Funding is trickling in nicely for the Shag Harbour Incident Society, just in time for their big Aug.8/9 festival says committee member Cindy Nickerson. "Last week I received word from a grant that we had applied for awhile ago," she said. "We will be receiving $2,000 from the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program." Nickerson says the money is greatly appreciated as the festival costs a lot to put on. The Municipality of Barrington has also approved $1000 for the society towards a large wall plaque, which will depict the night of the UFO sighting in 1967. "John Cameron, a local artist is doing the design. We are hoping to have it finished to unveil at festival," said Nickerson. The plaque will be dedicated to the Late Lawrence Smith and Bradford Shand, two men who participated in the crash site search. The advanced sale price for tickets to the speaker's seminar on Saturday, Aug. 9 is $35. There will be a $40 charge at the door. Those under 12 will be half price, and a senior's discount will be provided. For advanced ticket sales contact Cindy Nickerson at Box 53, Shag Harbour, NS, Canada B0W 3B0 or email her at cindynickerson@ns.sympatico.Canadian cheques and money orders should be made payable to: The Shag Harbour UFO Incident Society. Contact Don Ledger for more details regarding the speakers schedule at dledger@ns.sympatico.ca or visit: www.shagharbourufo.com "We hope people are planning to come out for the festival and have a great time," said Nickerson. The 2008 Shag Harbour Incident Festival Schedule Friday Aug. 8 - 9 a.m. Yard sale at post office hosted by the Incident Society. 10 a.m. UFO Centre opens as usual. 11 a.m. Fries and barbecue at post office by local fire dept. Also young crafter Jillian Kendrick will be at the UFO Centre with her Shag Harbour sea glass items. 1 p.m. Meet Toronto UFO researcher and diver, David Cvet at UFO Centre. 2 p.m. (tentative) Press conference at Community Hall. 3 p.m. Meet some of the locals involved in the 1967 incident, as well as David Cvet, at UFO rest stop. 4:30 p.m. Supper at Shag Harbour/Bear Point fire dept. Turkey burger (hot or cold), choice of potato, beverage, Washington Pie. $6/person. 7:30 p.m. At fire hall meet Saturday speakers, Alien costume contest (prizes), Alien Cafe, and silent auction. Draw for grandfather clock made by the late Romie Leblanc. On Saturday the Alien Cafe will be set up at the seminar site. Darren Perry will bring his chowders to the post office. Saturday Aug. 9 UFO Symposium The Shag Harbour UFO Incident UFO Symposium will be held approximately four miles to the east of Shag Harbour in Barrington Passage at the Curling Club due to the lack of a large meeting hall in Shag Harbour. The symposium starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. Speakers include: Stanton T. Friedman: Flying Saucers Are Real; Carl Feindt: USO cases - Underwater Objects; Paul Kimball: Documentary ~ Best Evidence - The Top Ten UFO Sightings; Chris Styles: Shag Harbour updates; and Don Ledger: Maritime UFO Files UFO Cases from the Atlantic Region, Newfoundland and Labrador. _______________________________________________________ August 5, 2008 UFO SKEPTICS THROW IN THE TOWEL - HOW DID MEIER BEAT NASA BY 32 YEARS? http://www.pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=125613&Itemid=34 Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) August 4, 2008 -- The subject of UFOs is no longer just fodder for the tabloids, as several recent Larry King TV shows indicate. Though primarily dominated by discussions about sightings of lights in the sky, and perennial dead-end conjecture about Roswell, the recent shows have engaged viewers everywhere. They also coincide with increased worldwide attention being once again focused on the highly controversial Billy Meier UFO contacts in Switzerland, due to the release of the new film on the case, "The Silent Revolution of Truth" (http://www.theyfly.com), and the newest scientific corroboration for Meier's prophetic information. While NASA's announcement on July 31, regarding proof of the discovery of water on Mars, excited scientists, Meier had already been informed about water on the red planet - on July 8, 1976. (English language translations of this information, available since 1986, were also published by Lt. Col. Wendelle Stevens, USAF Ret., in 1993, in Volume 3 of Message from the Pleiades. The four-book series, now out of print, collector's items, are available as ebooks http://theyfly.com/products/products.htm). BREAKING NEWS FROM NASA - FURTHER CORROBORATION OF MEIER MARS INFORMATION! Information received early Monday evening, August 4, 2008, from NASA reports that the Phoenix spacecraft detected the presence of chemicals in the Martian soil that may make it "detrimental to life" http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j1hvRUNc9W-3lupLU6TLQtR0gdRAD92BPQ980. Could this be what Semjase was referring to, in her last sentence to Meier below - from 1976? Meier- You are right, too. Yet now another question: You had once told me that no life would exist on Mars. If I have understood this right, you meant by this but planetarian human life, didn't you? Semjase- 114/Certainly. Meier- Well - then your earlier answer does not exclude (the possibility) that any other life of floric or faunic form can exist there, or even does exist. You then told (me) expressly, that life does not exist there, while logically you had addressed only the human planetary life. What do you think now, Will the Americans discover low forms of life with their sonde sent to Mars? Semjase- 115/They will meet with surprises in many respects, as in the fact that Mars has much more water than earthly science had assumed until now. 116/ But there are also surprises in the character of the ground and the nature of the microworld. 117/The floric and faunic world can absolutely be found on Mars when the scientific instruments of these sondes are well enough to evaluate and store the concerned results. Meier- Then "life on Mars" could prove true for our science? Semjase- 118/It is in the compass of possibility, that the analyses could verify this, when the scientific instruments are good enough, because faunic and floric forms of life are existing on Mars, even though this planet destroys other forms of life by its contrary to life nature. Skeptics Defeated: Renewed international interest in Meier's claims of personal contacts with extraterrestrial humans, for over 66 years, also coincides with the total collapse of the skeptical challenges. Chief among those who have long characterized Meier's stunning photographic, film and video evidence as merely "an easily duplicated hoax done with models", has been the international professional skeptics organizations CFI-West and IIG, affiliated with skeptical debunker James Randi. Shortly after the release of "The Silent Revolution of Truth" the lead case investigator for IIG, Derek Bartholomaus, was forced to retract his own claims (included in the Special Features section of the film) that Meier used model trees and UFOs to help hoax his clear, daytime UFO photos, films and video from the mid-1970s (http://theyfly.com/newsflash91/Top_Skeptic_Fixed.htm). Bartholomaus and CFI-West/IIG were completely unable to provide even one photograph as evidence of any model tree or model UFO to support their premise, despite having had seven years to do so. The skeptics had stubbornly pinned all their hopes on the model theory, as no personal computers, PhotoShop, digital effects, etc. were available to anyone, let alone a Swiss farmer, at the time that Meier presented his evidence. Bartholomaus and the skeptics took another devastating blow when Uncharted Territory, the Academy Award-winning special effects company (for Independence Day) rebuffed his request for support for his model theories, instead clearly describing one of Meier's UFO films as "hard to achieve, very hard, probably even impossible to fake this kind of shot." (http://theyfly.com/newsflash92/Academy_%20Award_Fx.htm) Meier's U.S. representative, Michael Horn then took the fight back to Bartholomaus, challenging him to prove his claim that Meier had used models to hoax a highly dramatic film segment (http://www.tjresearch.info/bachtel.htm). Horn, who's researched the case for 30 years, said that there were only two possibilities for use of a model and that he was prepared to unequivocally demolish either argument. Bartholomaus, who's been the most vocal of the skeptical protagonists for some time, failed to answer the bell for the final round, admitting that he simply wasn't prepared to substantiate his own claims. Then, like a good corner man trying to protect his fighter from further battering, James Randi's official spokesperson, Jeff Wagg, threw in the towel for the organization, surprisingly supporting Horn's position, saying, "If there's not enough evidence to support the model claim, the model claim is suspect." With any hoaxing by special effects or models having been eliminated - by the skeptics themselves - the skeptical challenge was over. Lie Detection: In light of these stunning, unexpected developments, the question of Meier's truthfulness takes on even more importance. And it's also explored, in a unique way, in "The Silent Revolution of Truth". Horn said, "We took the unusual step of bringing in an expert consultant to the U.S. Army Special Forces, a specialist in reading body language - which can mean life or death to a soldier. We filmed him as he watched Meier speak on film, for the first time with the sound off, just in case he could understand Meier's Swiss-German dialect, which he couldn't. We had him evaluate Meier and the retired UN diplomat, who also spoke about seeing the UFOs, and one of the Plejaren extraterrestrials, in India years ago. He gave them both a 'thumbs up'. "Anyone who's been skeptical of Meier's truthfulness, and the huge implications of all this, should learn more about how science - as well as the U.S. Army - is relying on human 'lie detectors' (http://discovermagazine.com/2008/aug/28-the-science-of-sniffing-out-liars/article_view?b_start:int=1&-C=)." Of course, people should also know that Meier and 15 other witnesses all passed lie detector tests, years ago, when the original investigation was conducted." The Media: As the skeptics self-destructed, Horn found himself inundated with requests for the Meier case to be covered on the Larry King show. Referring people to contact the show itself resulted in Horn getting a call from one flustered young producer, complaining about getting "too many" calls asking for him to be on the program. Horn said, "It's probably just youthful inexperience on her part. Being flooded with calls is usually seen as a good barometer of huge audience interest, kind of like American Idol, to use another out of this world comparison. From what we understand, the Meier case is now the most requested UFO-related topic for the Larry King show, where they already show Meier's UFO films and photos as evidence, ironically. "The problem for the mainstream media, governments, religions and financial systems is that the Meier case takes the conversation about UFOs too far beyond their comfort zone. They love it when people focus on Roswell, where there's not a shred of remaining evidence. Now that the question has been settled, i.e. is the Meier case the biggest hoax or, as it turns out, the most important story in human history, thinking people may come to inescapable conclusions about the dangers of the path that we are on, right here on earth, and hopefully act in time to change to a more positive direction. The Meier material offers very specific suggestions on how to do that, all of which require taking complete self-responsibility for every aspect of our lives. "While it surprised me at the time when, in May 2006, Meier casually told me about the coming collapse of the U.S. dollar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29wnpEy2DY4 - as well as the possibly dire consequences of a U.S. and/or Israeli attack on Iran - it further convinced me that he knows a lot more about many things than people can imagine. Of course, this is the same man who beat NASA to the punch - more than once (see Jupiter information at: http://theyfly.com/news2005/jan06/jan06.htm#skeptics). "And of course that he foretold the Iraq wars, AIDS, global warming and terrorism, etc. - all back in 1958 - is more than amazing (http://theyfly.com/lost/meier.prophecies.1958.htm). The fact is that while being exposed to the truth can be quite devastating for some people�it doesn't change the truth." Also see: * http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/04/prweb369916.htm * http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/03/prweb357776.htm * http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/02/prweb205605.htm * http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/02/prweb204713.htm * http://www.tjresearch.info _______________________________________________________ August 5, 2008 Chemical discovery on Mars stumps Phoenix team David Perlman, Chronicle Science Editor Tuesday, August 5, 2008 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/05/MN0G1253QT.DTL Scientists analyzing two soil samples their Phoenix spacecraft dug from the surface of Mars announced they have discovered what may be the highly oxidizing chemical called perchlorate, a common component of rocket fuels, explosives and some medicines, they reported Monday. The surprising discovery in the Martian soil seems contradictory, because if it really is confirmed as a perchlorate compound it suggests that the planet's soil may be very much like Earth's, said Peter Smith, the University of Arizona scientist who heads the Phoenix mission. However, Smith said in his announcement, "further analysis has revealed un-Earthlike aspects of the soil chemistry." And whether the chemical actually is perchlorate - or in which of its many compounds it exists in the Martian soil - has not yet been determined, Smith said. The Phoenix science team would not speculate on whether the chemical is naturally part of the Martian soil or whether it might have contaminated the soil directly around the spacecraft when Phoenix landed gently on the arctic plains of Mars on May 25, slowed by its 12 hydrazine retro-rockets in a blast of gas for its safe upright landing. Hydrazine is not a perchlorate, however. NASA officials and the scientists will hold a teleconference today to discuss steps the Phoenix team has taken over the past month to pin down the identity of the perchlorate and why an experiment Sunday by one of its instruments found no evidence of the chemical directly above an ice layer that was scraped from soil near the spacecraft. Two samples of the chemical have now been analyzed and detected on Mars by the spacecraft's miniaturized Wet Chemistry Lab, which is part of a more elaborate series of Phoenix instruments called MECA -for Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer, Smith said. An earlier measurement of surface soil by another Phoenix instrument called TEGA - for the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer - "was consistent with but not conclusive of the presence of perchlorate," Smith said. On Earth, perchlorates are used in many types of explosives - including the rockets that blast astronauts into orbit aboard the space shuttles. They are also commonly used in fireworks, in blasting caps and even in medicine as part of a combination treatment for hyperthyroidism. It is also a serious and toxic environmental contaminant left over from many American chemical plants, and Congress is now in a battle with the Environmental Protection Agency over the EPA's refusal to set safety standards for perchlorates in drinking water and milk. E-mail David Perlman at dperlman@sfchronicle.com. This article appeared on page A -- 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle _______________________________________________________ August 5, 2008 Four Corners Area to be site of presentation by UFO Abductee -- Author and UFO abductee Miriam Delicado will speak on her abduction and subsequent contact with aliens. Her presentation will be the first of its kind in the Four Corners Area, home to many indigenous peoples. It will include messages the aliens asked her to share that parallel Hopi Prophecies. -- http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/view_press_release_printer_friendly.php?rID=59521 /24-7PressRelease/ - BRYCE CANYON, UT, August 05, 2008 - One evening last January, Utah resident, David Hatch, was listening to a radio interview. What the woman, Miriam Delicado, being interviewed revealed astounded him. Delicado, author of the book Blue Star: Fulfilling Prophecy, was recounting in detail her experience as a UFO abductee and the messages she received from the aliens. It all began one night along a Vancouver, Canada, highway in 1988. While driving with friends, Delicado noted they were being followed by a vehicle with large round and very bright lights. Finally, she told the driver to pull over. That's when an ordinary evening turned into a mission for Delicado. As it turned out, the lights belonged to a UFO. The car's passengers, with the exception of Delicado, fell into trance-like states and she found herself being led on board the craft, hand in hand with the aliens. She retains conscious memories of this experience. While on board, the Tall Blond aliens relayed to Delicado messages that they wanted her to share with others. Years later she discovered that the messages the aliens had given her were remarkably similar to the Hopi Prophecies of peace and salvation. Not only that but the language that they had spoken to her in, through telepathic means, was Hopi. Delicado, who remains in contact with the aliens, was prompted in 2003 to begin sharing what the aliens had told her. Hers is truly one of the most fascinating stories you may ever hear. Hatch was so intrigued by Delicado's words that upon learning the author would be visiting the Four Corners Area in August 2008, he contacted her offering to set up a venue for her to present the aliens messages. The Four Corners is the only place in the United States where four states come together at one place: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. The majority of this section is situated on indigenous land, including that of the Hopi. According to Delicado, indigenous peoples have known about these alien beings from the beginning of their own sacred stories dating back thousands of years. For the first time, she will publicly share the information that the aliens relayed to her on the very land that is home to the indigenous peoples the aliens related to. The event, which will be held at Bryce Canyon Lodge, will be one to truly leave people questioning not only the future of the world, but their own future as well. For more information on Delicado's August 14th evening presentation to be held at Bryce Canyon Lodge, contact David Hatch at Tel: 435-531-1653. (Note: This event is managed under a Special Use Permit. The National Park Service neither endorses nor promotes this activity.) For more information about Miriam Delicado's book, visit http://www.trafford.com For more information on Miriam Delicado, visit http://www.alienbluestar.com _______________________________________________________ August 5, 2008 Instense stormy weather provides cover for apparent UFO over Whitby, Ontario Edited by George Filer http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/home/Frontpage/2008/08/04/02505.html WHITBY -- There has been a series of intense storm activity here in Southern Ontario and June 23,2008, there were several reports around Toronto of funnel cloud formations along with hail. On that day I looked west towards Whitby and a sudden impulse to stop the car and take a couple of pictures of the cloud formations. My hunch was correct, that I would capture a UFO in one of the pictures. This picture was taken 6:58 PM. The photo clearly illustrates a round intense "white-blue" light -- UFO at a distance. The weather here has been really weird i.e., blue patches of sky -nice cool days. The photo proves once again, we are NOT alone. Thanks to Paul Shishis Make a member pledge to support more details on investigative journalism about UFOs. _______________________________________________________ August 2, 2008 Posted at: 08/01/2008 09:46:24 AM By: Stuart Dyson, Eyewitness News 4, and Reed Upton, KOB.com Socorro makes claim as UFO destination http://kob.com/article/stories/S531160.shtml?cat=516 Move over Roswell. There's another New Mexico town staking out a claim as a bona fide member of UFO territory. It was 1964 in Socorro -- with LBJ in the White House, the Beatles on the radio, and Spiderman whipping Doctor Octopus on comic book racks. Socorro Police Officer Lonnie Zamora was chasing a speeder when he heard a big bang and went looking for the source. According to Zamora, he saw what looked like a flying saucer in an arroyo and two beings outside of it. He heard another bang and the craft flew off. The arroyo is on the south end of the Socorro metroplex and Zamora's site is marked with a pile of rocks, a little plastic flag -- and a couple of dead bottle rockets. Some in city hall want to put up a plaque or a marker at the site. The town's tourism chief says people come through town asking about the Socorro Incident and where it happened. Many Socorroterreans say the story isn't science fiction. "I think it could have happened," said Clark Fisher of Socorro. "Anything's possible. You can't prove it didn't happen." "I might be the craziest one in his town, but yeah, it probably did," said fellow Socorro resident Dave Hart. Eyewitness News 4 spoke with Lonnie Zamora Thursday by phone. While he declined to be interviewed on camera, he sounded fine -- 44 years after what may come to be known as the Socorro Incident. _______________________________________________________ July 31, 2008 NASA expert claims to have seen ET from UFO standing in Shuttle payload bay during space flight. NASA veteran Clark C. McClelland confirms alien existence as outlined by astronaut Edgar Mitchell http://www.australia.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=317:ufo&catid=41:rotator-news I, Clark C. McClelland, former ScO, Space Shuttle Fleet, personally observed an 8 to 9 foot tall ET on my 27 inch video monitors while on duty in the Kennedy Space Center, Launch Control Center (LCC). The ET was standing upright in the Space Shuttle Payload Bay having a discussion with TWO tethered US NASA Astronauts! I also observed on my monitors, the spacecraft of the ET as it was in a stabilized, safe orbit to the rear of the Space Shuttle main engine pods. I observed this incident for about one minute and seven seconds. Plenty of time to memorize all that I was observing. IT WAS AN ET and Alien Star Ship! A friend of mine later contacted me and said that this person had also observed an 8 to 9 foot tall ET INSIDE the SPACE SHUTTLE CREW COMPARTMENT! Yes, inside OUR Shuttle! BOTH missions were DoD (Pentagon) TOP SECRET (TS) encounters! With my verifiable background, there is no Federal Government Agency that can say I am crazy! I am a SPACE PROGRAM PIONEER. I assisted in launching the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz, Skylab, Space Shuttle, Deep Space Missions, and the International Space Station. I have received character substantiation from: Walter Cronkite, Major Donald Keyhoe, NICAP Director, Richard Hall, Assistant Director of NICAP, Astronomer, Dr. J. Allen Hynek, etc. I served as the Assistant State of Florida and KSC Director of MUFON, the Director of the NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena) at Cape Canaveral and KSC! I have received honored mentions from US Senators, Congressman, Military Officers and Scientists. (See my website site below for more exciting disclosures) In fact, this absolutely verifies what my friend, Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, of Apollo 14, has recently and courageously released! I have launched or witnessed 650 missions, so far in my life! I am an expert in visually recognizing any crafts created and flown by the human race, whether secret or otherwise!I know an ET and Alien craft when I see them! I was the Director of the NICAP Unit-3 actual X-Files at Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center, 1958 to 1992! YES, the ACTUAL X-FILES!! Aliens ARE HERE!! They walk among US! They may be implanted into OUR various earth governments!! What I know, they would NOT allow me to publish! I have written at least three books to release the TRUTH to all of the HUMAN RACE! I was on the leading edge of this subject, and I have met with many NASA and other astronauts throughout the years I have been involved in the Military, NASA Space Programs, 1958 to 1992! I have heard many experiences of ETs having been seen on the Moon, etc., by NASA Astronauts and I relate these and more in my books. NASA is not a CIVILIAN SPACE AGENCY! The Pentagon owns NASA! Some of the DoD (Department of Defense) missions I participated in were TOP SECRET! Those missions carried TS Satellites and other space mission hardware into orbit where several crews met with ETs! I am ready to tell my story, but, for compensation, Clark McClelland is a bonafide expert in the field of UFO specialists. He began his investigations of this strange phenomenon in 1947. His 60 plus years of study in the field of UFOlogy puts him in a unique class of educators and investigators. He has lectured at many national universities including Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State, Berea, Montana State University, New York University, Idaho State, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and others too numerous to mention. On several occasions, he was requested by students and faculty to bring his unique topic to their campus as an elective course, although his work at Kennedy Space Center at the time overruled his acceptance. Clark McClelland's long association with the UFO phenomenon has followed him throughout his aerospace career. In 1958 he was assigned to the national space program at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and helped launch or viewed 650 rockets and spacecraft. In addition to being an Aerospace Engineer and Technical Assistant to the Apollo Program Manager during the Apollo moon landings, McClelland and other SpaceCraft Operators did extensive technical checkout of simulated flights and mission objectives of the various shuttles to assure orbital success and the personal safety of the astronauts. McClelland knew many of the astronauts who perished during the Challenger disaster and certainly did all he could to keep each shuttle from such a repeat accident. He has held important positions involving such manned projects as Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo lunar landings, Skylab, the Space Shuttle and the Space Station. He was assigned to the cockpit of the Space Shuttle missions as a SpaceCraft Operator (Ground Test Astronaut). If anyone knows what is going on in space, with humans or otherwise, it is McClelland In 1960, Major Donald E Keyhoe, the International Director of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) selected McClelland to be Director for the Kennedy Space Center and central Florida region. His unit members included two NASA Astronaut Flight Surgeons, many engineers, scientists and mathematicians as consultants and investigators. Later, he was chosen as the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) Director at the KSC and served concurrently as Assistant State Director for Florida. McClelland's name is on three commemorative monuments, the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions - - - His name will be on the Space Shuttle, International Space Station and the Deep Space Missions monuments in the future "To Clark McClelland: A space pioneer and a top SpaceCraft Operator. With admiration for your work." Walter Cronkite, from an autographed photo given to Mr. McClelland. "Your gift of knowledge concerning space exploration, astronomy and cosmic life is most impressive. I've always enjoyed our talks during my visits to the KSC/MFA (Kennedy Space Center/Manned Flight Awareness) awards presentations." "Clark, it is as impossible to confirm them (UFOs) in the present as it will be to deny them in the future." Dr. Wernher von Braun (deceased), space flight pioneer and NASA scientist. "Thanks for the great orbiter (Shuttle) you gave us. It ran better than my lawn mower! Again, thanks to you and your fellow spaceship perfectionists, it pays off!" Brian Duffy, NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle Mission Commander." Thanks for letting us borrow YOUR orbiter." Kathy Thornton, NASA astronaut and space walker who helped repair the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit. "Clark, you were a GREAT Space Shuttle ScO (Space Craft Operator, etc.)." Dr. Sally Ride, NASA Astronaut and first American woman in space. "I am indebted to Clark McClelland, Director of the Kennedy Space Center UFO Investigative NICAP group, for the benefit of his scientific evaluation of UFO sightings and those of his fellow aerospace engineers and scientists." Major Donald E. Keyhoe (deceased), former International Director, National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, Washington, DC. "I will be pleased to call upon you to investigate UFO reports in the Kennedy Space Center area. I am most interested in your exchange of information with the Russian scientists." Dr. J. Alan Hynek (deceased), Director, The Center for UFO Studies. _______________________________________________________ July 31, 2008 Close encounters in the Australian capital LYNNE MINION 31/07/2008 2:34:00 PM http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/close-encounters-in-the-capital/1231733.aspx 'I've been chasing UFOs most of my life,'' says Adrian Ross, who saw his first one when he was about 18 years old. As a young bloke working for the electricity commission in Warrnambool in the early 1960s, he was minding his own business after knock-off time on a Thursday when ET may or may not have passed by. ''I was sitting on a pushbike leaning up against the gate out the front of the house,'' he says, ''and I'm just gazing around and I've glanced up the hill and I saw this dim yellowy light just above the top of the hill.'' At first he thought it was a street light on the blink and made a mental note to fix it at work the next day. ''But then I caught out of the corner of my eye it moved, just a flicker, and I looked up again.'' Ross tells of seeing a flat lens-shaped object, orange in colour and sitting horizontally in the sky before it tilted to a 45-degree angle. ''I watched this thing and then it went back to a horizontal position. So I flew inside and dragged everybody else out to have a look, and we all saw this, Mum, Dad, myself, and my sister, saw this thing and it just slowly faded into the distance, just disappeared, as though it was travelling away from us.'' At the time The Standard newspaper at Warrnambool reported that a UFO had been spotted flying over the local drive-in. Other sightings occurred across the nation. The event created a fascination with explaining these types of mysterious happenings for Ross, now 62 and living in Chisholm after retiring from 20 years in the airforce. ''It could have been anything from ionised particles from the Sun, all sorts of things that we don't know. But whatever it is, it's a UFO. It's flying and nobody knows what it is. So that got me interested. And that's when I built my first telescope and star-gazed forever. I'm still doing it.'' The question of whether there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe was given a boost last week by former NASA astronaut Dr Edgar Mitchell, who shares the record for the longest Moon walk nine hours as a member of 1971's Apollo 14 mission. Speaking on a British radio show he said, ''There's not much question at all that there is life throughout the universe. I'm totally sure we are not alone.'' Mitchell alleged there was a conspiracy of silence, saying he'd been privy to the intelligence ''that we have been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomenon is real, though it's been covered up by governments for the last 60 years or so''. In a statement, his former employee dismissed the claims: ''NASA does not track UFOs. Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinion on this issue.'' But ufologist Doug Moffett says Mitchell's validation is important, given his interplanetary expertise, and it lends more weight to sightings reported in Australia. ''I've been doing this for 15 years, talking to hundreds and hundreds of people and you obviously get a sense that these people are very genuine, they're not crazy, they're not pulling your leg,'' says Moffett, who investigates cases. ''Some of the things that have been reported to me, to explain them away as Venus or a weather balloon is very frustrating.'' Although he has never seen a UFO, Moffett believes that discounting the possibility of aliens is illogical when many revelations, such as astronomer Galileo's claims in the 17th century that the Earth travels around the Sun, were once considered heretical but are now accepted fact. ''There are people out there who believe [extraterrestrial visitation] is impossible. And I can't get my head around how anyone could come to the conclusion it's impossible when we don't know how many technologically advanced civilisations there are in the universe. The answer is a pineapple, we do not know.'' Australian UFO Research Network national director Diane Frola says Mitchell is one of a number of astronauts who have publicly supported the idea of alternate civilisations. According to the thriving pro-UFO community on the internet, in 1965 the first American to walk in space, Ed White, and fellow astronaut James McDivitt saw a metallic object with long arm-like structures from their Gemini spacecraft. McDivitt apparently took pictures that have never been released. Orbiting the world in a Mercury capsule in 1963, Gordon Cooper told the Australian tracking station that he could see a glowing, greenish object ahead of him. Speaking to a United Nations panel in 1985, he said, ''I believe that these extraterrestrial vehicles and their crews are visiting this planet from other planets ... Most astronauts were reluctant to discuss UFOs.'' In 1979 Maurice Chatelain, the former chief of NASA Communications Systems, commented that ''all Apollo and Gemini flights were followed, both at a distance and sometimes also quite closely, by space vehicles of extraterrestrial origin flying saucers, or UFOs, if you want to call them by that name. Every time it occurred, the astronauts informed Mission Control, who then ordered absolute silence.'' To Frola these testimonies, together with Mitchell's, lend weight to the idea that ET may be out there. ''So are they sending loopy astronauts up there or what? I don't think they are. I think they're quite qualified and they're trained to be observant and they know exactly what they're looking at. So my feelings are if Edgar says they're out there, I believe him.'' Frola says credible people report seeing UFOs, from police officers to pilots, but many prefer to keep any sightings to themselves, fearing damage to their reputations. For researchers such as herself, the stereotype is unfair and has been caused by a small category of people who tell of cosmic confrontations. ''The UFO field has had this stigma for so long about the people involved in it. Are they all nuts? They must be crazy cos they're seeing little green men.'' Some people, however, do see little green men, or grey ones, as it turns out. Sheryl Gottschall, of UFO Research Queensland Inc, has held three support groups for about 12 to 15 Earthlings who have had otherworldly interactions, she has also spoken to 300-500 who have told her of their close encounters. ''We've received reports about alien abduction experiences which have left many people traumatised. These are unwilling contacts with small aliens often referred to as the greys. But we've also received reports that have been of friendly contact too, some with human looking ETs,'' says Gottschall, who believes that support groups provide an acknowledgement of their feelings and experiences. ''These people live with the theme of 'life interrupted', hijacked, if you will, by their close encounters and it's often quite difficult for them to reintegrate after their experience into society.'' Meanwhile astronomy buff Ross describes himself as simply open-minded. He says most sightings can be explained away while others remain frustratingly unidentified, such as his second sighting in about 1970. ''I was riding my motorbike this particular day just cruising around Wagga going around one of the hills there. It was a bright sunny day, broken cloud, and even though I was sort of looking straight ahead I was aware of a blue flash above. I looked up while I was riding and there was this brilliant blue ball of light,'' he says. ''It went for maybe a couple of seconds, two to three seconds and then it was gone, one side of the sky to the other.'' In the following days, others reported seeing strange sights. ''One lady reckons she saw this football-shaped thing take off from her back paddock,'' Ross says. His third sighting, in 1986, was of a bright red/orange light which was slowly travelling from the Belconnen area, west of Chisholm, over Fisher then Isabella Plains. Even though he has spent decades investigating UFOs and is ''discouraged'' by the lack of evidence, he remains convinced there is life in outer space. ''Oh, yeah, how could there not be?'' He says the sheer size of the cosmos means other beings could feasibly co-exist. ''There are so many life forms here, just on this planet alone, and to think that this one little speck of dust in an immense universe could be the only one harbouring some sort of life form, to think that nothing else could be anywhere else, is ludicrous.'' _______________________________________________________ July 30, 2008 UFO-obsessed British hacker faces life behind bars in US Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Communities Wednesday 30th July 2008 - 12:10pm http://www.24dash.com/news/Communities/2008-07-30-UFO-obsessed-British-hacker-faces-life-behind-bars-in-US Unidentified Flying Objects have been a source of fascination for years but Gary McKinnon took his obsession too far. Glasgow computer whiz McKinnon claimed he was so curious about UFOs, he could not resist hacking into the US Government to search for clues that could unlock the mystery. Now he faces the heavy price of life behind bars for gaining access to 97 American military and Nasa computers from his London home. Today, he lost his appeal to the Law Lords against an order for his extradition to the US. The an unemployed 42-year-old, faces up to 70 years in prison if convicted in the US of sabotaging vital defence systems. The House of Lords rejected the plea by McKinnon to quash the extradition request granted to the US authorities in 2006. Lawyers for McKinnon, from Enfield, north London, pointed out that he could be sent to Guantanamo Bay as a terrorist suspect -- despite his insistence that he accessed Pentagon computers looking for information about UFOs. But despite his sobering example, UFO fever is likely to hit the UK again with the arrival of the new X Files film, which premieres in London today. There have already been a flurry of UFO sightings, particularly in western parts of the British Isles, further fuelling the debate. Just this weekend, a Devon couple said they saw a UFO over Dartmoor National Park. Wayne and Jo Taylor, from Ashburton, said they spotted a formation of a dozen slow-moving circular lights in the sky on Saturday night. Mr Taylor, 40, said that at one point the lights moved at a 90-degree angle, adding: "I have never seen anything like it." In Welton, Lincolnshire, a white orb-shaped object was spotted on June 23. Figures from the that region show that over the last 16 months six reported UFO sightings have been submitted. At the beginning of July a West Country UFO sighting terrified a small suburb in the region. However, the "orange lights" that convinced residents that UFOs were overhead could simply have been Chinese sky lanterns released by a nearby junior school. At just after 10.30pm on June 28, people making their way home to Charlton Kings in Cheltenham saw unexplained luminous cylinders in the sky. Sandra Lloyd, 59, saw the lights as she was driving home from a family meal and dismissed the theory that they were paper lanterns released by a local junior school that evening to celebrate its centenary. She told the Gloucestershire Echo: "There were about 12 bright lights that were moving and not making a sound. I thought they were aircraft or helicopters but they were too close and there was no sound. They certainly did not look like lanterns." Tom O'Loughlin, 14, from St Peter's Square, was cycling in the area when he saw the lights. He said: "There was a formation of lights travelling across the sky. "They were disappearing and then appearing again. I was quite scared. It's not something you see every day. "We watched them for 15 minutes. There were loads of people in town watching them." In early June the Ministry of Defence faced calls to launch an official inquiry into a series of UFO sightings, some of which UFO experts believe had happened in Shropshire, south Wales and Worcestershire throughout the month. With the MoD under pressure to investigate these claims and the release of the The X Files film, speculation over the existence of unusual aircraft is rife in the UK. On June 25 the MoD confirmed that it had been given footage taken on a mobile phone by a corporal guard on duty at Tern Hill barracks, near Market Drayton, Shropshire on June 7. Corporal Mark Proctor, 38, told The Sun: "I was on duty in the guard room when the other boys outside began shouting. "I went out to see what the commotion was about and could see 13 craft in the skies. They were like rotating cubes with multiple colours." The calls for an inquiry came only a couple of weeks after a South Wales Police helicopter was apparently buzzed by a UFO and had to swerve sharply to avoid being hit. The sighting took place when the three-man crew in the aircraft were hovering in the sky above RAF St Athan, a military base outside Cardiff, at around 12.40am on June 8 waiting to land. A police spokeswoman confirmed that the sighting was an "unusual aircraft" but did not use the term UFO. In May, details were released that internal Ministry staff witnessed UFOs. Sightings of alien craft over Wallasey Town Hall and a saucer-shaped Unidentified Flying Object hovering over Waterloo Bridge were recorded by MoD staff in the 1980s. The details of the sightings were opened to the public this year after a Freedom of Information request by UFO researchers. While the files show that MoD personnel did witness unidentified aircraft, a memo written in 1983 shows that they were not logged for inquiries into alien life but as an account for "defence interest". The memo also said: "The Ministry of Defence does not deny that there are strange things to see in the sky." In June this year former Ministry of Defence UFO researcher Nick Pope said that an official inquiry to establish what had happened was vital. He said: "Something quite extraordinary does seem to be going on in British airspace at the moment. "There has got to be an official inquiry into all this and we need a senior air force officer to take personal charge and oversee the inquiry." An Army spokesperson declined to comment in detail on the sightings at Tern Hill. "The MoD examines reports solely to establish whether UK airspace may have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised military activity," the spokesman said. "Unless there is evidence of a potential threat, there is no attempt to identify the nature of each sighting reported." UFO enthusiasts will remember the Roswell incident of 1947, in which the US government is believed by theorists to have concealed the wreckage of an alien craft that crash-landed in New Mexico. A "Welsh Roswell" is also said to have taken place in the Berwyn Mountains in in Llandrillo, North Wales in 1974. Individuals in the area at the time are still coming forward to give evidence for a Channel 5 documentary concerning the event, now known as the Berwyn Mountain Incident. The incident, which is said to have involved strange lights in the sky, odd tremors and unusual men sweeping the countryside for information, is believed by some to have mirrored the Roswell incident almost 30 years previously and was concealed by the government. Perhaps the most famous UFO-related episode in Britain is the Rendlesham Forest incident of 1980, which is often referred to as the "English Roswell". Located around eight miles from Ipswich in Suffolk, Rendlesham Forest, it is claimed, played host to a series of UFOs, flashing lights and strange creatures over the course of December 1980. Two RAF patrol men also claimed to have seen and photographed a UFO that landed in the forest but with no concrete evidence to back up the allegation it has never been proved, leading some groups to claim it is a government cover-up. Other factions of UFO proponents also argue that Area 51, a secret military facility about 90 miles north of Las Vegas, is used by the US authorities to conceal alien encounters. Also known as Groom Lake, the Nevada airbase has allegedly been used to investigate crashed alien craft and the development of energy weapons. Despite years of discussion, theories and sightings, experts remain sceptical that "little green men" are visiting the Earth in flying saucers. Mr Pope worked with the Ministry of Defence for 21 years and investigated sightings. When MoD files were released to the public, he said: "While there's no evidence of little green men in these (MoD) files, they should be of immense interest to sceptics and believers. "Most of the UFO sightings here are probably misidentifications of aircraft lights and meteors, but some are more difficult to explain, and include UFOs seen by police officers and pilots, and cases where UFOs have been tracked on radar." _______________________________________________________ July 30, 2008 Our garden was buzzed by a UFO! devon.editorial@archant.co.uk 30 July 2008 http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/northdevongazette/news/story.aspx?brand=NDGOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsndga&itemid=DEED30%20Jul%202008%2009%3A01%3A00%3A090 BOB and Christine Bird were enjoying a lazy summer evening in their garden when they claim a UFO swooped low over their bungalow. The astonished South Molton grandparents, their daughter and son-in-law and grandchildren, had been sitting in the back garden for about an hour before they spotted the "orange blob" slowly moving towards them at around 10pm on Saturday night. "It started to slow down above us and it wasn't that high up, at least it didn't seem like it," Christine, 57, told the Gazette. "As it began to move over the house, my husband went indoors to get his camera. My daughter and I went to the front door and suddenly this 'thing' started to move. "It went up at about a 40-degree angle and shot straight into the sky so fast. It was still quite light and you could actually see the orange colour getting smaller before it disappeared among the stars. "Even now, what we all witnessed is so hard to believe that we can't stop thinking and talking about it. "It was absolutely amazing, something I will never forget. "If anyone had told me the same thing, I probably wouldn't have believed them. " But because there were four adults - perfectly sober, may I add - and two teenage grandsons who saw the tail end of it, we can't stop going on about it." Husband Bob, 62, said that the object made no noise whatsoever. "My dogs bark like mad at anything that flies over the house but they didn't make a sound," he said. "I'm not a person who believes in aliens, but I am absolutely flabbergasted by what I saw. "The colour was unbelievable - it had an orange glow around it like the flame of an electric fire. I've never seen anything like it." He said he took three pictures of the object from the front steps of his house but mysteriously, when he got the pictures developed on Monday, there were no pictures - or even negatives -of the strange sighting. "It's an old camera but it's never let me down before," he said. "We had taken pictures on the camera during the day and used up the rest of the film afterwards so that we could take it in to be developed. "We couldn't wait to pick up the pictures and are so disappointed. People may call me mad or whatever but I know what I saw." UFO website ufologia.net reported a sighting of two round objects above the sky above St George's Road in Barnstaple last Wednesday evening. Have you see any strange objects in the sky lately? If so, contact the Gazette news desk on (01271) 345056. _______________________________________________________ July 28, 2008 Record number of UK weekend sightings http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/ufos/article1477122.ece THE record number of UFO sightings up and down the country on Saturday night has baffled experts. Mysterious objects spotted included bright orange balls shooting through the sky and strange flickering lights. Mental health nurse Chris Wood, 27, caught the eerie orange orbs on camera during a family garden party in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. He said: "The speed they were moving was incredible. They rose through the sky and disappeared. The kids were really frightened and I was too." Telecoms worker Danny Barton saw "massive orange balls of fire" rising out of the sea in Goring, West Sussex. Other Sun readers sent in intriguing photos from Manchester, Leicester, Basingstoke and Arlesey, Beds. James Hatfield, of UFO Investigations UK, called for an official MoD inquiry after his organisation received a record number of reports of sightings in one night. He said: "More than 200 people got in touch yesterday claiming to have seen UFOs on Saturday night. Normally we receive ten to 15 reports a day. "So far we've not been able to explain all the sightings. It's time for an official inquiry." _______________________________________________________ July 28, 2008 UFOs: Britons believe By TIM SPANTON Published: Today [ photo slide show available at following link: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/ufos/article1477122.ece ] THE truth about UFOs is out there - but it is being hushed up by the Government. That's the view of almost half the people surveyed in an exclusive Sun poll, with many more claiming to have seen a UFO or believing in them. With record numbers of unexplained objects being spotted in the skies over Britain on Saturday night, a huge majority of us reckon alien life exists somewhere in the universe, even if it has yet to touch down on Earth. Crop circles are commonly cited as evidence of alien visits. But the discovery of life-supporting water in the form of ice on Mars is regarded as an even bigger sign alien life exists. Nine per cent of those polled are convinced they have seen a UFO. And a further 43 per cent believe they exist compared to only 36 per cent who insist they do not. Men and women are equally likely to believe, as are people living in different parts of the country. An overwhelming 79 per cent reckon life probably exists elsewhere in the universe. Around 68 per cent think it will be found in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. People are fairly evenly divided over whether aliens have tried to communicate with us. Up to 37 per cent think an alien has already visited Earth and about 13 per cent believe they already live among us. Half the population believe the Government is withholding information on UFOs and more than half think US authorities are doing the same. As many as 45 per cent reckon there is physical evidence of alien life, with many citing crop circles, the Pyramids or Stonehenge as proof of extra-terrestrial contact. We are also optimistic about visitors from outer space, with more people thinking they would be friendly rather than threatening. More than 1,500 adults were quizzed for The Sun by pollsters YouGov on Thursday and Friday. The startling results come ahead of this week's opening of the new X Files film, I Want To Believe. Survey results may not add up to 100 per cent because of rounding. Do UFOs exist? I've seen a UFO 9% I've never seen a UFO but believe they exist 43% I've never seen a UFO and don't believe they exist 36% Don't know 12% Is there alien life in our solar system? Definitely 13% Maybe 29% Probably not 29% Not at all 20% Don't know 9% Is there alien life in the Milky Way? Definitely 20% Maybe 48% Probably not 15% Don't know 9% Is there alien life in the rest of the universe? Definitely 41% Maybe 38% Probably not 7% Not at all 5% Don't know 10% Have aliens tried to communicate with Earth? Definitely 7% Maybe 33% Probably not 25% Not at all 21% Don't know 14% Have aliens visited Earth? Definitely 9% Maybe 28% Probably not 24% Not at all 25% Don't know 14% Are aliens living amongst us? Definitely 2% Maybe 11% Probably not 32% Not at all 44% Don't know 11% Is the Government concealing evidence on UFOs? Definitely 15% Maybe 34% Probably not 21% Not at all 20% Don't know 10% If alien life existed, would it be friendly or threatening? Friendly 23% Threatening 13% Don't know 64% How long before alien life is proved? It has been but has not been officially announced 15% Within five years 3% Five - ten years 4% Ten - 50 years 9% 50 - 100 years 7% More than 100 years 15% Never 17% Don't know 30% Are any of the following proof of alien life? Stonehenge 8% Pyramids 13% Crop circles 16% Ice on Mars 18% Other 11% No evidence 55% Are reports of people being abducted by aliens true? Definitely 6% Maybe 21% Probably not 28% Not at all 31% Don't know 14% _______________________________________________________ July 26, 2008 DENVER and THE WEST UFO ballot foes to rally Saturday By Joey Bunch The Denver Post Article Launched: 07/25/2008 08:25:46 PM MDT http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_10001134 Opposition to a proposed Denver ballot measure to form an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission to deal with alien encounters will take shape at a meeting Saturday. The Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society will put on the "Alien Agenda! A UFO Debriefing" from 1 to 5 p.m. at John Collins United Methodist Church at 2320 South Bannock St. in Denver. The group aims to show that evidence used to support the initiative -- purported video of an alien looking in the window of a home owned by former Lakewood resident and UFO enthusiast Stan Romanek -- proves nothing. Jeff Peckman, the chief proponent of the proposed ballot measure, unveiled the video to Denver media and has since made national TV appearances to promote the initiative. _______________________________________________________ July 26, 2008 Jul 25, 2008 11:54 pm US/Pacific Believers Gather In San Jose For UFO Conference http://cbs5.com/local/sj.ufo.conference.2.780558.html Reporting-Allen Martin SAN JOSE (CBS 5) ? Believers in UFO's are gathering in San Jose for the nation's largest conference on the phenomena, on the same weekend the new "X-Files" movie hits theatres. The Mutual UFO Network or MUFON is holding its 39th annual symposium. Organizers say at least 600 people have shown up at the Doubletree Hotel to hear speakers and talk about their experiences. The conference lasts through Sunday. Our video report has more. C MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. _______________________________________________________ July 24, 2008 Aliens exist, but NASA covers them up says astronaut A former NASA astronaut who has walked on the moon has said aliens are not only real but have visited Earth several times http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2453700/Aliens-exist,-but-NASA-covers-them-up-says-astronaut.html By Ben Farmer Last Updated: 4:45PM BST 24 Jul 2008 Dr Edgar Mitchell, said he was aware of several UFO visits during his career, but each one had been covered up. The 77-year-old, who was a crew member of the Apollo 14 mission, said sources at the space agency had described aliens as resembling "little people who look strange to us". Dr Mitchell told Kerrang! Radio that human technology was "not nearly as sophisticated" as theirs and had they been hostile, he warned: "We would be been gone by now". He said: "There's not much question at all that there's life throughout the universe, we are not alone at all. I'm most assured about that. "Have we been able to identify where the other planets are? No, certainly not in our Solar System but we have been able to identify quite a number of planets that could be life bearing planets. "I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real. "It's been well covered up by all our governments for the last 60 years or so, but slowly it's leaked out and some of us have been privileged to have been briefed on some of it. "I've been in military and intelligence circles, who know that beneath the surface of what has been public knowledge, yes -- we have been visited. "Reading the papers recently, it's been happening quite a bit." Dr Mitchell, along with Apollo 14 Commander Alan Shepard, still holds the record for the longest ever moonwalking session at nine hours and 17 minutes following their 1971 mission. Officials from NASA, were quick to play the comments down. In a statement, a spokesman said: "NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover up about alien life on this planet or anywhere in the universe. "Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinions on this issue." _______________________________________________________ July 21, 2008 Hounslow UFO's Baffling Local Residents Monday 21st July 2008 http://www.compare-airport-parking.co.uk/news/947/Hounslow-UFOs-Baffling-Local-Residents.html On New Years Eve 2007 strange lights above the Hounslow area confused local residents. The lights - as is so often the case vanished and showed no signs of returning. However in the last couple of weeks seemingly the same lights have re-appeared confusing and scaring local residents in an area in very close proximity to Heathrow Airport. The objects have been best described as like small clouds, however moving in a way that could not be possible for a cloud, one resident also claimed to have heard a rumbling noise before looking up and witnessing the strange phenomenon above. It appears that residents all over the borough have witnessed these strange lights which appear to not be lasers or any type of military training and are leaving the locals struggling to understand what it is that they are witnessing. One witness even claimed to have seen a type of laser shoot from one of the objects for a few seconds. It remains to be seen if the sightings can be explained as unless UK airspace has been breached in a military manner then it is impossible to be sure as to the cause of the phenomenon, as the MInistry Of Defence do not investigate UFO cases unless a threat is apparent from the sighting - at least that is the official line! We at Compare Airport Parking will keep you updated on this story and any developments. _______________________________________________________ July 19, 2008 Saturday, 19th July 2008 'UFO' claim brings MoD response Published Date: 18 July 2008 By Luke Page http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/news/39UFO39-claim-brings-MoD-response.4299766.jp he Diss Express has been handed exclusive images following last week's article about mystery lights seen in south Norfolk. One image came from Brad Roberts, of Bressingham, who took photos of a party in the village and noticed a strange light in the top corner of one. He said: "I thought it must have been a flash, but I can't really see any reason for it. "I thought it could have been the moon, but it wasn't out that evening, and it was too late in the evening for it to be the sun reflecting off something. Aircraft lights look much smaller as well, like stars." Mr Roberts, who has lived in Bressingham for about eight years said he had never seen anything like it before, but said it possibly could have been some kind of military aircraft. Another reader, from Diss, has sent in a recreated image of what he saw, similar to the description of Jeremy le Poer Power's sighting, featured in last week's Diss Express. His reconstructed photo shows a beam of light, which he described as white with a faint yellow centre, which was flashing on and off, and was moving quickly. The reader did not want to be named but said: "I can't explain what I saw and I certainly don't want the public to think I am mad or anything, I just thought these may help jog people's memories or help in some way." Many readers have speculated that the sightings could be linked to military aircraft due to the amount of airbases in the region. A statement from the Ministry of Defence department responsible for UFO sightings, said they had not received reports of any in the area, but were unable to confirm aircraft activity in the area at the time of the bulk of the sightings. The MOD has however released what it describes as 'X-files' on the National Archives website, which include UFO files dating back to 1970. An MOD statement said: "To date, independent experts have concluded that there are realistic explanations behind alleged UFO reports, such as aircraft lights or natural phenomena. "Reports are examined by the Ministry of Defence, solely to establish whether UK airspace may have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised military activity. "If required, sighting reports are examined with the assistance of the Department's air defence experts. "Unless there is evidence of a potential threat, no further work is undertaken to identify the nature of each sighting reported." _______________________________________________________ July 17, 2008 UFO Visits Grecia, Costa Rica Thursday 17 July 2008, San José, Costa Rica http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2008/july/17/nac05.htm One can only speculate as to the reasons why, perhaps in search of low fuel prices or a great "bocadillo" or wanting to visit the cleanest city in Costa Rica, beings from other worlds are reported to have visited Grecia Tuesday night. Ricardo Núñez and some of his neighbours in Grecia looked up in the sky around 9pm Tuesday night and decided to capture on film what appears to be a UFO. Núñez said he saw a bright light in the horizon and kept getting closer, ruling out an airplane because the lights were different than those used by an airplane and called on his nieghbours of Invu Dos de Grecia, who took the photos of what could only described as a visitor from another world. Núñez and nieghbours decided to send their photos to the Diario Extra. (Ed. Note: see photo on this page, below. _______________________________________________________ July 17, 2008 ''UFO Hunters" probe 1997 Phoenix Lights July 17th, 2008 @ 6:47am by Colton Shone/KTAR http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=900605 Crews from the show "UFO Hunters" are in the Valley to investigate the strange lights in the Phoenix sky more than a decade ago. Bill Burns hosts the show, which airs every Wednesday night on the History Channel. ''Nobody has ever really come to the conclusion of what it was," Burns said. ''We can't say it was extraterrestrial, we can't say it's inter-dimensional, we can't say it's a time ship." Burns and his crew wants to hear from anyone who saw the "Phoenix lights" in the north Valley sky on March 13, 1997. Thousands of people reported seeing a triangular formation of lights and a separate series of stationary lights. "Was it ours, was it THEIRS, or was it flares?" Those are the three questions Burns wants answered. ''You can only speculate that it's from another world unless the people from the other world actually pop up and say, 'live and prosper,'" he said. ''So for any witnesses, even if you've spoken to the press before, spoken to TV before, spoken to anybody, we'd love to hear your story." Besides the Phoenix lights, stories of other unidentified flying objects are welcome. Burns' crew travels all over the country to hear people tell of ''close encounters." ''In some cases, we've been inundated," he said. ''I know in Texas last year, we actually had scores of people turn up." Burns and his crew will be at the Holiday Inn Express near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Friday to talk with those who have stories about the Phoenix lights or other UFOs. _______________________________________________________ July 17, 2008 Beckham boys are avid UFO spotters July 17, 2008 http://www.tonight.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4511807&fSectionId=354&fSetId=251 David Beckham's sons are avid UFO spotters. The soccer star's friend Robbie Williams - who has previously admitted he is fascinated by UFOs - heard about nine-year-old Brooklyn, five-year-old Romeo and three-year-old Cruz's passion and has made it his mission to ensure they have a close encounter of the third kind. Whenever Robbie hears that an unidentified object has been seen above Los Angeles, he phones David so he can take his sons to see it. A source said: "The boys are fascinated by aliens and flying saucers and are desperate to see some. When Robbie heard about their love of UFOs he promised to tip David off. When the call comes, David and the boys rush into the Hollywood Hills to try to spot spooky lights." However, Robbie's efforts do not always go according to plan. The source added to Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "After a tip from Robbie a few days ago, David took the boys to the Madeo restaurant to wait for a call saying some strange lights had been seen in the hills. But it was getting really late, and while they waited, Cruz fell asleep at the table." Robbie has been a believer in alien life forms for years and recently attended a UFO convention in Nevada. _______________________________________________________ July 16, 2008 Poll probes Americans' belief in UFOs, life on other planets Submitted by SHNS on Tue, 07/15/2008 - 16:33 http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/34758 By THOMAS HARGROVE and GUIDO H. STEMPEL III, Scripps Howard News Service Most Americans say it is very likely or somewhat likely that humans are not alone in the universe and that intelligent life exists on other planets. Only a third of adults, however, believe it's either very likely or somewhat likely that intelligent aliens from space have visited our planet, according to a survey of 1,003 adults conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University. The poll revealed that one in every 12 Americans has seen a mysterious object in the sky that might have been a visitor from another world, while nearly one in every five personally knows someone who has seen an unidentified flying object. America's fascination with UFO sightings has been robust, dating at least back to 1947 with the discovery of unusual objects near Roswell, N.M., that many claimed were the remnants of an extraterrestrial craft that crashed. Among the ranks who have seen something strange in the sky are former President Jimmy Carter, the late Beatle John Lennon and the late comedian Jackie Gleason. One of the largest mass sightings on record -- the so-called "Phoenix Lights" that hovered for several hours over two or three Southwestern states on March 13, 1997 -- was even seen by then-Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. The governor at first made jokes about the incident, but later apologized for making light of something that thousands of people saw. "The universe is a big place," Symington told reporters last year. "We're conceited to think we're alone." At least one of the participants in the poll saw the strange, slowly floating lights over Phoenix. "Maybe it was a military thing; I don't know," said Fran Chodacki, 62, of Page, Ariz. "Everything is mysterious in this world. It's a possibility." She is among the 56 percent of adults in the poll who believe it is very likely or somewhat likely that intelligent life exists on other worlds. The survey found that 35 percent said extraterrestrials are unlikely and 9 percent are uncertain. Men, young adults and college-educated Americans are more likely than most to believe that humans are not alone in the universe. The survey found some patterns in the kinds of people who have reported having seen UFOs. Men are almost twice as likely to have seen something peculiar in the sky than are women. Older Americans are much more likely than younger people to have seen something, as are residents of rural areas or suburbs rather than those living in major cities. People living in Western states are three times more likely to have seen a UFO than are residents of the Northeast, Midwest or South. UFO experts agree that these trends all make sense. Men are more likely than women to be outdoors on a dark night. Older Americans have had more opportunities simply by virtue of a longer life to see something unusual in the sky. It is also logical, they say, for people in Western states to have seen more UFOs than people in other regions. Most of the nation's largest and most expensive observatories are located in the West, which provides optimal views of the sky. "These people have had more opportunities than others to see things in a darkened sky. That makes sense," said Mark Rodeghier, director of the Chicago-based J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies. Peter Davenport, director of the National UFO Reporting Center in Seattle, Wash., agreed. "Of course, we get lots of reports from major cities," Davenport said. "But it could be that people in rural areas have a better view of the sky. People in cities are blinded by all of the bright lights." But the experts were quite surprised by other trends found among the UFO witnesses. People who have attended church recently and who identify themselves as born-again Evangelical Protestants are much less likely to have seen UFOs or to believe in the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence than people with little or no involvement with organized religion. People with strong political and ideological convictions -- self-identified "strong Republicans" and "very conservative" people as well as "strong Democrats" and "very liberal" persons -- are much less likely to report having seen a UFO than are politically moderate persons. "There are just so many variables when addressing this issue," said Davenport. "But the religious trend is very, very interesting. Maybe you are more open to having seen things outside your experience if you don't have very tightly held religious beliefs." But why are people with strong political beliefs less likely to see UFOs? "They are more attuned to the establishment," said Rodeghier. "People who are in the establishment are more likely to have distain for the whole UFO issue. That's something those of us in the field of UFO study have seen over and over again. But people who are independent are more open to the issue." The survey was conducted by telephone at Ohio University's Scripps Survey Research Center from May 11-28. The poll was funded through a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation. The overall survey has a margin of error of about 3 percentage points. (Thomas Hargrove is a reporter for Scripps Howard News Service. Guido H. Stempel III is a professor emeritus at Ohio University's Scripps School of Journalism. Scripps Howard reporter Daniel Collins contributed to this story.) (E-mail Thomas Hargrove at hargrovet(at)shns.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com) _______________________________________________________ July 16, 2008 UFO Reports http://www.cjob.com/News/Local/Story.aspx?ID=1016819 7/16/2008 Last year saw the second highest number of UFO reports in Canada in a single year. The 2007 Canadian UFO Survey released today.. details 836 UFO sitings. Lead researcher Chris Rutkowski says only 16-percent of the cases were labeled as unexplained after being reviewed by investigators. Cases range from typical lights manoeuvring oddly in the sky to large structured crafts. Data analysis shows most sightings involve two witnesses, and last an average of 17 minutes. Rutkowski says most witnesses are pilots, police and others with good observing capabilities and good judgment. _______________________________________________________ July 15, 2008 UFO hovered above marshes http://www.ryeandbattleobserver.co.uk/509/UFO-hovered-above-marshes.4286327.jp ANOTHER mystery UFO has been spotted in the Sussex Express area. After a reader spotted a fast-moving light which appeared to stop then turn abruptly in the night sky above Heathfield, Sheila Dukes who lives in flats behind Waitrose, Hailsham, reports two separate sightings of a strange, cone-shaped object. She told the Express: I first saw it last Saturday night, the same night the other reader saw it. 'I got my binoculars out. It was more like a diamond or a cone shape with a point at the lower end. It shaded through from red, white and then down to a brilliant blue.' Then I saw it again this Saturday. It was hovering above the marshes and moving very slowly. 'I just assumed it was a satellite or something but it was very large , bigger than you'd epxect a satellite to be.' If anyone has any further sightings please email: susan.king@sussexnewspapers.co.uk _______________________________________________________ July 14, 2008 RADAR DATA SUPPORTS STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS UFO SIGHTINGS Written by Editor Choice Monday, 14 July 2008 Radar data obtained by MUFON confirms that there were Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) flying above Stephenville, Texas, January 8th, 2008, just as many eyewitnesses had reported and which made headlines worldwide. MUFON's analysis of the radar data obtained through freedom of information act (FOIA) requests to the National Weather Service and the FAA show that unknown flying objects were on a direct course to President Bush's Crawford ranch and were separate from the known F-16 jets the same radar data confirmed were flying in the area that night. The unknown radar targets, which did not have required identification transponders, exhibited strange flight characteristics beyond that of known civilian or military aircraft. A press conference to explain MUFON's findings in complete detail will be held on Friday, July 25th, 2008 at 11 am at the Double Tree Hotel in San Jose, California, in conjunction with MUFON's annual Symposium. A full version of MUFON's report and information about the Symposium can be found at: http://www.mufon.com/symposia.htm. MUFON is a nonprofit scientific research organization that has been investigating the UFO mystery for over 39 years and investigates thousands of UFO reports each year. _______________________________________________________ July 13, 2008 'UFO' lands in Kurseong http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=22&theme=&usrsess=1&id=213324 KURSEONG, July 11: A circular polymer object measuring about 3 ft in diameter and around 1.5 ft tall dropped from the sky at Lower Sirubari Busty in Castleton Tea Estate, Kurseong sub-division last evening generating fear and confusion in the area. The Kurseong police took the object in its custody in the presence of the Kurseong BDO Mr Manish Verma today. The administration has contacted the Air Force authorities at Bagora near Kurseong for the identification of the object. The object landed near the house of Mr Hari Kumar Chettri at around 6.30 p.m. yesterday. "The object was hot glowing orange when it fell with a thud. Its heat turned the tin wall of my cattle shed red," Mr Chhetri, said. According to the Kurseong BDO, the object has changed colour after cooling down. "The object is not more than 15 kg, is blackish in colour and has several concentric rings," Mr Verma said. "What is curious is that the object did not create a major crater although it fell from the sky," he added. Curiosity prevails in the area about the identity of the object. Many believe it is a part of a satellite. n SNS _______________________________________________________ July 10, 2008 Thursday, 10th July 2008 UFO captured on camera in North Tyneside - Flying saucer spotted - Published Date: 10 July 2008 By LIAM THOMPSON photo also included at link- http://www.newsguardian.co.uk/latest-news/UFO-captured-on-camera-in.4273682.jp ONE man is claiming to have captured an image of a UFO over the borough coast. IT manager Paul Robson, from Newcastle, was visiting Tynemouth when he apparently caught an unidentified flying object near an Emirates aeroplane on his own digital camera. The photograph, which shows a 'flying saucer' shaped object on the right hand side, was taken at Tynemouth Long Sands at around 1pm on Saturday, June 28. Mr Robson told the News Guardian: "It was taken on my four meg digital camera. "I was there with my wife and kids -- just near the church of St George's on the seafront. "I was testing my camera's battery and took a shot of the Emirates flight from Dubai into Newcastle. "Looking at the photos the following day I noticed a shadow north east of the plane -- and when I zoomed it looked like a flying saucer shape." Mr Robson said that the photo has not been doctored and he can't recall seeing the object when he took the photograph. "Needless to say, I've taken a bit of stick at work for this," he added. A local freelance photographer from North Tyneside, John Millard, said he was sceptical, and believed the unidentified object could have been a fault with the camera or, most likely, a speck of dirt in the lens. "I think he needs his lens cleaned," he said. _______________________________________________________ July 10, 2008 Thursday, 10th July 2008 UFO circles Hebden Bridge at 3am - local schoolteacher says it woke her up Published Date: 10 July 2008 By Joe Shute http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/UFO-circles-Hebden-Bridge-at.4277704.jp WAS IT a bird, was it a plane, or a twin-engined chinook? Either way something was circling Hebden Bridge in the early hours of the morning and it has left residents scratching their heads. The UFO circled the town in a slow 10 minute loop at around 3am and was said to be so loud it pulled people from their beds. Sarah Smith, Hebden Bridge resident and a teacher at Warley Road Primary School, said: "It woke me up it was so loud but the sky was very cloudy and I couldn't really make out what all the racket was. "It sounded like some sort of Chinook but I could only really see its light and not much else. "It was rumbling and rattling but there was no searchlight coming off it. "It was all really weird to see, especially at that time in the morning." Calderdale police say they were not undertaking any helicopter searches in the area on the night of July 9 nor were the armed forces. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson, said: "There was no flying activity by us that night in the north of England - it's a mystery to us." There has been a recent spate of UFO sightings across Britain, with 22 in the past month alone. But it is the first time recently something unexplained has been spotted in Calderdale's skies. Among the sightings include soldiers seeing 13 objects above their barracks at Tern Hill, Shropshire and a police helicopter reporting a close encounter with a UFO near Cardiff. _______________________________________________________ July 9, 2008 Last update -- 21:05 09/07/2008 Meteor sighting sparks UFO panic in Israel By Yigal Hai, Haaretz Correspondent http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1000206.html An unexpected meteor cut through Israel's skyline from east to west Tuesday evening and disappeared shortly after, causing panic throughout central Israel and bafflement among astronomers who failed to predict it. The meteor was seen by residents in the Tel Aviv area at around 8:00 P.M., leading to alarmed phone calls to the police. "Several calls were registered in which callers described having seen a shiny trail in the Sharon district," an Israel Police spokesman said. "We crosschecked with the Israel Defense Forces and its ground units, and came up with no explanation," he added. Ram Rafaeli, A resident from Kfar Yedidya described is meteor sighting to Haaretz. "I went on the roof of the house with my sons and we began painting it. My eldest son turned my attention to a bright object that left a long trail, crossing the sky from east to west. It was white and radiant, and it shed a bright, strong and shiny light," he said. Rafaeli explained that at one point he could no longer see the light that divided the skies. "As I am a man of exact sciences in my professional life, I don't believe in aliens. It is possible that it was a case of a meteor that entered the atmosphere, but it does not appear that way. In any case, it was a beautiful sight." _______________________________________________________ July 9, 2008 More south Norfolk UFO sightings reported http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/news/More-south-Norfolk-UFO-sightings.4265441.jp Several people have responded to the sighting of a UFO over a south Norfolk village. The original sighting was over Garboldisham but another Diss Express reader has been in touch to say a mystery object was also sighted between Diss and East Harling earlier that evening, while Tony Sandy, who now lives in Scotland has recalled his 1966 sighting in Diss. A Garboldisham resident was walking his dog on the village's playing fields when the sighting was made. The man reported seeing a large yellow beam of light that shot across the sky repeatedly for about ten minutes at about 12.30am on Saturday. He said: "There's no doubt about what I spotted. "I frequently walk my dog at night, but this is the first time I have ever seen anything like that. "It wasn't a plane or anything, it was definitely a UFO -- I got quite scared." Garboldisham is midway between Diss and Thetford on the Norfolk-Suffolk border and the sighting is not the first in the area, with Suffolk named a UFO hotspot earlier this year. Shane Friend: "I was searching for recent UFO sightings in Norfolk and stumbled across this report. "On Friday I was staying at my uncle's, about two miles from Mildenhall, just off the A11. "We had had a few drinks and I was inside with my little cousins, when my uncle called us into the garden to come and look at the sky. He had seen a flickering yellow beam going across the sky but thought he was seeing things because he had been drinking. "But when we all went out into the garden we could all see it. It was a yellow beam that was flickering up into the sky diagonally. When it got to its highest point, it seemed to fade green then disappear. About 30 seconds later it did the same thing. This happened for around 10-20 minutes. "I have never seen anything like it and it was quite scary. We first saw it between 11.15-11.30pm." Tony Sandy, Kilmarnock: "Funnily enough I'm a Diss person in Kilmarnock and there were two sightings up here in May and funnily enough the same time last year, when we moved in. "I might have seen something at that time (last May) but can't swear it wasn't 3 microlights in formation as the objects in question were moving very slowly at cloud level (cumulo nimbus). "However, my first and most interesting sighting of a UFO was in Diss itself, when I was still at school (Summer, 1966?). "I and some friends were cutting through the pathway from Uplands Way, across to Willbye Avenue, when I noticed this gigantic, black needle shape in the sky, several hundred feet long I should imagine. "I stood transfixed for about ten minutes as it drifted slowly over the Secondary Modern School, while my compatriots, including the form captain and a cousin of mine walked onto the swings as if nothing was happening. "At the time I was perplexed at this but years later came across mention of something called a 'SEP' (Somebody Else's Problem) in one of Douglas Adams 'Hitch-Hikers Guides to the Galaxy' books, that explained it beautifully as something invisible to everybody but those concerned enough with it to interact. "It was mentioned and illustrated in John Keel's book, 'UFOs: Operation Trojan Horse' as being seen all over the world. "If anybody else remembers seeing it I'd be interested to hear from them." _______________________________________________________ July 8, 2008 Did YOU spot the UFO flying above Abertillery? Jul 10 2008 by Dominic Jones, Gwent Gazette http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wales-news/blaenau-gwent/2008/07/10/did-you-spot-the-ufo-flying-above-abertillery-91466-21295146/ DID you spot something mysterious in the skies above Abertillery on Monday, June 30? Less than a fortnight after reports surfaced about South Wales Police pursuing a "flying-saucer shaped" aircraft, after it zoomed over St Athan Ministry of Defence base in the Vale of Glamorgan, the Gazette received a phone call from an Abertillery man claiming to have spotted a UFO. The man, who did not wish to be named, said he was amazed to see an unexplainable flashing craft in the sky above his Gladstone Street home. He said: "About 12 o'clock I was dozing on the chair when my wife woke me up saying to come and have a look at something. So I got up and we could see this thing that looked like a spinning top flying really low in the sky. "It was like a carousel with orange and white lights. It wasn't a helicopter or a plane." Before he had a chance to capture the craft on camera it flew over the mountain in the direction of Ebbw Vale. If you spotted this mystery object or anything unusual in the Blaenau Gwent skies contact the Gwent Gazette on 01495 304589 or by e-mail on gwent.gazette@mediawales.co.uk. The truth is out there! _______________________________________________________ July 8, 2008 Roswell UFO festival attendance increases The Associated Press Article Launched: 07/08/2008 07:42:19 AM MDT http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_9816548 ROSWELL, N.M.--International UFO Museum and Research Center officials say attendance at Roswell's annual UFO festival jumped more than 25 percent this year. The museum's executive director, Julie Shuster, says 7,216 people attended lectures, workshops, celebrity appearances and other events Thursday through Sunday. She says she would have been happy if last year's attendance total had been met, especially with the economy the way it is and with gasoline prices rising. The annual festival marks the anniversary of the Roswell Incident, a purported UFO crash on a nearby ranch in July 1947. The military later said it was a top-secret weather balloon. -- -- -- Information from: Roswell Daily Record, http://www.roswell-record.com _______________________________________________________ July 8, 2008 Flintshire readers report more UFO sightings Published Date: 08 July 2008 By Kate Forrester Photo available at the following link: http://www.wrexhamleader.co.uk/news/Flintshire-readers-report-more-UFO.4264560.jp REPORTS of mysterious objects appearing the region's skies have continued to come in. Keen photographer Peter Jones, of Connah's Quay, believes that he has snapped scores of pictures of UFOs across North Wales while enjoying his hobby. Peter says that many of his friends have tried to explain the strange shots away by saying that they must have been caused by something on his camera lens, but he remains convinced that they are evidence of something more mysterious. He said: "I enjoy taking pictures of skylines and I have a few different cameras. When I got out taking pictures, I always take a few different shots with all of them. "I have lots of photos with objects like this in them and they are all taken at different times and locations, using different cameras, so it can't possibly be something on the lens. "The strangest thing is that you cannot see these objects with the naked eye, but they show up on the pictures and are even reflected in the water in some shots. "It is very unnerving, as I have no idea what they are and it makes me wonder if we are being watched. I know that most people think it is a mad theory and that it can be explained away, but I know what I saw." Another amateur photographer, who did not wish to be named, snapped some unexplained objects in the sky above Holywell. He said: "I have no idea what they were, but I have seen them and photographed them on a few occasions, all at around the same time of night. They really are weird." The first of a string of UFO sightings, described as 'orange fireballs', was reported in Mynydd Isa on Christmas Day last year. During the first few weeks of 2008, the Leader received a flood of reports from residents across the county and even as far afield as America reporting similar experiences. Yet more sightings were reported last month, prompting speculation and debate from scores of cynics and believers. To report a sighting or have your say on whether you think Peter's photograph is genuine, email digitalnews@nwn.co.uk _______________________________________________________ July 8, 2008 UFO sighting in Southport during twister mayhem Jul 8 2008 By Jo Kelly Photo available at link: http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/southport-news/southport-southport-news/2008/07/08/ufo-sighting-in-southport-during-twister-mayhem-101022-21304795/ UFO was captured on camera as a Southport nature enthusiast snapped away at Sunday's twister. Father-of-four Pat Regan, 51, of Sandbrook Road, was shocked when he looked at his pictures and noticed the unidentified object to the left of the funnel cloud. Mr Regan, who runs child care facilities in Formby, was fishing in Rufford Canal with his seven-year-old daughter Jasmine when the twister started. He said: "I was clinging to a railway bridge holding my camera. "I thought the object might have been a police helicopter but when it's close up, it doesn't look like one. "I'm sceptical about these things but open minded. It's an oval shape and I would like to know what it is." DID you see the object? Do you know what it could be? Call Visiter reporter Jo Kelly on 01704 398229 or email jo.kelly@liverpool.com. _______________________________________________________ July 8, 2008 More sightings of Hounslow UFO Jul 8 2008 By Nina Rossi and Lucy Proctor [image at link is not an actual photo but a rendering] http://www.hounslowchronicle.co.uk/west-london-news/local-hounslow-news/2008/07/08/more-sightings-of-hounslow-ufo-109642-21303935/ The mystery around a UFO seen swooping through Bedfont skies on Sunday deepens as more people contact us with similar strange stories. Yesterday Bedfont gran Lynne Martin, of Beech Road, appealed for fellow witnesses after spotting a trio of mysterious lights 'swooping and merging' in the skies above her home at 11pm on Sunday night. Within minutes Isleworth mum Kimberley Eliadef contacted us, adamant she saw something she could not explain in the night sky on Sunday. "My neighbour thinks we're all barmy," she said. "But four of us saw itand so did two dog walkers I met in the park. There were threedisk-like lights following each other and moving away, then meeting inthe middle." Ms Eliadef, of Tolson Road, was so intrigued she contacted TwickenhamStadium to check they were not responsible. But a spokesman insistedthey had no major events or lighting checks scheduled on Sunday. Hounslow resident Harmeet Sethi also spotted the unidentified objectsflying through the air and was so alarmed he contacted the police. "I saw them with my friend," said Mr Sethi, of the Great West Road. "Wechecked to see what it was but couldn't find anything and the policeweren't interested. "I tried to take a picture but it wouldn't come out on my camera phone. I just don't know what they could have been." A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said she was 'not aware' miltary operations going on in the area at the time of the sightings. She said: "The MoD examines reports solely to establish whether UK airspace may have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised military activity. "If required, sighting reports are examined with the assistance of the Department's air defence experts. Unless there is evidence of a potential threat, there is no attempt to identify the nature of each sighting reported." A spokeswoman for NATs, the main air traffic controller for Heathrow, said: "There was't any unusual activity at that time of evening." Did you see anything? Or do you think you may be able to explain the lights? Contactreporter Nina Rossi at the newsdesk on 020 8538 2209, email lucyproctor@trinitysouth.co.uk. _______________________________________________________ July 8, 2008 Man tells how he was abducted by UFO Jul 8 2008 By David Simister [photo available at link] http://www.yourvale.co.uk/news/vale-of-clwyd-news/2008/07/08/man-tells-how-he-was-abducted-by-ufo-105722-21304683/ FOLLOWING our story on UFO sightings, one reader has contacted Your Vale to share his own close encounter. Ernie Edwards speaking in his first newspaper interview, says he was walking home from work towards Cyffylliog in 1970 when he was met with a circular flying object, which then went on to abduct him. "It was a lovely moonlit night, and as I looked up, I saw this very bright scarlet light, which became a massive round object with a pulsating light which was only about 50 yards away from me. It looked cigar-shaped to start with, and then changed shape," said Ernie, who now lives in Prestatyn. "Obviously I knew it was a flying saucer when it changed shape. I was terrified on the spot. It turned on its side and shot off towards a house, and hovered above it." Ernie, who works as a driver for nursing homes, also described his apparent abduction by the craft and -- although he has no memory of how he came aboard -- being examined by what he describes as "tall, grey beings". "The craft appeared to me as an oval-shaped room at the time, where I was laid on a metallic table, as I were in a hospital," said Ernie. "The beings spoke through their minds to me, telepathically and in a very strange, very fast sort of gibberish. I was just staring at their eyes. "A couple of days after that experience I came out in a rash, from head to toe. I honestly believe that I had some sort of radiation rash after meeting people not strictly of this world." Despite the other-worldly nature of his strange meeting, Ernie doesn't necessarily believe these visitors to the Vale were necessarily from another planet. "It could have been the government testing aircraft of the future, but then again, it could have been visitors from another planet. Until people actually see one themselves and have the experience I did back in 1970, they won't be able to see for themselves," he said. "With all the sightings in the area recently people should be aware that these things definitely exist. I would never want anything like what happened to me on that day in 1970 to happen to anyone else." _______________________________________________________ July 8, 2008 UFO was like a 'ball of flames' http://www.midsussextimes.co.uk/496/UFO-was-like-a-ball.4265953.jp [photo available at:] http://www.compare-airport-parking.co.uk/news/882/Ball-Of-Fire-Spotted-On-Heathrow-And-Gatwick-Flightpath.html A MYSTERY UFO was spotted in the sky heading towards Gatwick Airport on Saturday night [July 5, 2008. U.K.]. The Parker family from Mutton Hall Hill said they saw an object which looked like a ball of flames. It appeared to be taking the usual flight path of planes coming in northwards from the continent towards Gatwick or Heathrow. But it suddenly veered off to the east before going out of sight. Karl Parker said: 'It could have been a military flare of some sort as it appeared to go with the prevailing wind.' _______________________________________________________ July 8, 2008 Mystery of Caversham 'UFO' light 8/ 7/2008 [roughly 5pm UK time] http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2031678_mystery_of_caversham_ufo_light Reading appears to be a hotspot for UFO sightings after another unidentified object was spotted in the skies of Caversham. Louise Davis, 26, of Managua Close, was awoken in the early hours of last Wednesday by "a steady engine sound". The mum-of-two leapt out of bed at 1.20am before frantically searching around the house looking for the 'saucer' -- the noise. She said: "I was woken up by a funny noise, which I found strange as I can sleep through anything and I was in a deep sleep. "After searching around the house I looked outside my window and saw a bright green light in the distance. "The bold round block of light was really green to my eyes, and it sounded as if it was hovering over and area for a while. I thought it might have been a police helicopter." Reading police spokeswoman Andrea Bennett said: "The Thames Valley Police helicopter was not patrolling in the area at the time, but there may have been a helicopter from other police forces." As reported in the Evening Post on Friday, May 16, Caversham is an alien hot spot according to files released by the Ministry of Defence. Michael Soper, who is in his 60s, has been investigating flying saucers for years with the group Contact International UFO Research. If you have seen any extra-terrestrial activity, contact Mr Soper on fc@accf.fastnet.co.uk or if you have seen one over Reading, call reporter Anna Roberts with your sighting on (0118) 918 3063. _______________________________________________________ July 6, 2008 'UFO' mystery along Cape coast 06/07/2008 21:30 -- (SA) http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2352927,00.html Cape Town - Was it an Unidentified Flying Object, was it a ship in distress or was it just people firing off red distress flares? The mystery remains. . . On Saturday night, Mark Thompson, NSRI Bakoven station commander said the mystery started: "At 21:10 our station was alerted to a red distress flare sighting about 500m off-shore at Bantry Bay. "Within minutes of this report, further ones of distress-flare sightings were received from Lambert's Bay, Yzerfontein, Bakoven, Hout Bay, Strandfontein on the West Coast, and also from Gansbaai (on the south coast). Thompson said: "All sightings reported were from credible and co-operative witnesses." One vessel known to be at sea at this time was the 37ft yacht, Mr B, sailing from Cape Town to Langebaan. No meteor acitvity It had left Cape Town at 13:00 on Saturday and could not be contacted, the location and fate of the yacht remaining a mystery. Dr Peter Martinez of the SA Astronomical Observatory confirmed that while there were no significant reports of meteor activity at the time of the reports, the possibility could not be completely ruled out. Further investigations would be conducted to assist in determining the possibility of meteor activity and/or space craft re-entry. Thompson said NSRI Table Bay launched the rescue craft Spirit of Vodacom and a search operation covering Table Bay and along the Atlantic Seaboard was initiated. "As the search operation progressed, NSRI Hout Bay launched rescue craft MTU Nadine Gordimer to join in the search. "NSRI stations at Bakoven, Yzerfontein, Lambert's Bay and Mykonos were all alerted and volunteers posted along the coast to watch for further flare sightings. Shot from car park "They also were to investigate for any overdue vessels and to investigate boat trailers abandoned at launching sites that might suggest vessels or craft still at sea. "NSRI Hermanus investigated a flare report near Gansbaai which appeared to be unrelated to the suspected flares reported along the West Coast after police confirmed witnesses seeing the flare being activated near a car park in town." "After the search, covering a vast area of the West Coast, the 'missing' Mr B yacht was confirmed to be safe at Langebaan about 09:00 on Sunday morning. "Along the West Coast, witnesses were questioned extensively on what they saw. No signs by 03:00 "It appeared to be similar type of sightings with most witnesses claiming what they thought was a flare arcing downwards at a 70-degree angle, very bright and appearing to be very close in-shore and very close to the person observing the sight. "NSRI rescue craft covered a large area searching for any signs of vessels in distress, but by 03:00 no signs of vessels in distress or further reports of flare sightings led to rescue craft being recalled until new information could verify a rescue requirement. "Maritime Radio Services broadcast an all-ships alert and there were no further suspected flare sightings." _______________________________________________________ July 5, 2008 Retired Wash meteorologist still looking skyward - for UFOs Story Published: Jul 5, 2008 at 3:19 PM PDT Story Updated: Jul 5, 2008 at 3:34 PM PDT By ROB BURNS, The Daily World http://www.komonews.com/news/local/23638239.html OCEAN SHORES, Wash. (AP) - William Puckett's work has him going more than he ever did when he was a full-time employee. It helps him put the pieces of the puzzle together. As a UFO investigator, Puckett acknowledges or debunks stories of unidentified flying objects in the sky, landing on the ground and hovering over homes through his Web site www.ufosnw.com. Along the way, the former National Weather Service and Enviromental Protection Agency meteorologist believes he and others are closer to proving that we aren't the only ones living in this universe. "My intent behind this - why I do this - is for my own scientific curiosity," said the Ocean Shores resident. "I want to stimulate the awareness of this phenomena to the public. It isn't all crackpots and nutcases, although some of them are. I believe that we are not alone." Puckett's work as a UFO investigator expanded in 2004 when he began his site - UFOs Northwest - during his final years as an EPA weather forecaster in Bellevue. However, his interest in the subject began in the early days of UFO sightings and hysteria. "I grew up in the 1950s and UFOs were on the national news," said the Peerless, Mont., native, who moved to Ocean Shores last summer. "In those days, everyone believed they were Russian. Later, we learned that they had UFO cases and the objects weren't their's either. If they weren't from the U.S. or from Russia or from escaped Nazi scientists, what were they?" Movies such as "The Day The Earth Stood Still" and other early science fiction stories further fueled his imagination. His interest intensified in the 1970s when the U.S. government released the declassified Air Force Project Blue Book. In it, the Air Force studied UFO cases between 1947-69 and had more than 800 unidentified cases. "That was good, because you only need one," added Puckett. "I realized that I'm a scientist and I can study this, too. That was the beginning." On the site, people from around the country send Puckett their sightings, which he breaks down to either prove that it is "unexplained or unknown" or a hoax. It is an extensive site filled with sightings, audio and video clips, news articles on sightings, abduction and close encounter cases and historical pieces. "It takes a lot of work; I don't charge anyone for their cases and the only money I get from it is from ads that help pay for the site," Puckett said. Puckett also gained notoriety from the site when "UFO Hunters," a documentary series through The History Channel, found him and used several cases featured on his site. "They contacted me when they began researching cases that were first reported to me on the site," Puckett said. "I helped them with those cases and I have a stack of papers here for them for next season. "I'm so busy, I'm retired and I have two jobs now working on the Web site and working for (UFO Hunters)," Puckett added. "I don't know if I can give them all of the information that they need. People do ask me to research a particular case or sighting, but most of the time, I work on the site." Using scientific methods learned from his time in the federal government and in school, Puckett breaks down every case to investigate the authenticity of the story. From information given to him through his site or from other sources, Puckett will begin by looking for weather data and studying astrological charts to check out the weather to help determine if the object is a planet or a satellite in space. "I've had people call 911 after staring at the planet Saturn, thinking it is a UFO," Puckett said. "If someone sees something in the sky, it isn't moving and they see lights when they look at it through binoculars, I'll check the weather. Then I'll ask them to tell me where it was and I'll determine the angles. When I worked in the EPA, I learned how to plot maps and you'll see plotted maps of the sighting on the site." Once Puckett has the initial information and double-checked it against the weather at the time of the sighting and whether the International Space Station happened to be floating by on a dark, clear night, the detective work begins. At times, Puckett can tell the story he's hearing or reading is a hoax or it'll come from a manipulated digital photo sent in with the story. "If someone used the phrase, 'It was a UFO' or called the object a spacecraft, I'm immediately suspicious," Puckett said. "No one knows whether that is a UFO or not. It couldn't be identified. I really look at the witness report. "Most hoaxers are pretty stupid," Puckett added. "A few years ago, a couple of guys sounded legit. I asked for a drawing and they gave me a computer drawing. It wasn't good enough for them. They called me the next day and they claimed they were someone else and that's how I figured it out." If the story isn't a hoax, Puckett will analyze the information more and post it onto his site to let others see it. If the story stands up to scrutiny from other investigators and hobbyists, it goes in as an unidenified case. "I'll say it is unidentified and it may be identifiable with more data," Puckett said. "I'll never say that it is extraterrestrial. I rarely ever say that. My witnesses might. Most cases I can't identify possibly around 70 percent of them. It doesn't mean that they're not real, just that I can't identify it. Most of the sightings are at night, but if I get one that is in the daytime, that opens my eyes. You don't get too many of those." Peter Davenport, who runs the National UFO Reporting Center in Harrington near Spokane, and is a friend of Puckett, notes that Puckett is more willing to accept what people are saying as legitimate and holds his work in high regard. "His vantage point is of a meteorologist and he looks at every case scientifically," said Davenport, who met Puckett eight years ago through a chat club for late-night radio personality Art Bell. "When anyone investigates anything, they should use scientific methods to prove or disprove it. I'm satisfied that Bill does that to a large degree." Through Puckett's time as an investigator, research has been easier with his Web site generating more cases and other sites to get initial information to begin his work. "The Internet is beautiful," Puckett said. "Twenty years ago, you had to go to the library to get astrological data, satellite vectors, weather and radar data. Now, you click to a few sites and get everything you need. My biggest tool in investigations is my computer. I can dump a photo from my camera or a submitted photo into the computer and know if it is a fake or not. In (photo programs), they leave a footprint on the photo and you can tell if it has been manipulated. "The latest technology has made my job easier," Puckett added. "With mapping software and sites, you used to go to the library to get them a long time ago. Also back then, you'd have to buy the software and it made it very prohibitive to what we're doing today. It has made the job easier, by far." Part of the tools of the trade, especially for field investigations, include global positioning system (GPS) readers, radiation and low-level electromagnetic field meters, topological maps and a large array of cameras digital and video. Several of Puckett's video cameras are custom-made without lens filters, in order to allow him to place different filters on to see higher and lower levels of light, including infrared light. "I've done some field investigations before, but I haven't done any recently," Puckett said. "With my equipment, if I receive a report of a landing, I could be out there this afternoon, if I'm able to get onto the property. If I get a case in Illinois, I'll take the information and send it off to Davenport and he'll go out there and interview them." Does Puckett have his own case, where he is a witness to an unexplainable event? "No, but I do believe something is out there," Puckett said. Among Puckett's library of books, many of them scientific books and novels pertaining to astrophysics, scientific exploration and UFO cases, is a textbook for fire cadets the "Fire Officer's Guide to Disaster Control." Published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the book is a how-to on dealing with disasters, many of which have been tested and executed over the past several decades. In one section, Chapter 13, the book deals with "Enemy Attack & UFO Potential." "Firefighters would be the first responders to a landing or crash landing of a UFO," Puckett said. "There's a whole chapter on it - what to do, how to deal with public panic. FEMA is the one who wrote the book. Most fire departments have this book and it is very comprehensive. Everything in the book, like how to deal with hurricanes, comes from experience. That's how you develop protocol. "If you have extraterrestrial body material, you have a (biological) hazard," Puckett added. "Firefighters would be the first ones out there." One of Puckett's theories on interstellar travel and extraterrestrials (ETs) is that Earth has been visited before and continues to be visited now to replenish resources like water, minerals and even biological materials. "For civilizations to survive, they have to have interstellar travel at some point," Puckett said. "In my mind, if they're going to do interstellar travel, they still need resources to do it. Why would they come here in the first place? That's a fair question. I don't know, but I believe it is for genetic material, biological material, water and metals." When talking about cases and sighting of UFOs, the subject always turns to the government and how much they may or may not know. "How much they know is debatable, but recently, the British released 1,000 pages of UFO testimony," Puckett said. "One case in the testimony talks about an unknown vehicle landing on an airport runway and then taking off again. That's extraordinary. "Some people ask why doesn't the U.S. government do something like this, but I worked for the federal government for 30 years and I know that there are turf wars when it comes to information," Puckett said. "We have seven or eight agencies within the government that have files on UFOs. They have their own compartmentalization and they don't share information between each other. That really came to the forefront when the Department of Homeland Security was formed. Do you remember how much trouble that was? These agencies didn't want to give up what they already had. "For something like this, they're not going to release information when they don't have to." As a UFO investigator, the more cases you work on, the closer you may get to the truth. Like an archaeologist whose greatest find would be the Holy Grail, a UFO investigator's biggest case would be evidence of ETs and vehicles proven to be from another world. This is what Puckett and other investigators continue to work for and are motivated to find. "The Holy Grail, in the scientific world, would be to recover UFO artifacts or biological material, take it into a lab and have an analysis that shows that the metals are not of terrestrial origin and of an unknown manufacturing process," Puckett said. "That's what scientists want. Obviously, if you had a real extraterrestial being that wasn't human or a deformed human. That's the Holy Grail. We don't have that. "Allegedly, the government does - allegedly." _______________________________________________________ July 4, 2008 UFO investigators speak to police about sighting Jul 4 2008 by Ben Glaze, South Wales Echo http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/07/04/ufo-investigators-speak-to-policemen-about-sighting-91466-21227581/ LEADING "alien hunters" today called on police to release more information about the South Wales UFO sighting. A Nasa expert and top professor said hearing details from two officers and a helicopter pilot who claimed they saw a "flying saucer-shaped" aircraft would allow people to make their own judgements. The helicopter and its three-man crew were at 500ft above RAF St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan on June 7 waiting for clearance to land when they spotted the other craft hurtling towards them from below. Speaking at an Astrobiology conference at the University of Glamorgan Atrium, Cardiff city centre, Nasa's Helen Matsos said today: "Unless we have the full context we can't really draw any scientific conclusions." American Ms Matsos, who edits Nasa-sponsored Astrobiology Magazine, was a speaker at the four-day conference where scientists shared their latest research into life beyond planet Earth. She said she believed in aliens in "terms of the microbiological level" where there was "likely to be other life abounding on extra-terrestrial routes". Ms Matsos doubted if the unidentified craft seen near St Athan would have been piloted by aliens. She said: "They would have had to travel a long, long time. If aliens were looking for us it would be very difficult, based on transmission of communication and broadcast signals, for them to detect us." She said disclosing more information about the incident could help people form opinions and explode myths. Conspiracy theories on the internet have suggested secret aircraft are being developed at the airbase in the same way the F117 Night Hawk Stealth Fighter and B2 Stealth Bombers were tested in the US in the 1980s. Ms Matsos said: "When you're dealing with the military or police they tend to be very closed-mouthed. Publishing statements might reveal some secret research they don't want known." Conference organiser Professor Mark Brake, of the Treforest-based University of Glamorgan, said scientists were unable to draw proper conclusions without all the available evidence. He said: "We would look for Earthly rather than un-Earthly explanations as scientists and sceptics. There is a history of these being seen and being terrestrial rather than extra-terrestrial craft. "But it's very difficult to come to a sensible explanation without more detailed examination of the statements by the police officers and pilot. Without knowing the detail it's difficult to reach a grounded conclusion." A South Wales Police spokeswoman said none of the crew made a formal statement -- even though the incident was reported to the "relevant authorities", thought to be the Ministry of Defence and Civil Aviation Authority. She refused requests from the Echo to speak to the officers or pilot. ben.glaze@mediawales.co.uk _______________________________________________________ July 4, 2008 Bucks County UFO mystery solved? Thursday, July 03, 2008 | 11:42 PM http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6245015 (video available at this link) By Chad Pradelli LANGHORNE, Pa. - July 3, 2008 (WPVI) -- One man thinks he knows what the strange lights in the Bucks County sky actually were. The sightings have all been along Route 1 around the Oxford Valley Mall. There have reportedly been four this year, but a local businessman isn't buying all the hoopla. He blames one of his products for the sightings. Anthony Lobianco owns Intergalactic Fireworks off Route 1 in Langhorne. He says sky lanterns have been flying off the shelves and then flying into the air. There have reportedly been four sightings, with the first two in January, and another one in April when Lobianco's store wasn't even open then, but he still believes the lanterns are the floating objects people are reportedly Many of his customers are not only buying his fireworks but also his theory. Still there are people who believe in UFOs. The Mutual UFO Network will send investigators to the location to check out the claims. Action News tried to get members on camera for an interview. They denied our request, but concede over 90 percent of sightings are manmade, but they're not ready to debunk the most recent sightings here in Bucks County. (Copyright 2008 WPVI-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) _______________________________________________________ July 3, 2008 Roswell UFO Festival Begins Thursday POSTED: 6:07 am MDT July 3, 2008 UPDATED: 7:11 am MDT July 3, 2008 ROSWELL, N.M. -- Thousands of people from around the world are heading to southeastern New Mexico on Thursday for the first day of the Roswell UFO Festival. The annual event pumps hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy, with hotel rooms booked solid for miles around the community. Many people believe say a flying saucer crashed 61 years ago on a ranch near Roswell. Some accused the government of covering up the incident. Widespread interest in that event led to the creation of the UFO Festival. Weekend events include a parade, alien costume contests and UFO-themed movie showings. The festival lasts through Sunday. _______________________________________________________ July 3, 2008 UFO 'seen over M4 service area' By Anna Roberts http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2031415_ufo_seen_over_m4_service_area Police have confirmed they have received a report that a UFO was spotted in the skies above Berkshire. Thames Valley Police were contacted by a concerned man who spotted the 'flying saucer' hovering above Chieveley services at junction 13 of the M4. Reading Police spokesman Adam Fisher, when contacted by the Evening Post, confirmed officers had been told about the X-Files-style object. He said: "We were called at 8.40am on Monday, June 30, by a man from London who reported seeing a UFO over the Chieveley area that morning. His details have been passed on to a body that specialises in that field." This is not the first time such objects have been glimpsed over the motorway. An official Ministry of Defence (MoD) report revealed in February 2007 a UFO was sighted over the Swindon section of the M4. The report said: "An object fell from the sky. It had like a green halo around it. Was very bright." In the past, according to figures released by the MoD, flying saucers have also been glimpsed over Woodley, Arborfield and Reading. Bizarrely, nearby Wokingham appears to be something of a hotbed for UFO sightings. In the past 10 years there have been numerous sightings of UFOs in the skies above the town. Michael Soper, who is in his 60s, has been investigating flying saucers for years with the group, Contact International UFO Research. Mr Soper, who lives in Oxfordshire and in the past believes he has been abducted by aliens, said: "This latest sighting was phoned through by Thames Valley Police. A person said they saw a stubby winged object with an enormously bright green light going smoothly, effortlessly, across the sky. "We were interested the police would phone it through to us. "On this occasion they were very helpful. "They have changed their attitude to UFO sightings. "It is unusual to see a UFO this bright and in daylight. There is no doubt whatever it was a UFO." Mr Soper, talking generally about UFOs in Reading, said Caversham was an alien hotspot. "We have had a lot of things happening north of Reading," he said. "People have repeatedly mentioned pearl-like objects above the skies in the Caversham area." However, some people have cast doubt on Mr Soper's claims, suggesting flying objects are nothing more than Chinese lanterns, aeroplanes or hot air balloons. People who have spotted a UFO can contact Mr Soper on fc@accf.fastnet.co.uk or if you have seen one over Reading, call reporter Anna Roberts with your story on (0118) 918 3063. _______________________________________________________ July 2, 2008 UFO investigators drawn to Bucks http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/113-07022008-1557503.html By JAMES MCGINNIS Bucks County Courier Times The Mutual UFO Network said it will dispatch "field investigators" to Lower Bucks after four reports of strange craft hovering over the county between January and June. The latest incident was reported Wednesday, when someone saw a craft "with six lights in the shape of a boomerang" over the Oxford Valley Mall in Middletown. The first sighting was reported Jan. 27, and Falls police officer Jeffrey Omlor was dispatched to Don Pablo's on Route 1 across from the mall. Someone called 911 to report a craft "hovering like an octopus" over the Mexican restaurant. Omlor said he saw nothing strange over the restaurant that night. But that same day, MUFON said it received a third report from a pizza deliveryman who said he saw an object "over the tree line of Vermillion Hills" that "appeared to be blinking red, white and green lights." The fourth report was from Newtown on April 25. Someone claimed to see "an orange fire ball that seemed to be crashing out of the sky." Each report filed with MUFON was anonymous. The caller to Falls police also didn't give a name. But that has hardly deterred MUFON. Field investigator Elise Simon said the group probably would issue a finding in a couple of weeks. She wasn't sure when the investigators would arrive. "We'll be talking to the local police, the FAA and the local media and any witnesses," said John Ventre, state director for MUFON, who estimated about 93 percent of UFO reports turn out to be conventional aircraft. "That 7 percent, though, that's the great part, because it really defies explanation," Ventre said. MUFON has chapters throughout the world. It's considered one the largest UFO organizations, and claims about 3,000 members. MUFON was featured in the Fox series "The X-Files." Members helped FBI special agent Dana Scully, played by Gillian Anderson, locate a microchip planted in her neck. Visitors to the MUFON Web site -- http://www.mufon.com/ -- can search through and review UFO incidents dating to 1938. To become a certified MUFON field investigator, applicants must study a manual available for $28 and pass a 100-question test. James McGinnis can be reached at 215-949-3248 or jmcginnis@phillyBurbs.com. _______________________________________________________ July 2, 2008 at 08:54:26 http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=7985 The Welsh 'Roswell' UFO Controversy Diary Entry by Bill Knell It's been thirty-four years since an amazing and still unexplained event occurred in North Wales which involved strange lights in the sky, odd tremors, 'Men In Black' types sweeping the countryside for information and something that crashed somewhere in the Berwyn mountains. It's been called the Welsh 'Roswell' because just like the event that allegedly occurred in New Mexico, USA, in 1947, the North Wales case may have involved a crashed UFO, dead Aliens and a government cover-up. The story begins on January 23, 1974, when the villages of Llandrillo and Llandderfel, near Corwen, were shaken by a tremor measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale. Colored lights began to appear in the sky after the tremor. During the next three weeks there was quite a bit of unexplained military activity in the area and people dressed in dark suits began asking locals a lot of questions about the lights, the tremor and anything they might have seen on various dates. Local First Responders like Firefighter Adrian Roberts experienced the tremor and cover-up first hand. He says he was thrown off a sofa where he was sitting when the tremor hit. Roberts also claims that the military came into the area and declared several areas 'off limits' to local authorities and the public alike. Retired North Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Elfed Roberts was driving to Llandrillo just after the tremor with his superior and claims that they both saw an odd green light in the sky. He also says that the local police were kept away from certain areas after the tremor. Astronomers and skeptics went out of their way to convince people that a meteor shower coincidently occurred during the tremor that accounted for any strange objects seen in the sky. The lights were explained away as 'earthquake lights' which sometime appear after a major quake, although what people were reporting did not correspond to the classic descriptions of those. The 'Men in Black' types were explained away as seismologists in the area to research the quake, but none of them made such claims. Although the recent release of MOD UFO documents didn't shed any light on what really crashed in the Berwyn mountain range, a new witness has come forward that might be able to help fill in the blanks. Geraint Edwards, of Llandderfel, Denbighshire, is a retired gamekeeper. He recently gave an interview to Channel 5 in the UK and said that he saw a classic "Flying Saucer" hover above the Berwyn mountains for at least ten minutes on February 15, 1974 before it shot up into the sky at "an impossible speed" (roughly three weeks after all the bizarre activity began). The interview is part of a Channel 5 (UK) Special about the North Wales events set to air this month (June 2008) in the UK. During the interview, Edwards told a reporter, "It was definitely a flying saucer. It was a pity I didn't have a camera because it was there for at least 10 minutes, just hovering. . . We were on the way down to play darts when something caught our eye in the south-east, so we stopped. It looked like a rugger ball, but the ends of it were more pointy. When it took off, it just went like lightning on the same line as it hovered. I wrote it down in my diary. It was 6:45pm on the Friday night. If we were coming back from the pub, people would be saying, "They've had one or two." But we were going TO the pub." According to other witnesses which include farmers, local first responders, unidentified whistleblowers, residents and tourists, at least one object and its Alien occupants were recovered by British Forces and taken to the Wiltshire research base Porton Down, a top-secret MOD facility. Local witnesses agree that whatever happened back then, none of them had ever experienced or seen anything like it before. Recent sightings in Wales and the UK bring back memories of the 1974 event as strange lights and flying discs are again seen in these areas, ridiculous cover stories are offered and the MOD is not anxious to investigate the matters or provide any answers. In fact, several UFO events in the USA include elements of both the 1974 and more recent UK UFO sightings and encounters. Over the past year (2007-2008), UFOs have been seen in conjunction with loud explosions, minor earth quakes and unexplained military activity in Texas, Indiana, Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey and Massachusetts in the USA. Strange spherical objects and debris have been recovered, military jets have been observed chasing UFOs and witnesses have been threatened by the authorities. For more, visit http://Newsletter.UFOguy.com and visit our Past Newsletters area to catch up on what's happened with all these cases during the past year. Bill Knell is a popular Speaker, Author and Consultant with eclectic interests. Best known for his Paranormal Research and Seminars, Bill also excels in the area of personal, business and financial advice and management. Featured in the Wall Street Journal, Omni, the L.A. Times, Toronto Star and NY Times; seen on CNN, NBC Nightly News, Fox Television and many Cable Networks; heard on Mancow, Bob and Tom and Howard Stern; consultant to films like Independence Day, Men in Black, the Fifth Element and World of the Worlds. _______________________________________________________ July 1, 2008 UFO seen above Harborough http://www.harboroughmail.co.uk/news/UFO-seen-above-Harborough.4238926.jp A BAFFLED office worker who saw a strange silver ball hovering in the skies above Harborough has appealed for other witnesses to come forward. Rachael Berry said she saw the shiny, metallic looking ball moving above fields near to the Brampton Valley Way before it disappeared from her sight near Clack Hill. Miss Berry (33), of Stockwell Close, witnessed the phenomenon from her office at Cps Ltd, in Sovereign Park off Lathkill Street on Wednesday afternoon last week (June 25). She said: "This thing hovered up and down and across quite slowly. It was too big in scale to be a simple party balloon. It was quite visible in the distance from my office window. "I would say it was fairly large but nowhere near the size a hot air balloon would be at that distance, and not the shape of one either - it was perfectly round and very, very metallically shiny. "The ball moved at a good pace but stopped a few times and went up then down a bit then carried on to the left." Miss Berry said the ball had a rigid 'tail' about 2.5 metres in length hanging down from it and continued to move until appearing to stop above Clack Hill. She added: "It hovered there and went up and down a few times, then dissappeared. I don't know if it vanished or came down in the field. I lost sight of it." Miss Berry's sighting comes in the same week that three soldiers captured footage of UFOs flying above Market Drayton, Shropshire. And this is not the first sighting of mysterious objects in the skies above Harborough. In August and September 1996 dozens of people came forward to say they saw UFOs above Welland Park Road, De Lisle Close and Farndon Road. Scores more reported seeing lights in the sky during the summer of 1997 and in January 2006 the Ministry of Defence released a report detailing a January 2004 sighting of a black triangular aircraft with three lights. In March last year more than a dozen people contacted the Mail after witnessing strange lights in the night sky above Harborough, but the puzzle was solved after it emerged they were Chinese lanterns released during a birthday bash. *Did you see the silver ball? Contact Mail reporter Ian O'Pray on ian.opray@harboroughmail.co.uk or phone 01858 436005. _______________________________________________________ July 1, 2008 Mystery lights or a UFO? (U.K.) 09:41 - 01-July-2008 http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/latestnews/Mystery-lights-UFO/article-201527-detail/article.html (Sighting attributed to Sky Lanterns: it was definitely not UFOS, it was sky lanterns from cheltenham college junior school after a firework display to celebrate the 100 years the college had been there!! i was there watching!! tom, cheltenham commented on 01-Jul-2008 17:35) PEOPLE were left stunned by the sight of 15 mysterious orange lights drifting over Cheltenham. Late-night revellers, families and children spotted at the glowing lights above Charlton Kings between 10pm and 11pm on Saturday. Sandra Lloyd, from Benhall, saw the lights at 10.45pm while driving along College Road after a meal out with family. The 59-year-old said: "There were 12 bright lights that were moving and not making a sound. I thought they were or helicopters but they were too close and there was no sound. They certainly didn't look like lanterns. "My daughter tried to take a picture with her mobile but it wouldn't come out." Tom O'Loughlin, 14, from St Peter's Square, was cycling with some friends past St James' Street car park when they spotted them. He said: "There was a formation of lights travelling across the sky. "They were disappearing and then appearing again. "I was quite scared. It's not something you see every day. "We watched them for 15 minutes. There were loads of people in town watching them." _______________________________________________________ July 1, 2008 UFO watches over Roman Festival, U.K. (grainy photos available at--http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/UFO-watches-over-Roman-soldiers.4240478.jp) Tuesday, 3.15pm - A UFO was caught on camera over Ancaster at the weekend. Colin Mitchell of Wilsford Lane, Ancaster, was taking pictures of the Roman Festival on his digital camera but didn't spot the sky craft at first. It was only when he got home that he and his wife Elaine saw the mysterious object in their picture hovering over houses. Elaine said: "We just noticed it when we came to look at the picture but we have no idea what it was. "Maybe someone else can tell us what it might have been." _______________________________________________________ July 1, 2008 UFO sighting over Derbyshire border Published Date: 01 July 2008 By Lindsey Bowers http://www.belpernews.co.uk/news/UFO-sighting-over-Derbyshire-border.4238901.jp A series of UFOs were spotted over the Derbyshire border at the weekend. Samantha Doleman and her family, who live in Newton Solney on the Staffordshire/ Derbyshire border, saw a series of strange lights in the sky from their garden on Saturday night. Mrs Doleman was outside with her husband at 12.30am, clearing up after a teenagers' party, when they both saw the UFOs. Mrs Doleman said: "My husband yelled at me to come outside and what I saw was the most astounding, confusing thing I have ever witnessed. "A series of orange lights flew across the sky, in pairs, numbering about 12. They passed over us and moved off just north of East Midlands Airport. "In all it took just over five minutes for them to pass. Three teenage children saw them also from our window." The said she reported the sighting to the police who said they would investigate at the airport, but she has had no response yet. "I have no explanation for this," she said, "There was no aircraft noise, the sky was clear and we were of sound mind!" "We watched with a sense of wonder and awe, trying hard to come up with logical solutions. Very bizarre!" _______________________________________________________ July 1, 2008 UFOs spotted by Navy engineer above the M5 motorway By Lucy Cockcroft Last Updated: 10:44AM BST 01/07/2008 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2226748/UFOs-spotted-by-Navy-engineer-above-the-M5-motorway.html A Royal Navy aircraft engineer claims to have seen a "glowing" UFO hover over the M5 motorway. Michael Madden, 25, said he watched in disbelief as the disc-shaped object floated above his head before it "zoomed off at incredible speed". He said the unidentified flying object flew for up to three minutes above junction 21 of the M5, near Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. Mr Madden was on his way back from Manchester with colleague Michael Casson, 22, at 9.50pm on Sunday June 29 when he saw the suspected 'extra-terrestrial' craft. _______________________________________________________ June 29, 2008 Astronomy researcher: UFOs not rare but regular www.chinaview.cn 2008-06-29 09:46:43 BEIJING- June 29 - An astronomy researcher reckons UFOs have been visiting Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu Province, every five to 10 years for the past three decades, the local Modern Express reported yesterday. Wang Sichao, a researcher at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing has been studying UFOs for more than 30 years and says there are explanations for many of them, especially those shaped like shooting stars, bright spots, stars and rods. These are usually natural phenomena or man-made objects, Wang said. But another seven shapes including spirals, fans, circles, spindles and V-shaped objects remain inexplicable, he said. These UFOs may well hail from outer space, Wang said. The first report of a UFO in China was in Nanjing in 1892 when a painting by Wu Youru, a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) artist showed crowds gathered near Nanjing's Confucius Temple, looking up at a "fire ball" in the sky, Wang said. The last visit of a UFO to the Jiangsu city occurred at about 5pm on January 10, 2006 when an orange V-shaped UFO with a long tail was seen near the northern side of the Purple Mountain and over the city's Jiangning and Jiangpu districts, said Wang. On January 14, 1999, a rod-shaped UFO appeared for nearly four hours in the skies of Nanjing - the longest UFO sighting on record for the city. Witnesses said the shining red item, which was about 10 kilometers high and three kilometers long, moved slowly across the sky and its lights gradually faded as it passed over the city. (Source: Shanghai Daily) Editor: Du Guodong _______________________________________________________ June 29, 2008 Welsh UFO sighting to feature on US show Jun 29 2008 by Nathan Bevan, Wales On Sunday A MYSTERIOUS UFO seen hovering in the sky above Wales is set to be the subject of a US TV show. International interest in little green men was sparked after it was reported earlier this month that a police helicopter had almost been involved in a collision with a flying saucer while waiting for landing clearance at the Ministry of Defence's base in St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan. The alleged incident saw the whole of Wales gripped by extraterrestrial excitement, prompting the phone lines in the office of Media Wales to jam as floods of readers rang in to tell of similar experiences with strange sights in our skies. Now hit American investigative show UFO Hunters is looking for people who may have witnessed the events on or around June 8 to take part in a programme for its next series, due to begin filming in August. "After the news of the incident over St Athan broke it went all over the world and the team behind UFO Hunters were straight on the phone to me asking for help find possible witnesses to that and other unexplained incidents," said Philip Mantle, 50, of UFO DATA magazine who is working as a consultant for the upcoming Wales-based episode. "Wales has been a hotbed for UFO sightings over the years but what makes St Athan so extraordinary is that the story came from an official source, the police -- that gives it that extra bit of credence." But Philip added he'd also found some civilians who had seen it too. "One woman we interviewed said she was standing in her back yard at around half past midnight that night having a final cigarette before bed and couldn't believe what she was seeing," he said. "She saw the helicopter chasing another aircraft, but it was failing to keep up because this thing was going like a bat out of hell apparently." And Philip himself is no stranger to close encounters of the third kind, having spotted two unusual lights in the sky while driving home from work in 1984. "It was at 9.57pm exactly on July 23, not that it made much on an impression on me, mind," he said. "I saw two big luminous circles, like two white pearls hovering on the horizon out the passenger side window, which disappeared before my very eyes." Philip added that his sighting was among the top-secret government records being made public for the first time in the next four years when they are handed over to the National Archives -- more than 160 MoD files which contain 11,000 reported sightings from the last 30 years. "UFOs are clearly as popular a subject as ever and I'm sure the show is going to be a huge success," he said. Any who thinks they may have seen any unidentified flying object can contact Philip at philip@mantle8353.fsworld.co.uk Other UFO sightings: Days before the St Athan incident a Bridgend man saw two aircraft, one at 200ft and the other at about 1,000ft, with "bright white lights at the front and flickering red and green lights at the rear." They flew silently, only emitting a faint drone as they turned and disappeared. In May a 100ft high green and blue triangle was seen over Pont Robert, Powys, along with pink pulsating lights. Spotted near Port Talbot, two clusters of amber, orange and white lights in triangular formations, moving like a bobbing cork. Last year one holidaymaker in Cardiff claimed to have seen "spaceships" and that little green men had "abducted his dog, car and tent". A silent bright orange globe-shaped light was seen by a Bridgend woman in February 2007, hovering over her mother's house. "It made me feel weird," she said. In March 2006 a pensioner saw cigar shaped lights in the sky, moving down the Garth Mountain at speed for 30 minutes before vanishing. nathan.bevan@mediawales.co.uk _______________________________________________________ June 27, 2008 The baffling phenomenon of UFO sightings over Britain June 27th, 2008 - 6:50 pm ICT by ANI - London, June 27 (ANI): A doctor of psychology at Cardiff University claimed that he witnessed a UFO over the Brecon Beacons - the third reported sighting in Britain, following observations by the Army and police. Dr Simon Griffey and his son Jack were driving near Llangynidr Mountain in the Brecon Beacons, Powys, when they spotted lights over Talybont-on-Usk. "I've had loads of theories proposed by friends and neighbours but none of them add up," The Sun quoted him as saying. "There was no noise whatsoever, it was a bit eerie. Ive driven over this mountain for 17 years and have never seen anything like it." "There were seven lights and having read the description from the soldiers in Shropshire, there are some similarities. They were the same sort of colour and the same spherical shape that they reported." "I know I wasn't seeing things because Jack saw exactly the same as I did and two other cars pulled over to look," they added. Sceptics have suggested the sightings could be huge man-made lanterns floating into the sky. However, the boffin, of Llangynidr, said: "It was too big. It was way above the horizon and stayed there for 15 minutes. It was a bit smaller than a full moon, quite big and high up." Jack recorded the phenomenon on his mobile phone but when they examined the pictures later, they found only three of the seven lights showed up. Griffey said: "The police helicopter crew said they failed to record the sighting on their equipment." "If it had been a natural phenomenon you surely would have been able to photograph all of it. Id like someone to explain because I have no idea what to make of it." "There is no logical explanation. I think it's plausible that there could be life on other planets," he added. (ANI) _______________________________________________________ June 26, 2008 NASA: Tests show Martian soil can support life (COMPUTER WORLD) Scientists find elements that could support the growing of asparagus or turnips By Sharon Gaudin Finding more familiar than alien elements, NASA scientists today announced that their initial analysis found that Martian soil could support life. Scientists on Wednesday received the first test results from the wet chemistry laboratory on the Mars Lander, which is using a robotic arm to dig a shallow trench and then scoop up and analyze soil samples on the northern pole of the planet. Earlier this week, the microscopic imager on the Mars Lander sent back pictures of the trench, dubbed Wonderland, that contained the tested soil. NASA researchers are now waiting to analyze the data set to come down from one of the Lander's eight ovens, which will heat the matter so the gases that are emitted from it can be analyzed. "We were all very flabbergasted at the data we got back [from the wet chemistry tests]," said Samuel Kounaves, a professor at Tufts University and a research affiliate with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We basically have found what appears to be the requirements to support life, whether in the past, present or future. We have elements that you might find in your backyard." Kounaves said in a conference call with the media that, though the findings are preliminary, they've found the minerals that are essential to life in the Martian soil. The dirt there is very alkaline, with a pH level of between eight and nine. They've also found magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride. They're still waiting on analysis regarding evidence of sulfate in the soil. The minerals in the Martian soil, according to Kounaves, are typical of soils here on Earth. "Some kinds of Earth life would be happy to live in these soils," he added. "Asparagus, green beans and turnips love alkaline soils." William Boynton, a professor at the University of Arizona and a co-investigator with the Mars mission, noted that they received interesting findings in an earlier oven test on a different patch of soil. In that test, when the soil was heated to about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, small amounts of carbon dioxide and water vapor were released. That, he said, shows that there had been water there in the past. "There's nothing about it that's toxic. If you had it here, you could grow something in it," said Kounaves. "We found that a broader range of life could grow there. It allows for the possibility for an environment like you would find on Earth, with a lot of different organisms. The amazing thing about Mars is not that it's not an alien world, but it's actually quite familiar." Last week, NASA scientists reported that they had found ice on the Martian north pole. Dice-size pieces of whitish matter dug up in a trench on the Martian north pole appears to be ice, according to Ray Arvidson, a co-investigator for Mars Lander's robotic arm team and a professor at Washington University in St. Louis. Dug up in a 7-to 8-cm deep trench by the Lander's robotic arm, the material disappeared after being exposed to sunlight, leading scientists to believe it was ice that simply melted. The chunks were left at the bottom of a trench that NASA engineers have dubbed "Dodo-Goldilocks" on June 15, during the 20th Martian day since landing. Several chunks were gone when the Phoenix Lander examined the trench about four days later. "If they're ice deposits, they should disappear because water ice is not stable on the surface of Mars at that latitude," said Arvidson in a previous interview. "As soon as the sun hit that material, it disappeared. It's ice. This is why we went, so it's pretty exciting." _______________________________________________________ June 26, 2008 UFO sightings spark alien invasion fears 15:00 AEST Thu Jun 26 2008 By ninemsn staff Alarmed UK citizens convinced they saw an armada of UFOs in the sky have flooded radio stations with their calls of distress. Hundreds of people witnessed strange orange orbs hover over Liverpool, north England, on Monday, British tabloid The Sun reports. The sightings prompted widespread speculation about the possiblity of an alien invasion. Former policeman Steve Rafferty, 50, and his daughter Emma, convinced they were having a close encounter, filmed the unexplained phenomena on a mobile phone. Another witness suggested the "alien craft" appeared to be scouting for a place to land, the newspaper reported. The sightings came as three soldiers reported seeing UFOs spinning over an army base in Shropshire, in the west of the country. The 13 flying objects were captured on film and are now reportedly being investigated by army officials. _______________________________________________________ June 26, 2008 British UFOs may be partygoers' Chinese lanterns AP foreign, Wednesday June 25 2008 By GREGORY KATZ Associated Press Writer LONDON (AP) -- Mysterious lights in the sky? Some British soldiers thought they might be unidentified flying objects. Then again, they might be those blazing Chinese lanterns released by the partygoers down the road - a new craze in England. Once they are lit, the small lanterns rise into the sky, much like hot air balloons. Britain's Ministry of Defense has received numerous reports of a squadron of rotating, cube-like UFOs in June, including one from a soldier who used his mobile phone to record video footage of the suspected space visitors. The UFO sightings earlier this month included one made by a police helicopter crew in Wales, prompting at least the Sun tabloid to announce Wednesday that an "Alien Army" was gathering above the seemingly tranquil British countryside. A Ministry of Defense spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity as required by government policy, confirmed that military officials had investigated the reports from the first weekend in June to make sure there was no hostile military action threatening the United Kingdom. Once they had been reassured on that count, they did not try to determine the basis for the reports, the spokesman said. "Unless there is evidence of a potential threat, there is no attempt to identify the nature of each sighting reported," he said. Some UFO experts are not convinced there is anything unusual going on, especially in light of a new craze that has spread to England - the practice of releasing lit Chinese lanterns into the night sky to celebrate weddings and other special events. It turns out that two newlyweds who had purchased 100 lanterns to celebrate their wedding had released them into the sky shortly before the purported UFO sighting in Wales, offering a logical explanation for the lights seen in the sky. David Clarke, a UFO expert who helped the National Archives prepare thousands of pages of UFO documents for public release in May, said a helicopter pilot seeing the blazing lanterns at night could easily think he was looking at another aircraft. "Call me cynical, but what are the chances that a flying saucer would come down from outer space in exactly the same place where lanterns have been released?" he said. _______________________________________________________ June 26, 2008 Reported UFO sightings in Wales Jun 26 2008 by Nick Machin, Western Mail A pensioner and two other people saw up to 40 lights in a cigar shape in the sky moving down the Garth Mountain at speed for 30 minutes in March 2006. They disappeared then reappeared. More than 16 drivers stopped their cars to look at a UFO above a busy road west of Cardiff on October 14, 2004, at 10pm. A silent object was seen in the sky by a couple in their garden in Barry at 3.20pm on September 5, 2004. The bright, star-like object started coming towards them and looked like a box kite with no fuselage. It flew towards Cardiff Airport at an altitude of around 3,000ft. Cardiff Airport said nothing was seen at the airport or on radar. The MoD confirmed that a green, circular object seen hovering in one position over Mumbles in January 2002 was classed as a UFO. The Welsh Federation of Independent Ufologists said a family travelling by car to the Great Orme in Llandudno on November 10, 1997, encountered a UFO. They could not account for several lost hours after finding their car engulfed by a purple triangular craft. There were several cigar-shaped object sightings in Pembrokeshire in the 1970s which prompted an RAF inquiry. In 2004, Alison Moore, 26, took footage of a floating disc in the sky above her home in Trehafod, Rhondda. _______________________________________________________ June 25, 2008 Subject: NASA Spacecraft Reveal Largest Crater in Solar System Date: June 25, 2008 5:38:26 PM GMT-04:00 RELEASE: 08-159 NASA SPACECRAFT REVEAL LARGEST CRATER IN SOLAR SYSTEM PASADENA, Calif. -- New analysis of Mars' terrain using NASA spacecraft observations reveals what appears to be by far the largest impact crater ever found in the solar system. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Global Surveyor have provided detailed information about the elevations and gravity of the Red Planet's northern and southern hemispheres. A new study using this information may solve one of the biggest remaining mysteries in the solar system: why does Mars have two strikingly different kinds of terrain in its northern and southern hemispheres? The huge crater is creating intense scientific interest. The mystery of the two-faced nature of Mars has perplexed scientists since the first comprehensive images of the surface were beamed home by NASA spacecraft in the 1970s. The main hypotheses have been an ancient impact or some internal process related to the planet's molten subsurface layers. The impact idea, proposed in 1984, fell into disfavor because the basin's shape didn't seem to fit the expected round shape for a crater. The newer data is convincing some experts who doubted the impact scenario. "We haven't proved the giant-impact hypothesis, but I think we've shifted the tide," said Jeffrey Andrews-Hanna, a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. Andrews-Hanna and co-authors Maria Zuber of MIT and Bruce Banerdt of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., report the new findings in the journal Nature this week. A giant northern basin that covers about 40 percent of Mars' surface, sometimes called the Borealis basin, is the remains of a colossal impact early in the solar system's formation, the new analysis suggests. At 5,300 miles across, it is about four times wider than the next-biggest impact basin known, the Hellas basin on southern Mars. An accompanying report calculates that the impacting object that produced the Borealis basin must have been about 1,200 miles across. That's larger than Pluto. "This is an impressive result that has implications not only for the evolution of early Mars, but also for early Earth's formation," said Michael Meyer, the Mars chief scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. This northern-hemisphere basin on Mars is one of the smoothest surfaces found in the solar system. The southern hemisphere is high, rough, heavily cratered terrain, which ranges from 2.5 to 5 miles higher in elevation than the basin floor. Other giant impact basins have been discovered that are elliptical rather than circular. But it took a complex analysis of the Martian surface from NASA's two Mars orbiters to reveal the clear elliptical shape of Borealis basin, which is consistent with being an impact crater. One complicating factor in revealing the elliptical shape of the basin was that after the time of the impact, which must have been at least 3.9 billion years ago, giant volcanoes formed along one part of the basin rim and created a huge region of high, rough terrain that obscures the basin's outlines. It took a combination of gravity data, which tend to reveal underlying structure, with data on current surface elevations to reconstruct a map of Mars elevations as they existed before the volcanoes erupted. "In addition to the elliptical boundary of the basin, there are signs of a possible second, outer ring - a typical characteristic of large impact basins," Banerdt said. JPL manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. For more information about the mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mro -end- _______________________________________________________ June 24, 2008 June 24, 1947: They Came From ---- Outer Space? By Tony Long Email 12 hours ago Kenneth Arnold shows a drawing of one of the objects he reported seeing on June 24, 1947. Courtesy U.S. Air Force 1947: Pilot Kenneth Arnold sights a series of unidentified flying objects near Washington's Mt. Rainier. It's the first widely reported UFO sighting in the United States, and, thanks to Arnold's description of what he saw, leads the press to coin the term flying saucer. Arnold was an experienced pilot with more than 9,000 hours of flying time. He had diverted from his flight plan -- Chehalis to Yakima, Washington -- to search for a Marine Corps C-46 transport plane reported down in the Cascades near the southwest slope of Mt. Rainier. A sweep of the area revealed nothing, and Arnold resumed his original course. As Arnold recalled, the afternoon was crystal clear, and he was cruising at an altitude of 9,200 feet. A minute or two after noting a DC-4 about 15 miles behind and to the left of him, he was startled by something bright reflecting off his plane. At first he thought he had nearly hit another aircraft but as he looked off in the direction the light had come from, he saw nine "peculiar-looking" aircraft flying rapidly in formation toward Mt. Rainier. As these strange, tailless craft flew between his plane and Mt. Rainier and then off toward distant Mt. Adams, Arnold noted their remarkable speed -- he later calculated that they were moving at around 1,700 mph -- and said he got a pretty good look at their black silhouettes outlined against Rainier's snowy peak. He later described them as saucer-like disks ---- something the gentlemen of the press glommed on to very quickly. At the time, Arnold said, the appearance of these flying saucers didn't particularly alarm him, because he assumed they were some kind of experimental military aircraft. If they were, nobody in the War Department (soon to be merged into the Department of Defense) was saying. In fact, the official Army Air Corps position was that Arnold had either seen a mirage or was hallucinating. He insisted he was perfectly alert and lucid, adding that he was not a publicity hound, either. He also invited both the Army and the FBI to investigate. The Army sent a couple of officers out to talk with Arnold. Even though they concluded that "a man of [his] character and apparent integrity" almost certainly saw what he claimed to have seen, the Army's initial verdict remained unchanged. As Arnold's story leaked out, other people stepped forward to say they had seen the objects, too. The most-credible report may have come from a United Airlines crew, which reported seeing nine similar disk-like objects over Idaho only 10 days after Arnold's sighting. Whether Arnold actually saw something or not, the resulting publicity touched off a worldwide spate of UFO sightings. Barely two weeks after Arnold's flight, the Roswell story broke, and UFO hysteria was on. Was it the power of suggestion that led to all these sightings, or was 1947 a peak travel year for little green men? You decide. Source: History.com, Project 1947 _______________________________________________________ June 23, 2008 Britains 11,000 UFO sightings in 30 years set to go public June 23rd, 2008 - 1:55 pm ICT by ANI London, June 23 (ANI): Britains X-Files, which include reports of more than 11,000 Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) sightings of the past 30 years, is set to be opened to the public for the first time. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) papers will release a total of 160 files containing every reported sighting to the National Archives. The top-secret government records include various documents, reports of sightings and investigations by MoD staff. Witnesses include airline pilots, and police who reported a white light descending from the sky in Woking, Surrey. MoD decided to release the papers following a flood of requests from UFO buffs. There are a lot of conspiracy theories about military interest in UFOs, the Sun quoted University lecturer Dr David Clarke, who campaigned to have the files released, as saying. But the fact that these documents are being released shows there isnt a cover-up. What we are getting to see in these papers are facts. Its a good move on the part of the MoD to demonstrate what they know, which doesnt amount to much, he added. The move of revealing the records comes following a report last week when a UFO threatened a police helicopter in the sky above Cardiff. (ANI) _______________________________________________________ June 23, 2008 61st Anniversary for first incident of modern UFO history (courtesy of Glen Means) Although the history of UFOs can be traced back to early cave drawings, pictures, religious texts, and folklore, the modern era of the "flying saucer" is usually believed to be the 1947 sighting report of nine UFOs made by pilot Kenneth Arnold on June 24, 1947, although Arnold never actually used the term "flying saucer." The term was actually coined by an Oregon newspaperman who transposed Arnold's description of the UFOs' flight as being like pie tins or saucers skipping over the water. I hope this helps explain how the damn media can totally foul (yeah - wanted to use a stronger verb but deferred!) up the facts! Enjoy "Flying Saucer Day" --- I'll be in the kitchen whippin' up a batch of curdled eggplant and marshmallows! (Look for my recipe to be published soon in Southern Living's new cookbook, "Having ET for Lunch!") _______________________________________________________ June 22, 2008 Paranormal Newsletter - UFO Alert __________________ Welsh Police Helicopter Encounters A UFO - June 7-8, 2008, from THE SUN (UK) Cardiff, Wales, UK - Stunned police gave chase to a UFO after it attacked their helicopter near a military base. The mystery aircraft zoomed straight at the chopper as the three-man cop crew prepared to land. The pilot banked sharply to avoid being hit, then launched into a high-speed pursuit. But he was forced to give up the chase as the helicopter's fuel ran low -- and the UFO escaped. All three crew described the object as "flying saucer-shaped" and circled by flashing lights. They reported it to senior officers, who passed on the report to Britain's UFO investigators. The incident happened as the helicopter was returning to the MoD's St Athan base near Cardiff, where it is stationed. The chopper was at 500ft and waiting to land when the crew saw the UFO speeding towards them from below. A source said: "It closed in at great speed, aiming straight at the helicopter. "The chopper had to swerve sharply to avoid being hit. The guys said if they'd stayed where they were, they'd be dead -- it would've been a direct hit. They are convinced it was a UFO. It sounds far-fetched, but they know what they saw. These guys are hardened professionals and know people will take the mickey, but they are certain they saw a UFO." The source added: "After the near-collision they decided to follow it to find out what the hell it was. They belted across the Bristol Channel in pursuit, but it was too quick. They got to the North Devon coast and had to turn back because they were running low on fuel." The chopper is crammed with hi-tech cameras and surveillance gear, but the UFO somehow avoided being caught on film. Strangely, the crew could not see the craft with night-vision goggles -- but all said it was "clearly visible" to the naked eye on the night of June 7. South Wales Police said last night: "We can confirm the Air Support Unit sighted an unusual aircraft. This was reported to the relevant authorities for their investigation." The MoD, which usually investigates UFO sightings, said: "We've heard nothing about this. But it is certainly not advisable for police helicopters to go chasing what they think are UFOs." MORE from THE SUN (UK) Hundreds of UFO sightings over Wales were reported yesterday after a mystery craft threatened a police helicopter. The Sun was bombarded with calls from readers who also saw the UFO on the same night as the chopper drama in Cardiff. And the mystery deepened as experts revealed airline pilots have spotted hundreds of UFOs over the nearby Bristol Channel this year. We exclusively revealed yesterday how the helicopter's three-man crew took evasive action to avoid being rammed by the UFO. They then chased it to North Devon before giving up as fuel ran low. Dawn Williams, 45, feared an Independence Day-style alien invasion when she spotted a sinister shape in the sky above Aberdare Country Park hours earlier, on June 8. She said: "It came over the horizon and was traveling for about a minute and a half before it disappeared. "It was circular and had a dome on top -- it looked like a planet with rings. I didn't say anything at the time because I didn't think anyone would believe me." Cabaret duo Katy Cunnion and Russell Quinn said a weird light in the sky followed them on the A5 near Shrewsbury an hour after the 'copter scare. Katy, 25, said: "It was hovering. At first I thought it was a helicopter, but every time I changed direction it was in the same place. "It disappeared, then I got a bit freaked out when the light came back close enough for us to see it was saucer-shaped with lights which flashed from one to another in a chain. "It looked like no plane or aircraft I had ever seen." It finally zoomed off "like a shooting star" after an hour. Katy's description of the UFO matches the one given by the helicopter cops. Expert David Coggins, who has studied UFOs for 30 years, revealed: "I'm told that in the past three months airline pilots have been reporting at least two or three encounters a week with UFOs over the Bristol Channel. "Many of them will have rational explanations, but the probability is around 15 to 20 per cent can't be identified." The Ministry of Defence, which investigates UFO sightings, said it was still awaiting the police report on the helicopter incident. For more (including maps and illustrations), visit http://newsletter.ufoguy.com THE SUN story links: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1323017.ece http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1315843.ece BBC Version of the story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7465041.stm _______________________________________________________ June 21, 2008 Stonehenge partygoers greet summer solstice Police estimate 28,000 revelers made the trip for longest day of the year updated 11:24 a.m. ET, Sat., June. 21, 2008 STONEHENGE, England - Thousands of partygoers, pagans and self-styled druids cheered and banged drums Saturday to greet the dawn at Stonehenge on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. Blowhorns signaled the rise of the sun over the ancient stone circle at 4:58 a.m. -- although in typically English fashion, the sunrise was barely visible through the clouds. Still, the mist and drizzle did not dampen the spirits of revelers who gathered under umbrellas, ponchos and plastic bags to greet the dawn. "I've done this for the last three years," said Peter Rawcliffe, 26, who cycled the 50 miles from his home in the city of Oxford. "I suppose I'm a bit of a closet druid." "It's a really magical experience," he said. Site described as 'cathedral' Police estimated 28,000 revelers had made the trip, one of the largest numbers in years. They said there were 15 arrests for theft and minor offenses. Trevor Wyatt, 55, described the historic site as his "cathedral." "It's been a sacred place for 6,000 years for the people of this country," he said. Wyatt, who lives in London, said he is neither pagan nor druid, "just English." In ancient times, a druid was a member of the Celtic priesthood who would act as priest, arbitrator, scholar, magistrate and healer. They appeared in sagas and in Christian legends as magicians or wizards. Solstice celebrations were a highlight of the pre-Christian calendar and in many countries bonfires, maypole dances and courtship rituals linger on as holdovers from Europe's pagan past. Zoe Neale, 48, cheerfully admitted her visit to Stonehenge "is part of my mid-life crisis." She left her West London office amid gentle teasing from her colleagues Friday afternoon to see a very English tradition. "I've always thought it's just a bunch of old hippies. I'm just going to ignore the hippie things and think about Stonehenge and the sunrise," she said. Drummers, bagpipes Throughout the night, visitors gathered in groups to dance around drummers and bagpipe players -- or to swig from cans of beer to the beat of techno music. "We heard about it through our really studious friends, but we're going to come and get drunk," said Alison Newcomer, a 21-year-old student from Minneapolis, Minn. Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain about 80 miles southwest of London, was built in three phases between 3000 B.C. and 1600 B.C. It is one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions, drawing more than 750,000 visitors a year. The solstice is the one day of the year that visitors are allowed access throughout the night to the stone circle. Representatives of English Heritage, the monument's caretaker, were on hand to make sure no one climbed on or vandalized the stones. Though the stone circle's alignment with the midsummer sunrise makes it an ideal location for celebrating the solstice, the event has a controversial past. Stonehenge remains mysterious A clash between police and revelers at the solstice celebration in 1985 led to closure of the monument for the solstice for 15 years. During those years riot police and people determined to celebrate the solstice often clashed. But in 2000, English Heritage reopened Stonehenge for the solstice, and celebrations since have been peaceful, with only a few arrests for minor offenses each year. "People generally respect the stones and we don't have a problem," English Heritage spokeswoman Rebecca Milton said. Exactly how and why Stonehenge was built remains a mystery. Some experts believe it is aligned with the sun simply because its builders came from a sun-worshipping culture, while others believe the site was part of a huge astronomical calendar. In May, researchers said new evidence suggests the stone circle was used as a burial ground. Cremated remains found at the site date to 3000 B.C. and radiocarbon dating shows burials continued at the site for at least 500 years. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. _______________________________________________________ June 19, 2008 A North Shore UFO? Two men tell of sighting off I-95 By Katie Curley Staff writer Some areas North of Boston are no strangers to UFO sightings, but would the little green men actually pick Friday the 13th as a landing date? Two area men swear that something appeared over Interstate 95 about 10 a.m. Friday, and they say it was unlike anything they've ever seen. "I was driving my nephew James to school at Triton to pick up some paperwork," said Robert Mace, 36, of Amesbury. "Then we both looked up and saw this silver, illuminated saucer flying through the air. It changed shape into a cylinder and left a trail of smoke, and then it snuffed out like a candle." Mace says he's no science fiction enthusiast, but his voice shook as he recounted his experience. Hours after the incident, which he said occurred near Exit 55 in Byfield, Mace said he still had goose bumps. "I never saw anything like this in my life, and I probably never will again," Mace said. "It was so brightly illuminated in the clear blue sky. ... It was a big, shiny platter and then changed shape and only lasted about 30 seconds." "We kept driving down the highway looking up at it shift shape," Mace said. His nephew -- James Mace, 19, of Salisbury -- said at first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him. But before long he realized his uncle also had his eyes glued skyward. "I just watched it disappear like a cloud or something," James Mace said. "I don't know how to explain it. It was pretty crazy." Robert Mace added, "We both got goose bumps. I'm still getting them for some reason. We just looked at each other, and we both knew what we saw. "I don't care what anyone thinks, anyone can ask me, and I will tell them I know what I saw, and I know the difference between what a jet looks like and what a plane looks like." Yesterday, no one came forward with similar sightings, and the state police said they didn't receive any phone calls. When asked if there were any unique planes in the area, a skeptical Jim Peters, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said, "Our agency doesn't have the time or the resources to look into such things." Employees at a Citgo station in Newbury laughed at the idea, though one stone-faced employee mentioned he had seen on television there have been an increase on UFO sightings. He also wondered if the UFOs were moving from Exeter, N.H., to Newbury. The Exeter incident was one of the best documented in the folklore of UFO sightings. It happened on Sept. 3, 1965, when several New Hampshire residents believed they saw a UFO traveling overhead. The first to report it was Norman Muscarello, 18, who was walking along Route 150 in Kensington, N.H., at 2 a.m. after visiting his girlfriend in Amesbury, when he saw a strange glow in the sky. Moments later, Muscarello said he saw an orb of red and blue lights. "I didn't know what it was, but it was as big as a house," Muscarello recounted in the book, "Sightings: UFO" written by Susan Michaels and published in 1997. "It had a red hue and flashing lights, sometimes in sequence, sometimes erratic." In that case, Exeter police witnessed the orb, as did other residents. The Air Force dispatched officers to investigate. The case was a featured topic in a congressional hearing into UFOs. While there is little evidence to back up the claims of Robert and James Mace, Robert Mace said he is still telling everyone what he saw, an image he will take to his grave. "I can't contain myself," Mace said. "I'm telling everyone who will listen." _______________________________________________________ June 17, 2008 Were Meteorites the Origin of Life on Earth? DNA building blocks found in meteorite took shape in deep space By JR Minkel A new study finds that a pair of chemical building blocks similar to those in genetic material was present in a meteorite before it fell to Earth in the 1960s. Researchers say the finding makes it slightly more plausible that meteorite bombardments may have seeded ancient Earth with life's raw materials, potentially paving the way for life itself. Part of the scientific mystery of how life emerged is the origin of chemical building blocks: Were they created by chemical reactions on Earth or did they, perhaps, hitch rides on meteorites that may have germinated our and other planets in our solar system with the same molecules? By studying meteorite fragments, such as those that fell in 1969 near the town of Murchison, in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, researchers have learned that they contain carbon-based compounds that most likely formed in space, including sugars and amino acids. They were not sure, however, about a class of compounds called nucleobases, which when fused with sugar molecules are the building blocks of nucleic acids such as DNA (the stuff of genes) and its close cousin RNA (produced when genes switch on). Researchers have speculated that life may have arisen from RNA molecules that acquired the ability to copy themselves. But they have had a hard time generating nucleobases in experiments designed to mimic chemical conditions on the early Earth, says Zita Martins, a chemist and astrobiologist at Imperial College London. To check the origin of two nucleobases--uracil, found in RNA, and xanthine, a common cellular constituent--Martins and her colleagues analyzed the ratio of carbon isotopes in the two compounds. Most carbon on Earth consists of carbon 12, named for the number of protons and neutrons in its atomic nucleus, rather than its slightly heavier cousin, carbon 13. Martins and her colleagues compared carbon isotopes in the Murchison nucleobases to soil samples from Murchison as well as to a common mineral. As expected if the nucleobases were forged in deep space, they were richer in carbon 13--by 44.5 percent for uracil and 37.7 percent for xanthine--compared with the other samples, the group reports in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. "It really clarifies at least that the building blocks of genetic material, the nucleobases, were available" in the early Earth, Martins says. "We are not saying that only meteorites contributed to the building blocks of life," she adds, "but it's a very great contribution." The concentration of nucleobases in the Murchison meteorite is relatively low. Martins and her co-workers needed 0.5 ounce (15 grams) of space rock to extract their sample, compared with milligram-size samples for other chemicals, she says. But researchers believe that space rocks and dust once rained onto Earth in billions of tons per year. Other researchers say the finding appears to be solid, although some are skeptical of its significance. Robert Shapiro, a professor emeritus and senior research scientist in chemistry at New York University, says that because of their low concentration, extraterrestrial nucleobases were unlikely to have played much of a role in kick-starting life. "They're a subunit of a subunit of DNA," he says. "My opinion is that their amounts were utterly unimportant and insignificant." He says he would be more impressed if whole nucleosides--bases plus sugars--were found in meteorites in concentrations similar to those of amino acids. And researchers may yet discover ways that Earthly chemistry--perhaps around hydrothermal vents--could have generated nucleobases and other compounds. Conel Alexander, a geochemist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington who specializes in meteorites, says that without more data, claims about the amounts and sources of molecules on early Earth should be taken with a grain of salt. "It really comes down to quantitative arguments about how much was made on Earth [and] how much was brought in from space," he says. "Any honest person would keep an open mind about the whole issue." _______________________________________________________ June 17, 2008 A Bounty of Midsize Planets Is Reported By DENNIS OVERBYE Published: June 17, 2008 There is a lot of new territory out there in the cosmos, but nothing you would want to pitch camp on -- yet. About a third of all the Sun-like stars in our galaxy harbor modestly sized planets, according to a study announced Monday by a team of European astronomers. At a meeting in Nantes, France, Michel Mayor of the Geneva Observatory and his group presented a list of 45 new planets, ranging in mass from slightly bigger than Earth to about twice as massive as Neptune, from a continuing survey of some 200 stars. All of the planets orbit their stars in 50 days or less, well within the corresponding orbit of Mercury, which takes 88 days to go around the Sun, and well within frying distance of any lifelike creatures. Among the bounty is a rare triple-planet system of "super-Earths" around the star HD 40307, about 42 light-years away in the constellation Pictor. The planets are roughly four, seven and nine times the mass of Earth and have orbital periods of 4, 10 and 20 days, respectively. Dr. Mayor called the discoveries "only the tip of the iceberg" in a news release from the European Southern Observatory in Garching, Germany. Theories of planet formation, Dr. Mayor said in an e-mail message from Nantes, hold that smaller planets like super-Earths and Neptunes should be numerous. "But evidently it was a nice surprise to see that with our instrument we have the sensitivity to detect that population," he said. Astronomers said the new results indicated that when their instruments got sensitive enough to detect even smaller planets, such planets would be there to be found. Sara Seager, a planetary theorist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was one of the organizers of the Nantes conference, said in an e-mail message, "We've always been hoping that low-mass planets are common -- to increase the chance for an Earth analog to exist around a nearby star." In a terse statement, Dr. Mayor's main rivals, a group of planet hunters led by Geoff Marcy of the University of California, Berkeley, and Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, said they were doing their own survey, to be completed within a year. "Our survey will check the Swiss report that 30 percent of stars have super-Earths or Neptunes orbiting closer than Mercury does the Sun," the group said in an e-mail message. Dr. Mayor and his team discovered the first so-called exoplanet orbiting a regular star, known as Pegasi 51, in 1995. That planet, about half the mass of Jupiter, circles its star tightly in a four-day orbit. In the years since, some 270 exoplanets have been discovered, many of them like the original, so-called hot Jupiters in lethal scorching embraces of their stars. Part of the reason that such unusual systems have been found first is that the detection method is biased toward finding large planets close to their stars. Both Dr. Mayor's and Dr. Marcy's groups use what is called the wobble method, deducing the presence of a planet by the to-and-fro gravitational tug it gives its star as it orbits. The more massive the planet and the closer it is, the bigger and more noticeable tug it will impart. The tug perturbs the star's velocity relative to Earth by as little as a few meters per second in the case of a super-Earth. That shows up as a periodic shift in the wavelength of light from the star. In recent years, Dr. Mayor's group has used a special spectrograph known as Harps, for High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher, on a telescope at the European Southern Observatory's site at La Silla, Chile, to detect such small wobbles in stars. "Detection of planets with masses of about 2 Earth-masses (maybe less!) is possible," Dr. Mayor said in an e-mail message. To do much better, astronomers will have to go to space. About one in 14 stars harbors a massive giant planet like Jupiter or Saturn, Dr. Mayor estimated. If in fact one in three harbors a Neptune or super-Earth, that is an appealing situation for astronomers and others who would like someday to find someplace livable or even someone living Out There. Dr. Seager compared the quest to a giant Sudoku game. "Every time we fill in a key number," she said in an e-mail message, "we take a big step towards finishing: finding the habitable planets and understanding how rare or common our solar system actually is." _______________________________________________________ June 16, 2008 Intel spins off solar energy technology Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:00pm BST SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp, the world's biggest maker of semiconductors, said on Monday it is leading a $50 million investment round in a new start-up and spinning off solar technology that it had developed. Intel said the solar assets it is divesting will be part of an independent company SpectraWatt Inc, and it is joined in the funding by Cogentrix Energy LLC, a unit of Goldman Sachs Group Inc, PCG Clean Energy and Technology Fund, and Solon AG. It did not detail its investment. SpectraWatt will make photovoltaic cells and sell them to solar module makers, Intel said. In addition, the start-up will focus on improving current solar cell manufacturing to cut the cost of photovoltaic energy generation. SpectraWatt aims to break ground on its manufacturing and advanced technology development plant in Oregon in the second half of 2008, with first shipments of its products expected by the middle of 2009. Solar cells are used in converting sunlight to electricity, and the end-market for solar technology in 2007 was about $30 billion, up 50 percent from 2006, according to data from market research firm Photon Consulting. Intel said it expects solar industry growth of 30 percent to 40 percent to continue in coming years as the economics of solar, which is still about twice that of currently delivered retail electricity on a per-kilowatt basis, starts to approach that of traditional electricity-generation technologies. Intel's funding is coming from Intel Capital, Intel's venture capital arm, which has a long history of funding start-ups to spur the adoption of technology and help fuel demand for its products. (Reporting by Duncan Martell; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) _______________________________________________________ June 16, 2008 RELEASE: 08-147 NASA, ATK CONDUCT FIRST LAUNCH ABORT SYSTEM IGNITER TEST FOR ORION WASHINGTON -- NASA and Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, reached another milestone Friday with the successful test firing of a critical safety component for the Orion crew exploration vehicle, NASA's next generation of spaceships. A 36-inch-long igniter for the abort motor of Orion's launch abort system was fired at ATK's facility in Promontory, Utah. Orion is part of the Constellation Program of spacecraft and systems NASA is building to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and conduct sustained human exploration of the moon. The abort motor, the primary motor in the launch abort system, is designed to pull the crew capsule away from the Ares I launch vehicle in an emergency situation while on the pad or during the first 300,000 feet of ascent after launch. In less than a second, the igniter generated approximately 21,000 pounds of thrust and produced combustion gas temperatures of more than 5,800 degrees Fahrenheit. Engineers will use the test firing to evaluate the igniter's ballistic properties and pressure created inside its chamber. Preliminary data indicate the igniter performed as expected. The igniter is designed to fit inside the aft end of the abort motor for Orion's launch abort system. In the event of an emergency, it will be used to ignite the solid propellant inside the abort motor casing. The motor uses a unique reverse flow technology with four nozzles mounted on the forward end. Once ignited, it will produce nearly a half-million pounds of thrust within milliseconds to pull the Orion crew module safely away from the Ares I rocket. Friday's test was the first in a series of three igniter open air tests scheduled for 2008. A full-scale abort motor ground test will be conducted in September. In December, the entire Orion launch abort system will be demonstrated during a flight test at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The abort system is a key element in NASA's continuing efforts to improve safety as the agency develops the next generation of spacecraft to return humans to the moon. NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., manages the launch abort system design and development effort with partners and team members from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Langley's Launch Abort System Office performs this function as part of the Orion Project Office located at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Va., is building the launch abort system for Lockheed Martin Corporation of Bethesda, Md., the prime contractor for Orion. For images of the test and more information about NASA's Constellation Program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/constellation NASA will post video of the test on the Constellation Program Web site when it is available. -end- _______________________________________________________ June 16, 2008 For Hubble Repair Mission, Second Shuttle to Sit on Standby By GINA SUNSERI June 16, 2008 Trapped in space on a crippled shuttle -- it's every astronaut's and NASA's worst nightmare. That's why, when the shuttle Atlantis goes to repair the Hubble space telescope this fall, NASA has a backup plan: STS-400, the ultimate "what if" scenario. When NASA launches the Hubble repair mission, STS-125, astronauts won't come anywhere close to the safe haven the International Space Station provides if a shuttle cannot safely land. Instead, they'll be on their own in high Earth orbit. Atlantis will be commanded by astronaut Scott Altman along with six crew mates. If they cannot get Atlantis down, a second shuttle -- designated STS-400 -- would have to go rescue them. It is the mission NASA hopes never to fly. And it would be a race against time. ABC News has obtained the flight plan for STS 400, which reveals the details of what would be a daring, but carefully planned, rescue to transfer the Atlantis crew to another shuttle before sending the multibillion-dollar Atlantis crash landing into the ocean below. Spacewalking to Safety The mission to repair Hubble was planned for years but cancelled in 2003 after the Columbia accident. It was thought to be too dangerous because there would be no way to rescue the crew if Atlantis was damaged. A visiting crew could stay on the space station for months, if necessary, until another space shuttle could come take them home. That would not be an option for the crew repairing the Hubble space telescope. Hubble and the space station are in very different orbits, and Atlantis could not get to the space station The STS-400 rescue flight plan outlines an eight-day mission that would be flown by four crew members on the shuttle Endeavour. Endeavour would be on its launch pad during Atlantis' flight and be ready to launch within days if needed. The mission schedule would go like this: Flight Day 1: Launch Flight Day 2: Rendezvous and grapple Atlantis using both shuttles' robotic arms. Flight Day 3: First spacewalk to string a tether between both shuttles. Flight Day 4: Third and fourth spacewalks; release Atlantis, which would probably be sent to crash in the Pacific ocean. Flight Day 5: Inspect Endeavour for damage Flight Day 8: Deorbit and land Weighing the Risks NASA Administrator Mike Griffin made the decision to reinstate the Hubble mission after an 18-month study of its risks and rewards. "The only way to get a rescue capability on the pad is to prepare two shuttles, have them ready to go. The second shuttle will be a normal space station mission shuttle, and we will use it for that if it is not needed for the rescue," Griffin said. "We think it won't. We think the odds are only one in 400 that we would need to launch a rescue shuttle." Even with those odds, when Atlantis rolls out to the launch pad 39A, Endeavour will be close behind, headed to launch pad 39B. Atlantis could only stay aloft with extreme power conservation for 25 days. The rescue mission could launch as early as the fourth day of Hubble's mission. Veteran astronaut Navy Capt. Christopher J. Ferguson would command Endeavour, with pilot Air Force Lt. Col. Eric A. Boe and two spacewalking astronauts from the Endeavour crew, who would go get their colleagues on Atlantis. "We have put a plan together [so] we can get there as quickly as we can," said Tony Cecacci, the lead flight director for the Hubble mission. "We have between 17 and 25 days that the 125 vehicle can stay on orbit, and we have very high confidence we can get a rescue vehicle to them in that time." Getting Endeavour to Atlantis would only be half the battle. Atlantis' crew members would need to be transported across the gap between the two shuttles. Endeavour would rendezvous with Atlantis the day after launching from the Kennedy Space Center. The two space shuttles would then orbit payload bay to payload bay, at a 90-degree angle. Endeavour's robotic arm would grapple the orbital boom system on Atlantis, and then the spacewalkers from Endeavour would retrieve their colleagues from Atlantis in a series of three spacewalks -- including two on one day, something NASA has never done before. Four of the astronauts on the Hubble crew are trained spacewalkers. Altman, pilot Greg Johnson and robotics officer Megan McArthur are all training on spacewalks for this what-if scenario. The training also includes an intense multi-day simulation at the Johnson Space Center with Mission Control and all the flight support teams. Astronaut John Grunsfeld is one of the four spacewalkers who will fly on Atlantis. This mission will be his fifth trip into space and his third trip to repair the Hubble. Grunsfeld is also an astronomer, who says keeping the Hubble telescope flying is a mission worth the risk. "When you think about risk, it is all relative to what is the reward, and I think in the big picture Hubble is something that I certainly feel is worth risking my life for because it is about something that is so much bigger than all of us," Grunsfeld said. "It is about science, it is about inspiration, it is about discovery. It is about all the kids who will look at the Hubble images and dream." _______________________________________________________ June 16, 2008 Tim Russert's UFO question: A step in acclimation? Steve Hammons- hammons55@gmail.com, http://jointreconstudygroup.blogspot.com/ June 15, 2008 When Tim Russert suddenly passed on last week, we saw that he will be remembered fondly by many professional associates in the news media and politics, as well as, of course, his family and friends. As a respected journalist, and someone who many colleagues considered "a good guy," Russert's passing at a young age is widely regarded as a significant loss on many levels. Although Russert usually dealt with politics and conventional current affairs, he made news himself at the Oct. 30, 2007, Democratic presidential candidates' debate when he asked Dennis Kucinich about an unidentified flying object Kucinich had reportedly seen. Supporters of Kucinich complained that Russert was trying to make Kucinich look foolish or mentally quirky. Others thought that it was a dumb question when there were so many other important national issues to discuss. People interested in UFOs thought Russert might be making fun of the topic. Did Russert pose the question to lighten up the questioning and bring in some humor? The question was certainly no accident. However, people who research and study, or are just interested in, the UFO phenomena wondered if there might be something more in Russert's question. What other reasons might Russert have had for the question? Interestingly, in the same debate, Barack Obama was also asked about extraterrestrial beings and intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. He responded that he was more interested in people's lives in the United States. It didn't stop there. After the debate and during further informal talks with the candidates, Chris Matthews of MSNBC brought up the same topics with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. After all, New Mexico was associated with UFOs and the so-called "the Roswell incident," Matthews noted. Richardson then stated that he felt that the federal government should be more open about these kinds of subjects and that he had promoted Roswell as a New Mexico tourist destination. Between Russert's and Matthews' questions on this topic in an intensely-watched presidential debate, the UFO subject was raised in a particularly unique and public way. This was unusual at the time. Most "mainstream media" personalities tended to regard the UFO topic as outside the realm of serious news coverage. Approximately two months later, the Stephenville, Texas, UFO sightings story broke. And the approach of mainstream news media changed significantly. STEPHENVILLE AND MEDIA COVERAGE After small-town reporter Angelia Joiner of the Stephenville Empire-Tribune newspaper wrote that several reliable people had sighted something strange in the night sky over Erath County, the Associated Press ran a story on it in mid-January. Before long, CNN's Larry King, NBC Today Show's Matt Lauer and other mainstream media outlets were talking seriously about the Stephenville case. What had been a perceived by some as apparent humor or possibly ridicule by Tim Russert just two months before, was now the subject of serious and thoughtful media coverage. But did Russert know something that others did not? Did he have any inside information about the UFO phenomena? Did someone suggest it to him to pose a question about UFOs? At present, we don't know the answers to these questions. The fact remains that Russert's question brought the topic forward in the minds of millions of Americans. The Stephenville sightings that followed further prompted much serious thought about the UFO situation in the media and within the American and international public. In recent months, Larry King has had many guests and several program segments about various aspects of UFOs and interesting related cases. Many have noticed that Larry and/or his program staff seem to have a particular focus on this ... or maybe they have found that the subject is just good for ratings. The Stephenville case is widely regarded as a turning point in media coverage of this unusual subject. Instead of smirks and ridicule, the Stephenville sightings were often reported in a straightforward and professional way by local and national news media platforms -- print, broadcast and online. Part of this was because of the credibility of the Erath County witnesses: a pilot and business owner, a county constable, a local metalworker and many others. Reporter Angelia Joiner's professional reporting also seemed to contribute to the factual way the sightings were then reported by AP writer Angela K. Brown. This tone was maintained to a large degree in the U.S. and international news media. These circumstances have now set the stage for continued professional and factual coverage of the UFO situation, something that many researchers believe is very helpful. And, it could be that this kind of media attention, started last October by Russert and continuing through the Stephenville sightings, is also useful in the process of what some call "acclimation." This term is used to describe efforts to gradually, safely and responsibly prepare Americans and people around the world for more information about UFOs. POLITICIANS AND PRESIDENTS Another aspect of Russert's question in the context of a presidential debate is that the three candidates questioned are from from states with interesting connections to UFOs. Kucinich is from Ohio, home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. According to some UFO research, Wright-Patterson AFB is where wreckage and possibly bodies from the Roswell incident were taken in the summer of 1947. Wright-Patterson is the base involved in testing and analyzing foreign aircraft materials and technology. Richardson's state, of course, is home to probably the most well-known UFO case. Researchers say an object crash landed at a rural sheep ranch in July 1947. The rancher then took odd debris to the county sheriff's office. The sheriff contacted the Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF) located nearby, home to the only atomic bomb delivery wing of the Army Air Corps (later reorganized into the Air Force). According to the Roswell story, the base intelligence officer and counter-intelligence personnel went out to the sheep ranch, investigated and reportedly may have concluded that a "flying saucer" had crashed there. The base public affairs officer then issued a press release to explain this, reportedly on orders from the base commanding officer. Illinois Senator Obama tactfully avoided a UFO question put to him in the debate. His connection? Approximately one year earlier, Nov. 7, 2006, multiple highly-credible witnesses at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport reported seeing a gray, metallic, disc-shaped craft above the airport, which was reported in news media internationally. According to witnesses, the object was estimated to be 6 feet to 24 feet in diameter, maintained a stationary position, had no lights, was silent and hovered just below the cloud deck, estimated to be 1,900 feet that day. Russert's question was not the first occasion in which politicians have weighed in on the UFO topic. President Ronald Reagan reportedly made a comment about Steven Spielberg's movie CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND being more accurate than many people were aware of. Reagan also delivered a speech to the United Nations how about how the human race might pull together in case of a threat from outside of Earth. President Jimmy Carter, along with other witnesses aboard an aircraft, sighted a UFO in October 1969 and Carter completed a UFO witness report. Former Arizona governor Fife Symington was quoted in a March 18, 2007, article as saying that he witnessed the huge "Phoenix Lights" craft above the Phoenix metropolitan area on March 13, 1997. Symington was quoted as saying he witnessed a large triangular "craft of unknown origin" with lights. "It was dramatic. And it couldn't have been flares because it was too symmetrical. It had a geometric outline, a constant shape," he stated. Symington, a former Air Force officer, also said, "It was enormous and inexplicable. Who knows where it came from? A lot of people saw it, and I saw it too." Whether he intended to or not, Russert moved the ball forward in increasing discussion about UFOs and the roles of media and government in the subject. As his passing is celebrated by colleagues, friends and family, one day he might also be remembered for opening up the UFO subject to a larger audience in the context of conventional politics and current events. This may be remembered as a unique and helpful step in the process of acclimation and disclosure about a puzzling, mysterious and perhaps surprising situation. _______________________________________________________ June 16, 2008 Owner of UFO hotspot ECETI Ranch, James Gilliland speaks about Debunkers and Skeptics 16 June 2008 WASHINGTON, USA - Following recent controversy over alleged UFO sightings discussed on www.Australia.To James Gilliland has offered his advice to place his position on record. Pierre Vinodolac and Malcolm Brenner have taken opposite sides of the UFO debate. Dear Pierre, I am sorry after your incredible experience at ECETI, not just the paranormal but the ufo sightings that with an open heart you tried to share it with others only to be met with the usual disinformation and debunking campaign. These people either are of no integrity or have no real experience or knowledge in the field of ufology. I find it amusing when we can measure less than 1% of the multidimensional universe in which we live, these educated people demand nuts and bolts proof. I would just leave them to their 1% data base and move on. They really do not want to learn or step outside their comfort zone. I also find it amusing that some brandish their PHDs to give them authority in these matters. What college teaches UFO? Have they ever seen a ship, met the occupants, know anything about other planes, dimensions, time travel, anti or counter gravity all of which is dismissed in standard curriculum. Another thing I find amusing is their total lack of common sense, logic and reason as well the need to be right, pure egos desire for self importance. Why would anyone give these people any authority in their lives or these matters? The only true authority is within self. This is exactly why I have people come to the ranch to have their own experience. Try as they might these debunkers and disinformation people which we refer to as armchair investigators having never been here cannot take away your own experience. As far as proof we have had several thousand people come to the ranch and experience the ufos and the paranormal events. As far as credentials these are pilots as yourself, air traffic controllers, Air Force base commanders, Boeing engineers some working in skunk works or black projects with triple PHDs for those who need them. In fact the engineers testified on Coast to Coast with Art Bell along with other pilots and engineers to over 15 million listeners. Add the over 70 hours of footage, stills taken by other ufo investigators and guests and there is enough evidence to choke an elephant. If you take the credible sightings and footage taken around the world, add it to what we have gathered and do any research whatsoever pure logic and reason would dictate ufos are real, they're here and have been here for thousands of years. As far as the debunkers and disinformation folks it is obvious they have not done the research, cannot apply logic or reason or are of ill intent 4 reasons not to have anything to do with them or give them any energy whatsoever. I have heard the claims they make to sway people from their own experience and logical conclusion. Lets address them. Eye wiggle is one where if you look at an object long enough the eyes get fatigued and the object looks as though it is wiggling. At the ECETI ranch these objects wiggle across the entire sky form horizon to horizon, make drastic right angle turns, stop even reverse their direction at speeds as you said that would render a pilot unconscious or dead. Now if someone can make their eyes wiggle that much I would recommend them for a career with Monty Python. Now let's take the mass hypnosis. How can people of completely diverse education, mind set, some very discerning all buy into seeing an object behave in the same manner? Have you ever seen a group of people agree on anything? Especially when there is no pressure on them other than to have fun and enjoy the ranch? The real hypnosis is those who have a closed mind, heart and cannot be reasoned with blinded by their own skepticism. They don't want proof what they want is to remain in their present understanding and retain their position of authority when they really have none. There are those who say it is our military black projects yet when those involved in these projects come they say those are not ours. These ships have come in white, purple, blue, green, pink, cylinders, triangles, even pyramids all of which if in our secret projects I would be greatly impressed. I have learned the phrase, As you Wish. I need no acceptance or approval outside of myself nor do I give these people any authority in my own experience. The real disclosure is just around the corner and it will happen in the skies. This is going to leave the debunkers and disinformation people along with a lot of reporters with egg on their faces. Then who's credibility will be in question? The majority of the people according to a Times/CNN poll up to 86% believe UFOs exist and there is a government cover-up. It is probably higher in other countries where they just accept ufos as part of their culture and history like Mexico, Brazil, Peru etc. where fleets in the hundreds if not thousands have been filmed which is in our documentary, Contact Has Begun. The question we really need to ask is why the news is not covering this when a whole cities are experiencing these unidentified flying objects? Was the whole city under mass hypnosis? Did they come down with eye wiggle spontaneously with the hundreds of ships as they passed overhead? Were they levitating geese with the ability to stop, reverse directions? Was it a mass release of weather balloons, or flares? Are people so gullible they will believe anything the talking heads tell them? The skeptics and debunkers as well as the disinformation people will go the way of the dinosaur, most already have yet their self importance, pompous arrogance and need to be an authority will not allow them to recognize it. It is not your integrity or credibility that is in question in this matter. I am grateful you had the desire to see for yourself and stand tall in the face of ignorance. Be well James Gilliland www.eceti.org _______________________________________________________ June 16, 2008 Local Group Claims 14 UFO Sightings Near Del Rio June 16, 2008 By Stacy S. Jensen Special to LIVE! They are like a Crime Scene Investigation unit. They have a case -- a reported UFO or an unidentified flying object. Their job is to investigate whether it can be identified or not. They sort through facts, photographs, witness statements and through the Internet. The investigators are people who are interested in the phenomenon of UFOs. They are part of the Del Rio chapter of MUFON or Mutual UFO Network. The group meets monthly to discuss sightings, investigations and the latest news on UFOs. UFO sightings aren't new to the skies of Del Rio. Sightings here include one in 1950 near Langtry which has been called "the other Roswell" by some -- as in Roswell, N.M. MUFON's meeting on June 10, 2008, was a combination of regulars and visitors. Many of the MUFON members have known each other for years, as they work to investigate UFO sightings and just learn more about the phenomenon. Their curiosity is evident the minute anyone talks about alleged sightings. Dr. Carman Wiese is a state section director of MUFON and a field investigator. She got involved with the organization while studying simulation work. MUFON did role-playing and she joined the group in San Antonio 18 years ago. Eventually, the drive was too much and the local group formed. Attendance varies from two to 20, Wiese said. Videos A recently released video of an alien peeking into a man's home was discussed at length. "It shows a very distinct picture," Wiese said of something going up and down. The video was played on a laptop. Wiese said while the portion aired on CNN's "Larry King Live" may appear to be fake, others report the remainder of the video not yet made public is supposed to make one look at the issue further and question it. The group immediately began commenting on the "blinking eyes" of the alien caught on camera. The experts and commentators on "Larry King Live" questioned the authenticity of the video and so did the MUFON Del Rio members. "Can it be validated?" was the number one question. MUFON members discussed the possibilities. Hector Ramirez said videos can be manipulated and may require a frame-by-frame analysis. The Lights Ramirez talked about how difficult it is for people to determine what they are seeing at night. "There's no depth perception," he said. "They believe it's close and don't feel like it's moving." Many resources available on the Internet are used to determine what an alleged sighting could be, Ramirez said. He studies pictures posted of sightings, reviews aircraft schedules, checks witness statements and uses Google Earth to determine locations. Airplane navigation lights are a common explanation for sightings. People see the bright lights that don't appear to be moving. The lights shortly disappear. They reappear. It could be a UFO or it could be a plane preparing to land. "To us at night, it's a bright light and it's just sitting there," Ramirez said. He will use runway data and flight information to determine if sightings are linked to landing aircraft. He gave out information from Wikipedia.com, a free encyclopedia on the Internet, about aviation navigation lights and aircraft landing lights. The group discussed how the lights sometimes disappear when a plane turns for a landing. "You see weird things at night," Ramirez said. "Your eyes play tricks on you." The skies above Del Rio often are filled with aircraft from Laughlin Air Force Base and from the Del Rio International Airport. Wiese said it's good to know the signs. By knowing them, she said people can report sightings and they can be investigated. Recent sightings in Del Rio Sightings reported to MUFON are confidential, Wiese said. During the meeting, MUFON field investigator Jessie Hernandez reads reports of two separate sightings in Del Rio. Hernandez shared the details of the reports including the shapes of the objects. One noted it was a hamburger shape while the other said it was like a light bulb. The observers noted "bright lights" in the direction of Eagle Pass. Wiese said they would look at issues like the time -- one sighting was around 10:30 p.m., which coincides with a flight landing in Del Rio. Another was around 1:30 a.m., so the weather for this time will be investigated. Star charts are used to see if they confused the objects with stars, Hernandez said. "We try different things to solve this sighting." Nothing bright was noted at the time of the reports. Ramirez said satellite locations could also be found to determine, if the person spotted a moving satellite. "If it's flying and you don't know what it is, it's an unidentified flying object," Wiese said. In a recent news release, Wiese wrote, "Using this nomenclature might make some people nervous. So, if calling what is seen a 'UEP' or unidentified aerial phenomenon, that's OK. Remember a UFO sighting means you have seen a U (unidentified) F (flying) O (object). It does not mean that you have seen an extraterrestrial object or little green men!" Discussing reports MUFON members investigate many issues. During the May meeting something arose about reports of "humanoids" flying over Mexico. Ramirez provided information about a military device designed to fly soldiers around in a barrel-like object. Through an Internet search, he was able to find a video to share with MUFON members. "Don't believe everything you read, but read a lot," Wiese told the group. She encourages people "to see all sides" and to keep an open mind. It's common in today's technology-filled society to have reporters provide photos from cell phones and digital cameras. Hernandez recommends people take a picture that provides background or a point of reference for the investigator to use. "When you take a picture of the sky, there is no reference," he said. The group listened to a segment of George Noory's "Coast to Coast AM" show to hear from two men investigating the crash in Langtry in the 1950s. The book "The Other Roswell: UFO Crash on the Texas-Mexico Border" is written by Noe Torres and Ruben Uriarte. MUFON members stopped the audio several times to discuss the facts and issues surrounding the alleged UFO crash in Mexico. In July, the group will hear an interview with U.S. Air Force Retired Col. Robert B. Willingham, who allegedly witnessed the crash and confronted Mexican officials about the crash. Wiese said they have not been able to find anyone in Langtry with knowledge of this crash. MUFON will make a Freedom of Information Act requests to seek documents about the crash. Investigations The number of UFO investigations completed in Del Rio varies. Wiese, Hernandez and Alfredo "Freddy" Barrientos are investigators. Wiese said she hates to say the group "debunks" sightings, but they investigate and research the issues. Wiese, who retired from SWTJC, said she hasn't seen any UFO. Hernandez hasn't seen any UFOs, but he's been working with MUFON for three years. "As a skeptic, there are several incidents that have made me re-evaluate the subject of UFOs and literally spark my interest in this phenomenon," he said. In the Roswell, N.M. crash, Hernandez said the intelligence officer who first saw the debris was no idiot and could not identify the materials "because the materials he held in his hands had remarkable characteristics." Hernandez also cites the original press release, which states, "The army is in possession of a flying disc." At the time, he said the Army had no protocols in place for an event like the crash, so the information was released "business as usual." He also questions the increased military presence, if it was in fact a "secret research balloon." Investigations can take anywhere from a couple of days to more than 50 years such as the case of Roswell, N.M. "If there is a sighting that we cannot verify then it is an ongoing investigation," Wiese said. Barrientos has been an investigator for a month, but has been attending MUFON meetings since 2001. "I've always been fascinated with it," he said of UFOs. He likes the MUFON meetings, because it provides people with an opportunity to discuss ideas, issues and share information. "We sit around and listen to everybody," he said. "We're always open." Barrientos hasn't seen a UFO himself and hasn't investigated any sightings yet. Investigations are sometimes an elimination process, Barrientos said. There are no statistics on the number of sightings in Del Rio. Wiese said many sightings go unreported, because people don't know where to report them. Those who do make a report are generally cooperative. "Most are cooperative because they too want to know what they saw," Wiese said. "However, sometimes when assigned a report from the national headquarters of MUFON, we are unable to contact the observer for follow-up." Hernandez said he has not been able to verify any of the sightings he has investigations. "It is very difficult to prove an actual UFO without physical evidence," he said. The MUFON investigators work outside of Del Rio. Wiese said she wants to know more about those around Del Rio and in Texas. Hernandez recently worked on a sighting in Crystal City, Texas, which turned out to be the planet Venus. He also worked on information about the 1950s Del Rio crash that remains on going and the 1974 Coyame, Chihuahua Mexico crash. What do family and friends think about the investigators' work in MUFON? "Although my family and friends raze me about being an active member of MUFON each and everyone of them support me and I really think they enjoy having someone in the family or a friend that is into something 'out of the norm,'" Wiese said. Barrientos works in research and development at San Antonio Shoe. He said family, friends and co-workers know about his work with MUFON. "Sometimes you get ridiculed, " he said, "but most of it is good natured." When many find out about MUFON, Barrientos said people are interested to talk about stories they have heard. Hernandez, who works in the high tech electronics/computer field, said his family and friends are supportive. "My family is OK with it because they know that ignorance is what makes a skeptic function. If a skeptic would sit down and study this phenomenon with an open mind, they would come to the same conclusions as mine. I want to believe, so I must investigate!" Alleged UFO sightings and crashes in Del Rio: If it is in the air, flying and has a distinguished shape or light and you cannot classify it to any known aircraft, it can be classified as a UFO or unidentified flying object. People may also want to call it a UEP or unidentified aerial phenomenon, Del Rio has had a history of UFO sighting reports, said Dr. Carman Wiese, a state section director of MUFON and a field investigator. Many of these incidents need to be revisited in order to determine if there are any similar reports and if so, can further research be done, she said. The term "alleged" is used because corroboration for each event is needed. Most of the information provided was obtained from the Internet, Wiese said. If you know anything about the following alleged sightings/crashes (observed, heard about or family history about), Wiese asks people to call (830) 719-2109 and leave a message or e-mail admin@mufondelrio.org All dates are approximate. These sightings were provided by MUFON Del Rio: 1. Dec. 5, 1950: crash of alleged UFO somewhere between Laredo and Del Rio or possibly area near El Indio-Guerrero. 2. Dec. 8, 1950: sighting by R.B.W. crash of UFO in Coyame, Mexico and retrieval by U.S. military. Allegedly crashed into sand bank on Mexican side across from Langtry. In regards to these two alleged sightings and crashes, Wiese said she viewed all the November and December 1950 microfilms of the Del Rio News-Herald as well as 1951, and found no mention of either. 3. Nov. 23, 1953: sighting involved 1st Lt. John W. Schmidt controlling an F-89C. This is the only one in this list who is from Del Rio, but the sighting/crash did not happed in or near Del Rio. 4. July 1, 1957: cigar shaped object with oscillating multicolored lights that hovered over a newly purchased vehicle. This took place east of Del Rio but not in Brackettville. The driver reported to the hospital for treatment of burns, reported to the Del Rio Police Dept. and returned his new car to the Ford dealership because of extensive rusting. Wiese contacted the local hospital and police department, but neither have records going back this far. 5. Oct. 27, 1968: sighting by private pilot Jim Mulgannon 6. June 30, 1978: sighting took place near Hwy. 90 entrance to Laughlin AFB. Huge, quiet, and took off rapidly from a hovering position heading toward Mexico. 7. Aug. 16, 1986: sighting of triangle that lasted approximately 20 seconds. Took place approximately 9 p.m. between 11th and 12th Streets. 8. July 13, 2003: 15-30 seconds of bright light dead stop than moved and disappeared at "warp" speed. 9. Dec. 2, 2004: sighting lasting three minutes traveling northeast going southwest near Sheriff's office. 10. April 14, 2005: sighting took place while this person was waiting for a bus. It was oval shaped, silent and disappeared quickly. Seen by person who reported this as well as a neighbor. 11. Sept. 17, 2006: sighting took place about 35 miles outside of Del Rio on the Devil's River. Four witnesses saw a craft that looked like a spinning prism at about a distance of 800 yards when it took off, it was like a "shooting star." Witnessed for two nights. 12. Jan. 28, 2007: sighting took place with object moving toward Rock Springs and sighting lasted about 15-20 minutes. 13. March 1, 2007: sighting was a cluster of multicolored lights shaped similar to a hat that merged into one light. 14. Unknown date: a Texan whose wife had been at a dude ranch when a UFO crashed happened. She wrote to her husband about it. MUFON has a meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month in the Sunblossom Room at the Ramada Inn. There is no charge for attendance and it is open to the public. In addition to Wiese, there are two more MUFON field investigators in Del Rio actively involved in MUFON research. "There are numerous others who are interested in this phenomenon, do research and verification of sightings on their own, attend to learn more about the subject or tell about their sightings. Come join us and bring your curiosity and a friend," Wiese said. _______________________________________________________ June 15, 2008 Mars lander probes first microscope sample By ALICIA CHANG - 1 day ago LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Phoenix lander sent back the most detailed view of the Martian soil to date, showing clumps of fine grains mixed with possible minerals, scientists said Friday. Much of the dirt that Phoenix scooped up and sprinkled on its microscope appeared as a reddish-orange hue that's typical of the Martian landscape. Zooming in, scientists noticed green particles that could be olivine, a mineral usually associated with volcanic eruptions. The soil also contained round, black glassy specks that could be volcanic glass, said mission scientist Tom Pike of the Imperial College in London. It's too early to make any generalizations about Phoenix's landing site, but scientists were intrigued by the latest images. "What we are looking at here is a part of history of Martian soil," Pike said at a news conference in Tucson, Ariz. The mineral olivine was previously discovered by the rover Spirit, which has been roaming the Martian equatorial plains since 2004. Since landing near Mars' north pole on May 25, Phoenix has been busy digging shallow trenches in the permafrost and delivering scoopfuls to its microscope and a test oven that is baking and sniffing the soil for traces of the chemical building blocks of life. The first results from the oven experiment won't be available until next week. Phoenix's main task during the three-month mission is to dig into an ice layer that's believed to be lurking inches below the surface. The lander cannot directly detect life, but it will study whether the arctic region has the raw ingredients to support primitive life. The $420 million mission is led by the University of Arizona and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. On the Net: Phoenix Mars: http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/index.php _______________________________________________________ June 14, 2008 Published: June 14, 2008 03:43 am Hoax or not? UFO sighting alleged in Newbury By Katie Curley Staff Writer NEWBURY -- Greater Newburyport is no stranger to UFO sightings, but would the little green men actually pick Friday the 13th as a landing date? Two local men swear that something appeared over Interstate 95 about 10 a.m. yesterday, and they say it was unlike anything they've ever seen. "I was driving my nephew James to school at Triton to pick up some paperwork," Robert Mace, 36, of Congress Street in Amesbury, said. "Then we both looked up and saw this silver, illuminated saucer flying through the air, it changed shape into a cylinder and left a trail of smoke, and then it snuffed out like a candle." Mace is no science fiction enthusiast, but his voice shook as he recounted his experience. Hours after the incident, which he said occurred near Exit 55 in Byfield, Mace said he still had goose bumps. "I never saw anything like this in my life, and I probably never will again," Mace said. "It was so brightly illuminated in the clear blue sky ... It was a big, shiny platter and then changed shape and only lasted about 30 seconds." "We kept driving down the highway looking up at it shift shape," Mace said. His nephew James Mace, 19, of Lena Mae Way in Salisbury, said at first he thought his mind was playing tricks on him. But before long he realized his uncle also had his eyes glued skyward. "I just watched it disappear like a cloud or something," James Mace said. "I don't know how to explain it. It was pretty crazy." Robert Mace added, "We both got goose bumps. I'm still getting them for some reason. We just looked at each other, and we both knew what we saw. "I don't care what anyone thinks, anyone can ask me, and I will tell them I know what I saw and I know the difference between what a jet looks like and what a plane looks like." Mace worked in local lumber yards for more than 10 years before a back injury forced him to stop work due to disability. His nephew recently graduated from Triton Regional High School. Yesterday, no one came forward with similar sightings, and the state and Newbury police said they didn't receive any phone calls. When asked if there were any unique planes in the area, a skeptic Jim Peters, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said, "Our agency doesn't have the time or the resources to look into such things." Employees at a nearby Citgo in Newbury laughed at the idea, while one stone-faced employee mentioned he had seen on television there have been an increase on UFO sightings. He also wondered if the UFOs were moving from Exeter, N.H., to Newbury. The Exeter incident was one of the best documented in the folklore of UFO sightings. It happened on Sept. 3, 1965, when several New Hampshire residents believed they saw a UFO traveling overhead. The first to report it was Norman Muscarello, 18, who was walking along Route 150 in Kensington, N.H., at 2 a.m. after visiting his girlfriend in Amesbury, when he saw a strange glow in the sky. Moments later, Muscarello said he saw an orb of red and blue lights. "I didn't know what it was, but it was as big as a house," Muscarello recounted in the book, "Sightings: UFO" written by Susan Michaels and published in 1997. "It had a red hue and flashing lights, sometimes in sequence, sometimes erratic." Muscarello dived into a ditch full of leaves to hide from the extraterrestrial activity. Exeter police witnessed the orb, as did other residents. The Air Force dispatched officers to investigate. The case was a featured topic in a congressional hearing into UFOs. While there is little evidence to back up the claims of Robert and James Mace, Robert Mace said he is still telling everyone what he saw, an image he will take to his grave. "I can't contain myself," Mace said. "I'm telling everyone who will listen." _______________________________________________________ June 14, 2008 COLUMN ONE Strange lights over Texas Courtney Perry / For The Times Stephenville is the largest town in Erath County, Texas, where cows tend to outnumber people. But the town became famous after scores of people reported seeing UFOs earlier this year. UFO sightings in the town of Stephenville set off a furor of theories, media coverage, even T-shirts. But was there an explanation? By Denise Gellene, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 10:28 PM PDT, June 13, 2008 STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS -- Constable Lee Roy Gaitan saw the brilliant red orbs hovering in the sky and hollered for his family to come out. It's probably an airplane, said his wife, Wendy, who didn't budge from the couch. Only 8-year-old Ryan went to the front yard. That's a UFO, the boy said. Gaitan, a stocky, 44-year-old lawman who has spent 16 years patrolling the Texas scrubland, faced a bit of a dilemma. With an election coming up, he could tell the world of this incredible sight -- and look like an idiot -- or keep his mouth shut. "People would say, 'Hey, this guy is nuts. He's crazy,' " said Gaitan of his sighting Jan. 8. In the morning, there were no unusual police reports, leaving him to wonder whether anyone else had seen the lights. But the next day, the Stephenville Empire-Tribune came out with a front-page story: "Possible UFO Sighting -- Four area residents witness mysterious objects." Soon, scores more said they had seen the same thing. Stephenville, a ranch town 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth, became home to the biggest mass UFO sighting since the 1997 Phoenix Lights, in which thousands of people, including then-Gov. Fife Symington, reported seeing a boomerang-shaped formation in the sky. With so many reports from so many people pouring in, there was no easy way to dismiss it all as a hoax. A town that had called itself "The Cowboy Capital of the World" now found itself riding an emotional bronco. Things changed. The night sky above Stephenville is a jet black canvas that seems the perfect backdrop for the sharp white specks of stars and any imaginings of strange glowing lights. Stephenville, the largest town in Erath County, is in the heart of Texas dairy country, which means lots of open land and few towns to interrupt the flow of grazing. Cows easily outnumber the 34,000 humans in the county and, in honor of the dairy industry, there is a Holstein statue nicknamed Moo-la in Stephenville's town square. After football season ends in the winter, life slows. The green fields turn a dreary brown, punctuated by leafless oaks that reach into the endless Texas sky. It was a cool, clear January night when Steve Allen, 50, and a group of friends were warming themselves around a fire of brush and debris in nearby Selden, just south of Stephenville. They first saw a set of brilliant white lights heading from the east that looked like they were at the corners of something a mile long and a half-mile wide. The lights were quicker and quieter than anything Allen had ever seen. "They came within a mile of us," said Allen, the owner of L&S Enterprises and Texas Freight, a local trucking company. "It flipped us all out." The lights headed toward Stephenville, where they came to a stop. They reconfigured to form an arch "shaped like the top of a football," Allen said, and realigned into two vertical lines of randomly flashing lights. Then the object burst into a dirty white flame. "It looked like something firing up, like a blowtorch," Allen said. "It simply vanished." Ten minutes later, the group saw the lights coming from the opposite direction. Trailing them closely, Allen was certain, were two military jets, followed by two massive red orbs. Allen, who as a licensed pilot was comfortable judging distance, said the lights were 3,000 feet above the ground. When the light show was over, he went home and told his wife, who urged him to keep the encounter to himself. Allen spent a sleepless night, enthralled by what he had seen. In the morning, he contacted the Empire-Tribune. His call went to education reporter Angelia Joiner. She knew nothing about UFOs, but Allen sounded like a sensible man. "He was a pilot and seemed very intelligent," said Joiner, a 47-year-old former schoolteacher who had been a reporter for 18 months. Allen's friends confirmed the account, convincing Joiner the sighting was real. Still, it was a strange story and Joiner's bosses were concerned. Managing Editor Sara Vanden Berge said she was so anxious that she cried the next morning when she saw "UFO" in the headline. Everyone is laughing at us, she thought. That was before the television crews started showing up. First came the local reporters, then people from "Good Morning America," NPR and CNN. "Do you believe alien beings are out there?" CNN's Larry King asked, looking into the camera. "Do you believe they've come to Earth?" A Japanese film crew showed up and theorized that the UFO was related to the local dairy farms, Allen said. Aliens like milk, they told him. The town was swept into a UFO maelstrom. People sported aluminum foil alien hats at Stephenville High School basketball games. Men with belt buckles big as fists were wearing "Alien Capital of the World" T-shirts rushed into production by a local company. The high school science club decided to capitalize on the events by selling its own T-shirts that said: "Erath County -- the New Roswell," referring to the UFO mecca in New Mexico. The shirts carried a picture of a cow being beamed up to a spaceship with the caption: "They came for the milk." The school netted $7,000 for college scholarships. "Money just fell out of the sky," Principal Travis Stillwell said. Sensing a historic moment for the town, the Literary Lion bookstore invited customers to jot down their accounts for future generations. Owner Sarah Canady put out salsa and chips for the crowd. The reports attracted the attention of the Mutual UFO Network, a group that investigates UFO sightings. People who had never talked about UFOs suddenly came forward with tales going back years. Meeting at the Rotary Club in nearby Dublin, the group collected dozens of reports, including one from Kay Harris, a former factory worker who handed out photocopies of a map charting the route of a flying disc that passed over her home in 1995. She said she had pulled out a handgun but held her fire. "I was not about to start War of the Worlds," Harris said. Gaitan watched the furor unfold. He had initially been hesitant to mention the event but now couldn't stop talking about it. Media calls came from all over the world, and by mid-February he had logged more than 100 interviews. His instinct as a lawman was to stick to the facts, so he avoided leaping to conclusions about the lights. Still, he couldn't dismiss a nagging thought at the back of his mind. How could we be alone in a universe so big, he wondered. "It would be like having a 20- to 30-acre lake and being the only creature in it," he said. In the midst of the frenzy, his 15-year-old daughter, Katie, came home from school one day and flatly told him that UFOs weren't real. Her school friends didn't believe in them either, she said. He found himself explaining that "UFO" didn't necessarily mean flying saucers and little green men. It just meant no one knew what the lights were. Gaitan asked Katie if anyone at school was teasing her because he was on television talking about UFOs, and to his relief, she said no. Joiner was swamped by calls about strange objects in the sky. Even though she was supposed to be covering the schools, she couldn't help pursuing the UFO story. "As much as I would have liked to cut it off, I couldn't," she said. "I didn't want to abandon the witnesses." A logical explanation for the lights was the military; a portion of Erath County falls under a fly zone used in training exercises. When Joiner checked, however, the 301st Fighter Wing stationed near Fort Worth said no aircraft had been near Stephenville when the lights were first observed Jan. 8. There was no solid way to refute the UFO claims, so theories abounded. The UFO needed power, one story went, so it was headed to a nearby nuclear plant. Another explanation had the UFO looking for President Bush at his Crawford ranch, about an hour's drive from Stephenville. In the deeply religious community, some believed the lights could be a sign from God. A Bible study group at the Bread of Life Ministries discussed the events at one meeting, and Sandra Evans, 59, said she thought maybe they were guardian angels sent to Earth. Her husband, Keith, 60, pastor of the church, wasn't sure. "Could be the military," he said. "Could be the end of times." James Huse, 53, thought that whatever the lights were, they had brought him unexpected good luck. People suddenly repaid him money, legal problems with his father's estate resolved and an old girlfriend called him out of the blue. "It's kind of a crazy thing -- it's almost like a blessing," said Huse, a retired telephone equipment installer. Allen felt that he had witnessed something transcendent and was driven to understand what it all meant. He flew his Cessna over Erath County's countryside, scouring the land for any sign of an alien spaceship. For three afternoons, he surveyed hundreds of square miles but found nothing. Two weeks after the sighting, a break came in the case. Correcting its earlier statement, the Air Force said 10 F-16s were on a training mission over Erath County when the lights were initially spotted. The town splintered into believers and skeptics. To some, the lights were becoming a joke. "It's ridiculous," said Pam Kinsel, a member of the Stephenville High School science club. "It makes us look like a bunch of retarded hicks." "Yeah," sighed her friend Morgan Lanier. "Inbred." Joiner doubted the weird pattern of lights reported by Allen and others could be explained by military aircraft. Allen wasn't buying it either. "Our military wishes it had what we saw," he said. Gaitan reasoned from the presence of the F-16s that he probably had seen a military experiment the Air Force couldn't fully disclose. "We're in the middle of a war right now," he said. Gaitan nonetheless found himself repeatedly scanning the sky for another glimpse of the lights. One February morning at dawn, while driving the highway west of Stephenville, Gaitan spotted a mysterious ball of light shining through a field of leafless trees. He pulled over and aimed his police camera in its direction. Gaitan radioed one of his buddies, Sgt. Jim Clifton of the Erath County Sheriff's Department, to take a look. "In my 35 years of law enforcement, I have never seen anything like it," Clifton said. Less than 24 hours later, Gaitan was at home in Dublin when he spotted a strange pattern of red, green and white lights. He was off-duty, so he and his wife chased the lights in their car, recording images as they followed them into the countryside. Wendy, 37, who doubted the first sighting, was now convinced the lights were from a technologically superior ship from outer space. "Who is to say they are not going to invade?" she said. As winter turned to spring, and the brown fields became green again, the inconclusiveness of the cosmic news began to fade into the daily grind of terrestrial events. The town started looking forward to graduation at the high school, and the first awarding of college scholarships funded by T-shirt sales. Joiner, frustrated with juggling her duties as an education writer, quit the paper and signed on as a special correspondent for the Jerry Pippin radio show, which regularly reports on unexplained phenomena. In April, she gave a talk at the National Press Club in Washington about covering the Stephenville lights. It's become her life. "I am looking at the sky more. Friends and neighbors are looking at the sky more," said Joiner, who has never seen the lights herself. "Is it coming back?" Allen became friends with Joiner, and when she left the paper he and another witness came up with the idea of a website to keep the story alive and possibly make some money from the sale of T-shirts and videos of subsequent sightings. They also recruited Gaitan, since he was one of the main witnesses. Despite his skepticism, Gaitan agreed to join. He contributed some photos to the site, but recently said he wouldn't be shooting any new ones. Weary of the tumult, he hardly searches the sky anymore. denise.gellene@latimes.com _______________________________________________________ June 14, 2008 Pennsylvania Black Triangle UFO Sightings And Alien Beings Brian Vike the director of HBCC UFO Research and has been investigating and reporting on the topic since mid 2000. Many years ago he was heavily involved with the American Association of Variable Star Observers, The Royal Canadian Astronomical Society of Canada. He has enjoyed astronomy all his life and of course all factors of the paranormal. This is what brought him to looking into the UFO topic. June 13, 2008 Respondent: Dear Mr. Vike, It is difficult to decide where to begin this story, as I am not sure exactly where the beginning is. Because of this, I will simply share the totality of my knowledge and experience in an anecdotal way. My mother's side of my family seems to be a beacon for weird things, and UFO/extraterrestrial phenomena fits squarely into that category. As far as I know, the story really begins with my uncle, who was known for something rather odd as a child. He would often disappear from the home in the middle of the night and a member of the family would find him missing, and they would go looking for him. Often, he would be found on the other side of town, wandering in a dazed/confused state. When he was asked about it, he would reply that he just went for a walk. He was not sleepwalking, per se, but would often be found wearing his bedclothes, and sometimes without shoes. If this should simply seem like odd behavior, the story becomes even odder when added to a recollection of my mother's. She swears that she one day saw "things" walking up the hallway, toward the bedroom that was shared by my two uncles. She describes waking up one night, in the early morning and hearing noises. Among these noises was talking of some sort. Not English, she says, but some kind of chattering-sounding language. Hearing this she looked out her doorway into the hallway. When she did, she says she saw two small creatures, for lack of a better word, move back the hallway, talking lowly between them as the did so. She describes their movement as flowing, almost as if they were not touching the ground and walking as we do, on two legs, but either floating or moving as a millipede does. She does not recall any direct contact with these creatures, but rather just cowering under her covers for a while. The combination of this and the experiences of my uncle, lead me to believe that something more was occurring, here. These are the only details that I know of from that part of my mother/aunt/uncle's life, and I can only jump many years ahead in my story. Ever since I was very young (I am 22, now) I have had an interest in astronomy, and would always look up in the sky, day or night, looking for interesting things. This propensity has led me to personally witness a number of very odd things. The earliest that I can remember is when I was about 14 years old. I was sleeping at a friend's home, and he was kind enough to let me sleep on the bed, while he used a sleeping bag on the floor at the side of the bed. Now, the head of my friends bed was arranged so that the person sleeping in it could see out of a window when he was lying on his left side, and it just so happens that I sleep on my side. Well, in the middle of the night, I woke, as I often do, and looked out the window. There I saw a light. At first, I thought that it was just a star, or a planet, but then I noticed that it was pulsating slightly. So, I watched it for about a minute, maybe less and I sat up to get a better look at whatever it was. The springs on the bed squealed and my friend woke up. He sat up and said something along the lines of "hey, what's going on.....what the heck is THAT." After that, we just sat there, dumbfounded, watching this thing act "weird" and finally, just....disappear. More accurately, it flew off very, very quickly. We decided to just let it slide, and talk about it later. We never really did. A similar, though much more close up, experience happened not long after that. My mother, stepfather, stepbrother, and I were going up to a local look-out point at night to look at one of the small towns near our home. The drive was totally normal, uneventful, but the final approach to the parking area was not. When we crested the hill to the flat parking area, there was a classic disc-looking craft, complete with lights, but no sound, sitting in the flattened area. Needless to say, we hightailed it out of there and flew down the mountainside at speeds that can only be described as "unsafe." We were all fairly well shaken up by the experience and we slept in the same room that night. Finally, when I was 16 years old, I had a memorable, daylight sighting while walking to the bus stop in McClure, PA. We lived on a hill that I was walking down to catch the bus to school and it was one of those beautiful days where it was still early in the morning and the full moon was visible in the clear blue sky. I was looking at the moon while walking when I saw a bright, metallic, sphere shaped object begin to move into my field of view from south to north as I was looking into the west. Noticing this, I stopped walking and watched the object. It appeared to pass through the moon, but I suspect that this is just an optical illusion created by its very similar color to the lighter parts of the visible moon. After this it continued on its straight course and I began to wonder if it was only an airplane and then it promptly changed direction, it seemed to make an ~60 degree turn instantly and then shot off out of view. After this, things tapered for a while, and nothing but the occasional weird light in the sky occurred. Then the black triangles started. When I was 17 years old, a friend and I were making our way to Harrisburg, PA for a weekend-long event. When we finally got to the city, we were driving along a well-known road in Harrisburg named Front Street and I was in the passenger seat resting my head against the window and support column when I saw what may have been the strangest thing I had ever seen up until that point in my life. There, in plain view, was a large, black triangle hovering over the center of the Susquehanna river right in the middle of Harrisburg. However, this was not the strangest part of the whole thing. The craft was, or at least appeared to be, siphoning up some of the water in the river. Whether a physical carrying tube was being used, or the water was simply making its way up some kind of vortex, I can't be sure. If the event had ended there, I might be able to chalk it up to an over-active imagination, or the fact that I was partially asleep at the time; but just then something happened that told me that what I had seen was real. Just as I was about to ask my friend if he saw anything over the river he started to speak. "(name removed)?" Since there were three (name removed) in my class, most people had taken to calling us by our last names. "Yeah?" "Are you looking at, what I'm looking at?" "You mean the giant black triangle hanging over the river and sucking water up into it?" "Yep." "Sure am." "Good, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going crazy." As incredulous as that conversation may seem it is, as far as I can recall, quite accurate. The exchange was just like that, matter of fact. But the conversation still wasn't over, as while my friend and I were staring at this thing a call comes over the two-way radio that we had to communicate with the vehicle ahead of us. "Guys, do you see that thing over the river." "Yeah, we were just talking about it ourselves." "Okay, just keep an eye on it and we'll talk about it when we get to the hotel." "Good idea." As for the triangle itself, the most striking thing about it was its size. The thing was huge, at least a couple of hundred yards long from one point back to the flat of the opposing line. The second thing about it was that it appeared to be perfectly equilateral, each side exactly the same as the other two. It was jet black, with some recessions on the underside, and it definitely had a textured, industrial look to it. The whole surface of it looked like a cross between an F-117/A and one of those bulbous control tower-looking structures that you see on the bigger navy ships. Also, it was totally silent, or at least so quiet that we could not hear whatever noise it was making from that distance. So, this was my first sighting of the now-famous black triangles. Mostly I am happy that this was a shared sighting, or I might not believe that it ever happened. Though, really I think the strangest thing about it is that it happened in plain sight, over the river in the middle of the state capitol. In fact, it was within easy sight of the Capitol building itself, at least from the side that faces the river. After this particular sighting, things quieted down save for a series of passing events; all of which included the black triangles. Because I have been a student for as long as I can remember, all of my jobs placed me on the road between 11:00pm and 1:00am. This has given me great opportunity to see odd things in the sky and on 3 occasions since the Harrisburg incident odd things were indeed seen. Two of the three times, the sighting occurred on small, municipal road called Quarry Road, in Beavertown, PA. Once, I passed almost directly under the triangle. Dropping my head down and looking up through the angled portion of the windshield, so that I was able to see past the roof of the car, I could see the underside of a triangle. Again, it was very large, and visible due to its being darker than the moon-lit sky. Some small lights were visible and, as usual, there was no sound whatsoever. For a sense of distance, I would say that if I were to have held up an apple at arms length, it would have almost totally covered the object. The other sighting on this road was of a triangle which was just passing through, for lack of a better means of description. From the crest of a hill, over a farming field, I was able to watch a triangle move slowly away from me, eventually disappearing over the horizon, which is made up of a wooded mountain not so terribly far away so that the triangle remained of substantial apparent size throughout the sighting, which probably lasted about 45 seconds. The other sighting was less memorable, and just consisted of my catching a glimpse of the same old shape as it traveled over our property in Beavertown. Beyond these sightings of crafts, I have also experienced a number of odd things. All of these things are, on their own, vague and not all that indicative of anything, but taken as a body, I believe that it is evidence of...something. On one occasion, I awoke in the middle of the night with the distinct feeling that something was amiss, and I turned my head so as to look away from the wall that my bed abutted. I can't be sure, but I would swear to this day that I saw an humanoid figure standing at the foot corner of my bed. This experience was repeated several times throughout my college years, always with the position of the entity slightly shifted, but always only one and I believe it to be the same entity throughout the series of experiences. The most disturbing of these experiences, though is one that I remember in great detail and which only occurred about one and a half years ago. I had a dream, or at least I think it was a dream. In this dream, the house in which I was living at the time was shrouded in what I can only describe as a supernatural darkness. I can't see anything and am making my way through the house only by memory of the layout and through the sense of touch. I am not blind, the house is simply stripped of any light, including that from the usual, artificial sources such as the indicator lights on the cable modem in the room. Anyway, I make my way down the stairs and am yelling for my mother, I'm terrified, you see because I fear blindness because the next bit had not yet occurred. As I hit the bottom of the stairs, I can see light, very intense in comparison to the rest of the situation but mostly like that of a large fire, leaking in from around the edges of the blind in one of the windows. My mother is not answering but there is indication that my dog is about. Because of this I conclude that she must be out of the house, perhaps staying at one of her friend's homes where she would frequently spend the night. So, I make my way to the window and peel it back a little bit to peak out to see what is causing all the commotion. At this point I wake up and all is normal, so I presume that it was just an odd dream. The next night, another "dream" hits. In this one, I am upstairs in the late evening, and decide to come down stairs to get a drink. I enter the kitchen and the lights are off, so I can see out the windows. I believe that I see something moving through the trees. I think it is some kind of wildlife, so I move closer to get a better look. What I see is disturbing. My mother is home, so I call her into the kitchen to look. What we see is unbelievable. Moving through the trees are several creatures. They are long and lank, and of very, very pale color. They are humanoid and if I had to put it into a human perspective, I would say that they moved like ballet dancers, with leaping, precise motions. They were making their way through the trees, toward the house and I distinctly remember feeling very threatened at this point. Ever the American, my instant plan was to go and get my shotgun. I told my mother to call someone while moving toward the stairs. She asked me who she should call, and I told her that it could be anybody, just let someone know what was happening. I got up stairs and grabbed the gun, and made my way to the drawer where the shells were kept and I distinctly remember planning out how I would load the weapon. Slug, shot, shot, slug, shot, slug. I opened the boxes and took out the appropriate shells and that is when I woke up. Well, after two weird dream nights in a row, I decide to share the story with my mother in the "I've been having such bizarre dreams these last couple of nights" way. "Really? So have I. You go first." As I begin to tell her the story she stops me and starts to continue the story of both nights in the same way as my stories went, but from her perspective. Needless to say, we are both pretty frightened by this. I decided to check the window, first and sure enough, the blind is disturbed as if somebody had tried to pull it back and look out of it. It was in a storage room, and it would not be unusual for the window to remain undisturbed for days at a time. worried by this, I decide to go and look on the table of the chest of drawers where I keep the shotguns shells and again, there is the evidence, a pile of shells which correlated to my plan in the "dream." Unfortunately, with no children in the house and shooting be a common pastime for me, having ammunition in the open is not unusual, so of this I can't be sure of the significance. Since this incident, the only odd thing I can think if is what I can only call an air of the extraterrestrial that has been following me around. I have had several friends who are not usually parcel to the supernatural tell me that they have gotten odd feelings about me and my life that they can't help but to think are somehow connected with aliens. One friend who is a martial arts practitioner actually met me at his door one night when I went to visit holding his katana and asking me if anything was wrong because he got the feeling that I was being followed, and that something not good was afoot. I think that ends the short version of my current story. I am now married to a lovely girl, and I only hope that I have not dragged her into a world for which she is not prepared, but I hope that anything that happens from here on out will have a likely second source for information. Thank you for taking your time to read this, if you wish to contact me for any other information regarding any of this, please feel free; my contact information is as follows. Thank you to the witness for a wonderful report. Also the person said they would be willing to do a taped telephone interview which I will provide later on. Also since there won't be any time constraints this will I am sure be a very long and detailed interview. Brian Vike, Director HBCC UFO Research and host of the Vike Report UFO Eyewitness radio show. email: hbccufo@telus.net Website: http://www.hbccufo.org http://www.brianvike.com, http://www.hbccufo.com, http://www.hbccufo.net HBCC UFO Research International: http://www.hbccufointernational.org/ Just added, the Vike Report Radio Show Blog. You can check the blog out for archived radio shows and all the new and upcoming programs I do. http://thevikereport.blogspot.com/ HBCC UFO Research, Box 1091 Houston, British Columbia, Canada - VOJ 1ZO _______________________________________________________ June 14, 2008 'UFO Hunters' rekindle local controversy History Channel show researches 1994 sightings Sat, Jun 14, 2008 BY D.J. SOBISH news@grandhaventribune.com Whatever Grand Haven Township resident Cindy Pravda saw the night of March 8, 1994, it wasn't a bird. Or a plane. Or even Underdog. "It was late, about 9 p.m., when I saw it and it was there for a good half-hour," said Pravda, who lives in the township off U.S. 31 near M-45. "I was looking out my kitchen window out in the backyard, and saw four lights at tree level. You think plane or helicopter, but I realized quickly that it wasn't." Whatever Cindy saw was called into the 911 dispatch centers by at least four other residents in Allegan and Ottawa counties. Transcripts from the Ottawa County Dispatch Center show callers referred to an object with "at least four lights ... flashing in sequence ... in a circular motion." Other witnesses said it was similar to a "string of Christmas lights." More than 300 people in 42 counties supposedly saw a UFO between March 8 and March 11, 1994. The unidentified flying object was so mysterious and yet visible that it caused the dispatch center to send police to the area for patrol. They saw the object, too, but had no answers. When police turned up nothing, dispatchers contacted the National Weather Service, who couldn't solve the mystery either. "There (were) three, length-wise, separated by about 5,000 feet in height," a NWS employee told the 911 dispatch. The same weather bureau employee later said he saw an additional "cylinder-like shape." Leo Grenier of the weather bureau office in Muskegon said that the object "zipped from South Haven to about 10 miles offshore in 10 seconds" at a height of 15,000 feet. "It's something pretty solid -- not precipitation or anything, especially up at that height," Grenier said. Eighteen years later, the History Channel is producing a documentary on the sightings. Creators of the cable network's "UFO Hunters" show spent Friday and Saturday filming and interviewing witnesses in Ottawa County. "UFO Hunters" is a running series featuring accounts of sightings across the country. The hosts offer a variety of specialties on the subject, ranging from publisher of a leading UFO magazine to a former NASA employee. "It's a great case for our show," Jonathan Walton, a host of the show said. "What makes this different than most other cases is the number of extremely reliable witnesses. Uniformed officers --- people we trust, respect and turn to in times of need ... (saw this)." Walton's plan is to film everywhere the UFO was reportedly spotted. According to Walton, the episode is slated for a September airing, but is subject to change. On the Net: www.history.com/minisites/ufohunters/ _______________________________________________________ June 14, 2008 RELEASE: 08-150 NASA'S SHUTTLE DISCOVERY GLIDES HOME AFTER SUCCESSFUL MISSION CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Discovery and its crew landed at 11:15 a.m. EDT Saturday, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., completing a 14-day journey of more than 5.7 million miles in space. The STS-124 mission was the second of three flights to launch components to the International Space Station to complete the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Discovery delivered Kibo's tour bus-sized Japanese Pressurized Module, or JPM, which is the station's largest module. The mission included three spacewalks to install and outfit the JPM and activate its robotic arm system. The lab's logistics module, which was delivered and installed in a temporary location in March, was attached to its permanent position on top of the JPM. Mark Kelly commanded the flight and was joined by Pilot Ken Ham, Mission Specialists Karen Nyberg, Ron Garan, Mike Fossum, Greg Chamitoff, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. Chamitoff remained aboard the space station, replacing Expedition 17 Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman, who returned to Earth on Discovery after nearly three months on the station. Chamitoff will return on shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission, targeted for launch November 10. STS-124 was the 123rd space shuttle flight, the 35th flight for shuttle Discovery and the 26th flight of a shuttle to the station. With Discovery and its crew safely home, the stage is set for the launch of STS-125 on October 8. Atlantis' mission will return the space shuttle to the Hubble Space Telescope for one last visit before the shuttle fleet retires in 2010. Over 12 days and five spacewalks, Atlantis' crew will make repairs and upgrades to the telescope, preparing it for at least another five years of research. For more about the STS-124 mission and the upcoming STS-125 mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle -end- _______________________________________________________ June 13, 2008 U.S. military jet collision over Nevada kills one Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:50pm EDT RENO, Nevada, June 13 (Reuters) - Two U.S. military aircraft collided on Friday in flight over Nevada, killing a pilot, a spokesman for a U.S. Naval air station said. The crash during an exercise over a training range involved an F-18 Hornet and a F-5 Tiger. The pilot of the F-18 was found dead by search crews and the two-person crew of the F-5 ejected safely, said Zip Upham, a spokesman for the Naval Air Station Fallon east of Reno, Nevada said. "We're going to be conducting a fairly extensive investigation as to the cause of the mishap, but at this point it's very preliminary," Upham said, adding that there were no injuries or damage to structures on the ground. (Reporting by William Albright in Reno, Nevada; Writing by Jim Christie; editing by Todd Eastham) _______________________________________________________ June 13, 2008 Concerns as Object Floats Past Shuttle By JOHN SCHWARTZ Published: June 13, 2008 On Friday, a day before the space shuttle Discovery is supposed to return from orbit to its landing strip at the Kennedy Space Center, members of the crew noticed an object floating away from the shuttle into space. Such objects can be worrisome, since they could indicate a broken part of the shuttle. But in the past, they have simply turned out to be bits of ice or errant plastic bags floating out of the payload bay. In this case, Commander Mark E. Kelly of the Navy, the shuttle commander, radioed to the ground on Friday morning that an object had been spotted floating behind the aft starboard wing. Commander Kelly also pointed out what he called "a bump" seen sticking out from the trailing edge of the port side of the shuttle's rudder, which sits on the craft's vertical tail fin. The crew transmitted video and still images of the object to the ground, where they are being analyzed. Commander Kelly also offered to take a break from preparations for landing to "take the arm out," meaning the shuttle's robotic arm, which is equipped with a camera, to "get a closer look" at the area in question. The Discovery is scheduled to land as early as Saturday at 11:15 a.m. Eastern time, though problems like rain, low clouds over the landing strip or high winds could lead mission managers to delay the landing to later on Saturday, or put it off to Sunday or Monday. If a serious problem is discovered, the crew can take the shuttle back to the International Space Station, which it separated from on Wednesday, so that mission managers can determine whether to repair the craft or attempt to send another shuttle as a rescue vehicle. Rob Navias, a commentator on the space program's NASA TV service, said that the area of the protrusion appears to be a small piece of thermal insulation, in the area known as the "speed brake," a part of the rudder that splits to slow the craft. The nature of the larger object floating away from the craft at about a foot per second, which appeared to be shiny, rectangular and roughly 12 to 18 inches across, is still being analyzed on the ground. The object floated away after a series of routine pre-landing procedures in which the crew tested the steering jets, a test which often shakes loose objects off of the spacecraft. The procedures also include working the craft's flaps. Mr. Navias said that the entry flight director, Richard Jones, has called in imagery experts and structural and mechanical experts to, as Mr. Navias put it, "hammer this one flat" and make sure there is no concern for landing on Saturday. The shuttle's mission has been devoted to further construction of the $100 billion space station. Discovery delivered the $1 billion main module of the Japanese laboratory known as Kibo, or Hope. The lab -- a cylinder about the size of a tour bus -- is the second component of the three-part lab to arrive at the station; a smaller storage module containing equipment for the lab came up on the previous shuttle mission in March. Another section that will expose experiments to space will be delivered on a future mission. Three spacewalks and extensive use of the station's and the shuttle's robotic arms got the new Kibo module out of the shuttle's payload bay and attached to the station. The first part of the module was also moved from its temporary storage position to the top of the main Kibo module. The crew also carried replacement parts for the station's single toilet, which had been malfunctioning for a week before the shuttle arrived. At a news briefing on Thursday, LeRoy Cain, the head of the mission management team, said that the flight had gone exceptionally well. "It's been an outstanding mission for us -- we have accomplished all of our objectives, and then some." _______________________________________________________ June 13, 2008 NASA taps Oceaneering to build spacesuits for moon Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:34am BST By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA has turned to a new lead contractor to build spacesuits for its revived lunar exploration program that aims to land astronauts on the moon again by 2020, officials said on Thursday. Oceaneering International Inc of Houston defeated a bid by Exploration Systems and Technology, a joint venture of current lead spacesuit contractors United Technologies Corp's Hamilton Sundstrand of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, and ILC Dover of Frederica, Delaware. The contract, worth up to $745 million, includes design, testing, evaluation and production of two types of spacesuits. One would be worn by astronauts traveling on NASA's new Orion spaceships and be used for emergency spacewalks, and another for astronauts working on the lunar surface. NASA expects Oceaneering to have its first suits ready to support the debut flight of Orion with astronauts aboard in 2015. The current spacesuits used by spacewalking astronauts were designed for floating in weightlessness, not walking on the moon, Glenn Lutz, project manager for the spacesuit system at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, told reporters during a telephone call on Thursday. "They were built for a completely different set of problems to solve," Lutz said. Astronauts on the moon will need lighter-weight suits that can bend and be easily maneuvered, he added. NASA plans to end its space shuttle program in 2010 and develop the Orion spaceships that can ferry crews to the International Space Station, which circles about 210 miles (338 km) above Earth, as well as journey to the moon. Astronauts last walked on the moon in 1972 during NASA's Apollo 17 mission. Partnering with Oceaneering are Air-Lock Inc of Milford, Connecticut, David Clark Co of Worcester, Massachusetts, Cimarron Software Services Inc of Houston, Harris Corp of Palm Bay, Florida, Honeywell International Inc of Glendale, Arizona, Paragon Space Development Corp. of Tucson, Arizona, and United Space Alliance of Houston. (Editing by Tom Brown and Peter Cooney) _______________________________________________________ June 12, 2008 Medical Update on Anne Morrison, June 11, 2008: (from Pat Crumbley): I just talked to Bruce and Anne. FINALLY the oncologist met with them today. He said he had only treated 3 or 4 patients with the very rare cancer she has - angiosarcoma - in his life. One of them is still alive after 18 months of treatment and he is going to start that treatment on Anne on Friday. Even though the prognosis is not good, they are both keeping their spirits high and are going to enjoy life to its fullest while they can. Keep them on your prayer list. -Pat _______________________________________________________ June 12, 2008 GLAST lifts off and begins orbiting Earth Published: June 11, 2008 at 4:01 PM CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., June 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, lifted off at 12:05 p.m. EDT Wednesday and went into orbit around the Earth. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration satellite separated from its Delta II launch rocket at 1:20 p.m. EDT and 12 minutes later both of GLAST's solar arrays were deployed about 300 miles above the Earth. "The entire GLAST team is elated the observatory is now on-orbit and all systems continue to operate as planned," said GLAST Program Manager Kevin Grady of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. NASA's newest space telescope, launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will begin transmitting initial instrument data within the next month, officials said. "After a 60-day checkout and initial calibration period, we'll begin science operations," said Steve Ritz, GLAST project scientist. "GLAST soon will be telling scientists about many new objects to study, and this information will be available on the Internet for the world to see." The GLAST mission is an astrophysics and particle physics partnership, developed with the U.S. Department of Energy, along with contributions from academic institutions and partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the United States. _______________________________________________________ June 11, 2008 'UFO Hunters' looking for eyewitnesses The UFO Hunters are presently in Kokomo for the remainder of this week, filming accounts and investigating the recent area events relating to the 'Kokomo Boom'. The History Channel will be filming and interviewing people in the Grand Haven and Muskegon, Michigan areas on Saturday for its "UFO Hunters" show. Interviews of local residents will be filmed for a later episode of the show, which the show's producers say will focus on eyewitness accounts of sightings of unidentified flying objects in the area on March 8, 1994. If you have any information regarding the UFO sightings or called 911 as a response to the sightings, call Jonathan Walton at (310) 829-9933, or e-mail him at ufohuntersseason2@gmail.com. _______________________________________________________ June 8, 2008 Old NASA footage shows space program in new light Sun Jun 8, 2008 4:54pm EDT By Barry Garron LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - High definition is not just a way of making video look crisp and bright. It also is a reason for making programs -- maybe the reason -- as "When We Left Earth" suggests. One can say, as the Discovery Channel does in its press materials, that this comprehensive and authoritative six-hour miniseries running June 8, 15 and 22 was produced to mark the 50th anniversary of NASA and the U.S. exploration of space. In reality, though there is abundant history on the space program, there is scant information that hasn't already been seen, heard or written somewhere else. What makes this mini different from all those other projects is that, for the first time, we get to see rare NASA footage -- sort of like the space agency's home video -- which was removed from cold storage and transferred to high definition just for this project. And what footage it is. Not merely breathtaking space and launch photos but clips that reveal the risks, danger and anxiety of NASA employees and astronaut wives at each new venture. It is so simple and certain in hindsight but the NASA films show the palpable tension in Mission Control, such as just before Apollo 8 emerged from the dark side of the moon and broke out of lunar orbit. Other highlights include training for the unexpected, fiery rockets and the cool blue of an Earth rise seen from the moon. In between clips of vintage NASA footage (more than 100 hours of old film was converted to high definition for this project) are bits of recent interviews with astronauts and flight directors, often recollecting events of decades past as if they had just happened that morning. Like the space capsules themselves, this mini speeds through its mission. Each of the first three hours, for example, are spent, respectively, on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. Tune in to learn about the strategy of each launch and for those amazing vintage films. Keep in mind, though, that with the focus so squarely on NASA, there is little reference to other concurrent but related events, such as domestic politics or the Cold War. Reuters/Hollywood Reporter _______________________________________________________ June 2, 2008 UFO Investigators Check Local Sightings Coloradans Report 200 Sightings Each Month Jennie Castor, 7NEWS Video Journalist POSTED: 9:09 pm MDT May 29, 2008 UPDATED: 7:28 am MDT May 30, 2008 EVERGREEN, Colo. -- UFO sightings are not unusual, especially in Colorado. The many cloud-free days provide clear skies and an opportunity for universe gazing. "A UFO itself is just an object that folks are seeing in the sky that's unidentified. They can't explain it or they can't understand it in terms of why is it flying the way it is, the shape of it," James Carrion, the international director of MUFON. The Mutual UFO Network is based in Colorado. Since 1969, members of the organization have researched unusual sightings around the world. "We have 800 certified investigators and 100 plus consultants with PhDs," said James Carrion, the international director of MUFON. Gary Huffman is a MUFON investigator. He says his previous career as an investigator for the government makes him a thorough UFO investigator. "I collect the facts and basically try to verify the facts as the viewer presented. Once I have all of the information, I make a recommendation," said Huffman. Huffman was sent to a home in Evergreen to research an early-morning sighting. A man said he saw an unusual object in the sky and he was able to capture a digital image from his deck. "It was almost 5 a.m. At the time as I was checking out Venus. It was a dark, dark night," said Chad. He's asked to have his last name withheld. "I couldn't help but see a triangular shape and lights on each corner. The craft was going up over the trees," said Chad. Huffman recorded an interview with Chad, took detailed measurements of the angle of the object in the sky, and returned to the neighborhood to interview neighbors. His recommendation was that Chad had seen a UFO. "We no longer are trying to determine if they are real or not. We know they're real. What we are trying to determine is what are they doing here and what kinds of things are going on," said Huffman. 'We don't want our minds to be made up. We want to take a look at all of the facts and do our homework and do a proper investigation and categorize what people see into one of three categories IFO, unknown object, or possibly a hoax," said Carrion. Investigators contact local airports, military bases, and check weather data. They must make sure the object is not a weather balloon, a distorted view of a star, or a hoax. "MUFON is a resource for the public. We're here to take a report and not to ridicule you or try to make you feel like you are crazy. Our primary mission to study this and get to the bottom of it," said Carrion. That's the good news for Chad. "I just hope maybe they can give me some answer. Maybe I'm right or wrong. My eyes showed me something and my camera caught the same thing." Astrobiology is the scientific search of alien life. Understanding UFOs is a necessary part of this field. Dr. David Grinspoon is the curator of Astrobiology at Denver's Museum of Nature and Science. He's written many books and articles about the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. "It's important for people to know that the scientific community have a lot of interest in this area," said Grinspoon. He believes scientists need to have an open mind when it comes to researching UFOs. "It's a tricky balance. We need to be open, not dogmatically rule things out so that we miss something. At the same time you have to be skeptical because the history of this subject is just loaded with dead ends and false stories," said Grinspoon. Grinspoon recommends that we keep this in mind as we look to the skies. "Do not believe everything you see or hear. Be open minded but be critical as well and try to keep learning," said Grinspoon. _______________________________________________________ May 30, 2008 Space alien video lands in Denver: Was it real or fake? By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact), Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact) Originally published 12:05 a.m., May 30, 2008 Updated 03:45 p.m., May 30, 2008 The eyes of the world were on Denver today for the showing of a video that purports to show a space alien. Live transmissions and recordings of the video were not allowed. The Rocky's Bill Scanlon blogged live. 3:45 p.m.Several dozen people were in attendance today at the Tivoli on the Aurara campus in Denver. What did they see? A classic E.T.-like creature, about 4 feet tall, with a narrow chin, a broad forehead and almond eyes. Some people claimed to see its eyes and muscles move during the roughly two-minute video, which was briefly screened for reporters and the public at the Auraria campus today. A skeptic said the being has a suspicious similarity to "Gray," the creature depicted in the classic 1957 movie "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers." 2:13 p.m. A Denver man Thursday night spent five hours and $90 creating a hoax video of a space-alien-looking creature peering through a window (click here to watch http://www.rockymountainparanormal.com/ufo/alienwindowfinal.mp4). It looks eerily like the space alien video shown to the media today by a man who wants the city of Denver to create an extraterrestrial commission to welcome visitors from distant galaxies. Believers in the Nebraska space alien video said the creature moved its eyes and muscles � and you can't just fake that unless you're a Hollywood special-effects expert and have thousands of dollars, they say. Yes you can, said Bryan Bonner, a member of the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society, which normally investigates claims of haunted houses. Bonner says his group normally ignores the claims of UFO buffs, but when he realized that Jeff Peckman was asking for taxpayer dollars to form a commission, he figured he should do something. "When we heard Peckman was going to show the video to the media, I said, 'I'll bet it's the Romanek video,'" he said, referring to the video that Colorado Springs resident Stan Romanek said he made on the night on July 17, 2003, at his home in Nebraska. Thursday, Peckman announced that indeed it was the Romanek video. So, Bonner got together five members of the society Thursday night. "We started production about 8 p.m.," he said. "We rented ourselves a 4-foot-tall foam latex alien" from a costume shop, said Bonner, who saw the Romanek video six months ago. "We were going to buy one, but I didn't want to blow the $230." "They started rolling the video and moving the puppet up, down, around and sideways. They sent the video from the camera straight into a computer, and one of the computer geeks used 3-D animation graphics to make the puppet's eyes seem to move, he said. "We gave him a couple little blinks." The result was a ghost-like creature that looks slightly more animated than the one in Romanek's video. "What they're claiming would take thousands of dollars and a lot of time ... we pulled the whole thing off for $90 and in five or six hours," he said. Bonner said, "It's so amazing that anyone would believe that video is a real space alien. And it's so frustrating to see that they want to use city time and tax dollars on this." 12:33 p.m. Shannon Mundell, of Arvada, said she wanted to see the video because she's known people who have had contact with aliens and "when you look in their eyes you know that what they saw was real." She said that other countries are more accepting of ET's, but that "in America, we just want to deny it." Mundell said the video of the creature in the window "was very interesting." "I can't say exactly what it was, but I think there's a good chance it was real. "I saw the muscles moving and the eyes moving." She said it was unlikely it was just a puppet because "only in Hollywood can they make such realistic-looking puppets and they cost thousands of dollars. "It's very unlikely that Stan would have done something like that." She said the video needs to be investigated further. Mundell thinks that if there are aliens among us, and they are peaceful, "It would be wonderful for them to interact with our world and teach us their technologies." She is worried, though, that if there's conclusive proof of aliens it would cause a lot of emotional suffering from people whose religious beliefs aren't compatible with intelligent life from another galaxy. 12:24 p.m. Jeff Peckman, the man trying to form an extraterrestrial commission in Denver, told the audience it's time to take extraterrestrial life seriously. "It's time to get ahead of the curve," he said, adding that some high government officials in other countries and some retired military officers in the U.S. are among the believers. He said even some Vatican officials say it's not incompatible for Roman Catholics to believe in extraterrestrials. "They're our brothers -- God's creatures," Peckman said. 12:04 p.m. The presentation lasted about an hour and the video itself was a few minutes long. Randy Bancroft and fellow skeptic Bela Scheiber found it interesting that the creature was never seen from below the neck. "It looks like the quintessential Gray, right out of E.T.," Scheiber said. Bancroft added, "Like with Alfred Hitchcock, it was what he didn't show you that was the key." Audience members wanted to know why the creature traveled all those light years just to peep in a window. "I have no idea," said Alejandro Rojas, a moderator from the Mutual UFO Network International, who said more investigation of this film needs to be done. Other audience members asked why the government seems to be keeping evidence of UFOs secret. Rojas, the education coordinator for the Mutual UFO Network, said perhaps the government feels the public isn't ready to see the truth. The presenters of the video said it's been reviewed by experts who say there are no post-production add-ons, but Scheiber says that misses the point. The key is to find out whether the original video was a hoax. He noted many hoaxes in the past were perpetrated by teenagers and found it interesting that the Nebraska man -- Stan Romanek, now of Colorado Springs -- had two teenage daughters. 11:59 a.m. The film showed a window, reportedly 8 feet off the ground in a rural Nebraska town in 2003. It was shot by the homeowner, who had earlier reported seeing UFOs hovering above his house. This time, he said he set up a camera because he feared a peeping tom was spying on his two teenage daughters. In the enhanced version of the video, a creature pops up in the window, looks around, and pops back down, again and again. To skeptic Randy Bancroft, the creature looks a lot like the seminal "Gray," the creature in the 1957 movie "Earth vs. The Flying Saucers," which has a narrow chin, a broad forehead and almond eyes, not too different from the friendly alien in "E.T." 11:45 a.m. The drama must be intense down at Auraria. Hold the phone, because we should hear from our fearless correspondent shortly. Peckman was expected to keep a tight rein on the video and other live transmissions from the scene. No cause for alarm, we think. 11 a.m. Joanne Almeida, of Englewood, is at the film screening because, "I've seen things in my life. "I feel a lot of people are arrogant" in their dismissal of UFOs and the paranormal, she said. "Instead of being open-minded, they make jokes." "They're arrogant to think this is silly and a waste of time when there are so many other things that are silly and a waste of time." Almeida said she thinks a lot of this is tied in with oil. "People in the high circle of politics are very greedy," she said. "I believe there are a lot of alternative fuels that the politicians are hiding. Maybe that's the kind of thing they're trying to tell us." Bela Scheiber, a member of the Rocky Mountain Skeptics, said "photoshop has come a long way." He said it's no great trick to project an image on a video, given that two girls in England fooled the world about fairies 90 years ago. He noted that a man who faked a photo of the Lochness monster confessed to it on his deathbed and that more than one person has admitted to faking signs of Big Foot. Scheiber predicted that Jeff Peckman will show an ambiguous video and then "cherry pick the things that he wants to show the audience. "And of course we'll cherry pick the things that we want to show the audience." 10:30 a.m. Claude Swanson, a physicist from Virginia, was the first to show up at the news conference in the Tivoli on the Auraria campus. He said he'll talk for a few minutes about "how time travel is theoretically possible." "There have been some faster-than-light propagations in the labs," he maintained. "There are lots of reasons to be open-minded about these things." He said he's been familiar with the Colorado Springs video for years. "The first year I was pretty cautious," he said. "I gradually became persuaded there was something real going on here." 6 a.m. A proposal to create a commission that would prepare Denver for space aliens has turned the eyes of the world on the Mile High City. From CNN to NTV in Moscow to the Daily Mail in London, news organizations worldwide are scrambling to land an interview with Jeff Peckman, who is sponsoring a ballot initiative to create an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission in Denver. "I've got about four or five interviews already, and I'm in discussion with Inside Edition, Good Morning America, Fox national news and a Moscow TV station that wants to send a team,"Peckman, 54, said Thursday. His phone kept ringing all day. "NBC national wanted me in five different time slots tomorrow on different programs. I took three of them," Peckman said Thursday afternoon. Later in the day, Peckman said he might appear on Larry King. The media bombardment was triggered by a report on RockyMountainNews.com Wednesday in which Peckman said that a video purportedly showing a living extraterrestrial would be shown at a news conference today. The story generated hundreds of thousands of hits. "It's just an interesting story because you do have a lot of people who believe there is superior life, if you will, or another life form out there, other than ours," said Adrienne Wheeler, a producer for The Early Show on CBS News. "There's a huge following for this, as I'm sure you know," said Wheeler, who believes there is intelligent life outside of Earth. Paul Thompson, a Florida-based correspondent for the Daily Mail in London, said the newspaper, which has a circulation of about 2.5 million, asked him to check out what was happening in Denver. "In England, there was a big story recently where the government declassified certain files and it was all the UFO sightings," he said. "I think everyone is interested in UFOs." Well, not everyone. Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown said people can believe what they want, but the attention "is not very favorable to our city." "Suddenly we're getting more national and international attention on this issue than the DNC," he said, referring to the Democratic National Convention in August. "In some respects, it's a welcome relief amidst all the polarizing politics that we have," he said. "That's probably good, but it just doesn't bode well for our city." --Daniel Chacon Famous aliens *E.T. , star of Steven Spielberg's 1982 blockbuster. Made the phrase "phone home" an all-purpose part of the English lexicon. *Close Encounters of the Third Kind aliens. Another Spielberg creation, they bear a familial resemblance to E.T. *Yoda. One of the stars of Star Wars, the original Yoda was the creation of Jim Henson of Muppets fame. Yoda helped turn references to "The Force" into an everyday phrase. *The Roswell alien. This alien's ship is said to have crashed near Roswell, N.M., where upon government officials allegedly suppressed the evidence. The official story? The wreckage was that of a weather balloon. The incident provided the inspiration for the founding of the Roswell International UFO Museum. roswellufomuseum.com *The Mars Attacks aliens. The gnome-sized aliens are also vicious. Most violent fictional aliens are at least human height, and some are much bigger. _______________________________________________________ May 29, 2008 MORE UFO SIGHTINGS IN KOKOMO, INDIANA DURING THE PAST WEEK, LIKELY TO CONTINUE I enjoy nature photography. I often take photos of dawns and sunsets in order to use them as wallpaper for my computer, and to mark the movement of the sun during the seasons. At 6a.m., Friday, May 23rd, I awoke and decided the cloud formations on the Eastern horizon would make an excellent backdrop for my computer. I took the camera out and snapped several photos, not being very awake or really paying much attention at the time. I did several chores during the day, and finally by the end of the day, I uploaded the photos and looked at them. To my complete amazement, there were bright objects moving around in two or three of the photos, which I took in fairly rapid sequence aimed at the same spot. By magnifying the photos, I can see that there is distinct shape to the objects. I have consulted several people who have done photo analysis, and to date no one can determine a natural cause for the objects in the photos. Nearly every morning since then, I have taken photos again and again to see if I could reproduce the objects seen in those photos. Doing so would indicate that the camera or some natural effect was causing reproducable, normal objects in my photos. I have not been able to do so regardless of my repeated attempts. The objects are now officially listed as a UFO sighting. ( I will post these photos soon.) Coincidentally, the following events resulted in another sighting above the same spot where I photographed the objects: We received a phone call at 9:15p.m. The night of Tuesday, May 27th. The weather that night was windy and mostly cloudy. (That is pertinent, because any aerial sightings would require craft be below the cloud deck.) The caller stated he was looking at a very large cylindrical object, with numerous lights of many colors, flying right above him at Apperson Way and Markland Avenue in Kokomo, Indiana. Debbie and I went outside and looked around briefly, but could not see anything from our vantage point toward town. We jumped in our SUV and drove across the southern half of Howard County, from east to west, and back east. We saw nothing-- until we reached our house. At that time, we immediately spotted a very large, intense reddish-orange light with a pulsating halo around it, sitting stationary at no higher than 1,000 feet, below thick clouds. There was absolutely no sound but quite a bit of wind, as the wind was fairly intense at times. Too intense for any sane helicopter pilots, I might add-- and there was no change in position of the reddish-orange ball of light for well over five minutes as we stood and stared. Debbie tried to get a good photo, but it was so dark becasue of the clouds, the camera balked at taking a decent exposure. She managed to get one photo, but it was pretty poor. (I will post that photo soon.) After five minutes of viewing the stationary reddish-orange ball of light (OBOL) with the pulsating halo, I distinctly heard a jet aircraft engine (above the clouds) in the opposite direction of the (OBOL). It was distinctly too far away from the (OBOL) to be attributed to the (OBOL). Also, at that time, the (OBOL) rose straight up.... straight up into the clouds and disappeared. That was the end of our sighting. We had confirmation of someone sighting the (OBOL) at the same time, from North of our position, at exactly the same time. (10:15-10:30pm) Today, we received the following e-mail from Glen Means, Indian MUFON state section director: Glen Means Date: May 29, 2008 12:48:23 AM GMT-04:00 To: debshome51@comcast.net Subject: UFO Spotter Network Pays Off on First Night! Hey Deb, Got a call from A----- S----- just before midnight; since N------ is out of school for summer, they were out watching for whatever, just like so many others tonight (May 28th). � Shortly before midnight, they saw two cylinders, brightly lit, in the western skies from Kokomo. � She then called me from their yard and was reporting to me live as two more joined up with the first pair. � One then got a lot lower, and A----- said it seemed like it was near tree top level only a couple houses away! � At that point, N------ became frightened and started screaming to get in the house. �So I told A----- to listen to N------'s little voice, and they indeed went inside. � They stayed on the phone while inside, and N------ calmed down after about 5 more minutes and wanted to go back out, so they did. � But when they got out into their yard, all the craft were gone. � A----- did note that shortly before calling me, a pair of patrol cars went screaming down her road W-bound toward the lights in the sky. � But after listening to ScanKokomo's archives for that time frame, all I could determine was that SOMETHING happened which involved ISP, county, and city units, but no idea what. Will have to check earlier archived audio to see if I can get a handle on what it was. �Involved a lot of manpower and multiple agencies for sure, but no Kokomo Boom II, at least I hope not! � Only one other spotter, J-- from Grissom, reported in. � Guess? Yup, silver cylinder shortly after 8:30 still daylight! � So your boy (Kokomo spotter) ain't alone; J-- sez he's seen that cylinder 3X in past two days, and always way too fast to get a picture of it. � But we all know it's just swamp gas and pixie dust, right?!? � Still - we did something tonight we hadn't tried before - alerted a local "UFO Spotters' Network" which did, in fact have some sightings tonight. � Way better than what C----- and I saw out on a dark Cass County road SW of Grissom (whose last plane landed on the dot at 2200 hrs - I checked my watch!) � We saw a half dozen commercial jets, one private prop plane, and EIGHT satellites - five of 'em in polar (N-S) orbits! �Very unusual to see that many polar orbits! � Also, one of them was an Iridium Flare satellite. �Also got to listen to a couple of coyote families whoopin' it up, but other than that - nada. � Lemme know if u or Dave got anything. �glen senz -Glen _______________________________________________________ May 29, 2008 Vietnam reports 'UFO' explosion Wed May 28, 2008 5:57pm EDT HANOI (Reuters) - An unidentified flying object exploded in mid-air over a southern Vietnamese island, state media said Wednesday, a day after Cambodia's air force retracted a report of a mysterious plane crash. The Vietnam News Agency said residents of Phu Quoc island, 10 km (6 miles) off the coast of the Cambodian province of Kampot, found shards of grey metal, including one 1.5 meters (1.5 yards) long. "The explosion happened at about 8 km (5 miles) above the ground, and perhaps it was a plane, but authorities could not identify whether it was a civil or military aircraft," VNA said in a report headlined "UFO explodes over Phu Quoc Island." Soldiers were sent out to look for wreckage and survivors, and local authorities contacted airlines in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, but received no reports of missing aircraft, the official state news agency added. Villagers in Kampot said Tuesday that they had heard a loud explosion. Wednesday they told Reuters they had found small chunks of metal near the coastline. Kung Mony, deputy commander of Cambodia's Air Force, said Tuesday he had been told of a foreign plane crashing in Kampot province, but later backed off his claims of an aircraft accident. (Writing by Grant McCool and Ed Cropley in Bangkok; Editing by Bill Tarrant) c Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved _______________________________________________________ May 29, 2008 Phone home: Purported UFO video to be shown Friday By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact) Originally published 03:15 p.m., May 28, 2008 Updated 07:01 p.m., May 28, 2008 A video that purportedly shows a living, breathing space alien will be shown to the news media Friday in Denver. Jeff Peckman, who is pushing a ballot initiative to create an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission in Denver to prepare the city for close encounters of the alien kind, said the video is authentic and convinced him that aliens exist. "As impressive as it is, it's still one tiny portion in the context of a vast amount of peripheral evidence," he said Wednesday. "It's really the final visual confirmation of what you already know to be true having seen all the other evidence." When Peckman went before city officials this month to discuss his proposed ET initiative, he promised to show the video. Peckman said the general public will have to wait to see it because it's being included in a documentary by Stan Romanek. "No one will be allowed to film the segment with the extraterrestrial because there is an agreement in place limiting that kind of exposure during negotiations for the documentary," he said. But people won't have to wait too long to see it for themselves. "There is an open, public meeting in about a month in Colorado Springs," Peckman said. "We'll hope to do one in Denver at some point, and then in a few months, there will be the documentary that anybody can have, and it'll have the footage." An instructor at the Colorado Film School in Denver scrutinized the video "very carefully" and determined it was authentic, Peckman said. Peckman, 54, said the video was among the reasons he was "compelled" to launch the proposed ballot initiative, which has generated news as far as South Africa. "It shows an extraterrestrial's head popping up outside of a window at night, looking in the window, that's visible through an infrared camera," he said. The alien is about 4 feet tall and can be seen blinking, Peckman said earlier this month. In a statement, Peckman said "other related credible evidence" proving aliens exist will be shown at Friday's news conference, too. In 2003, Peckman authored an off-beat ballot initiative that would have required the city to implement stress-reduction techniques. The "Safety Through Peace" initiative failed, but garnered 32 percent of the vote. chacond@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5099 _______________________________________________________ May 29, 2008 Update on Anne Morrison: We have received word that Anne Morrison will either be released from the hospital sometime today or early tomorrow, or will be reassigned to rehabilitation therapy, once a prognosis is finalized. Anne is doing her absolute best to stay positive despite the known prospects. She is being informed of all the people who are praying for her. Thanks to all for those thoughts and Prayers. _______________________________________________________ May 29, 2008 Archaeologists: England's Stonehenge Was a Burial Ground By Marc Kaufman Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, May 29, 2008; 2:18 PM The secret of Stonehenge has been solved: The mysterious circle of large stones in southern England was a burial ground for almost five centuries, and probably holds the remains of a family that long ruled the area, new research concludes. Based on radiocarbon dating of cremated bones up to 5,000 years old, researchers with the Stonehenge Riverside Project said they are convinced the area was built and then grew as a "domain of the ancestors." "It's now clear that burials were a major component of Stonehenge in all its main stages," said Mike Parker Pearson, archaeology professor at the University of Sheffield in England and head of the project. "Stonehenge was a place of burial from its beginning to its zenith in the mid-third millennium B.C." The finding marks a major re-thinking of Stonehenge, which in the past was believed to be a burial site for only a century. A combination of the radiocarbon dating; excavations nearby that have revealed a once-thriving "domain of the living;" and the fact that the number of cremated remains appeared to grow over a 500-year period convinced researchers that the site was used for a long time and most likely was a burial ground for one ruling family. Parker Pearson said the discovery of a mace head -- long a symbol of authority in England that still serves that function in the House of Commons--supports the theory that it was the province of a ruling family. He said family members for as many as 30 to 40 generations were buried there, with each generation having more members. The team also excavated homes nearby at Durrington Walls, which they said were especially well preserved and appeared to be seasonal dwellings related to Stonehenge. "It's a quite extraordinary settlement. We've never seen anything like it before," Parker Pearson said. The village had at least 300 and as many as 1,000 homes, which apparently were occupied in the midwinter and midsummer. Broad avenues leading from Stonehenge to the River Avon, as well as another leading to the river from a circle of wooden pillars close to the village, were both oriented to the winter and summer solstices. The research was supported by the National Geographic Society, which features Stonehenge in the June edition of its magazine. The latest Stonehenge research marked the first radiocarbon dating of cremation remains at the site. The burials dated by the group were excavated in the 1950s and have been kept at the nearby Salisbury Museum. In the 1920s, an additional 49 cremation burials were dug up at Stonehenge, but all were reburied because they were thought to be of no scientific value, the researchers said. As many as 240 people were buried within Stonehenge, the researchers said. The stone pillars have long fascinated archeologists and the public. The smaller ones were transported great distances from Wales, while the larger stones are from closer sources. _______________________________________________________ May 27, 2008 Base chief breaks silence on UFO mystery 27 May 2008-15:49 ANTHONY BOND A VETERAN air force chief has spoken out for the first time about the night he saw an alleged UFO at a Suffolk airbase. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Halt was deputy base commander at RAF Woodbridge in December 1980 when patrolmen from the United States Air Force (USAF) claimed they saw a small, triangular shaped craft moving backwards through the woods before taking off. The incident has been dubbed Britain's Roswell and was documented by the Ministry of Defence. A report by Lt Col Halt detailing what he and his men saw in the early hours of Boxing Day 1980 is already part of the National Archives. But a video posted on internet site YouTube shows Mr Halt going into more details about the alleged sighting when he spoke at the National Press Club in America. The retired Lieutenant Colonel tells the conference: "I have no idea what we saw that night but I do know with great certainty that it was under intelligent control." Mr Halt said when he heard that three USAF patrolmen reported seeing a strange triangular-shaped craft sitting on three legs he did not know all the details but "assumed there was a reasonable explanation" for it. Two days later he said he was interrupted at a family Christmas party and told: "It's back". In the forest, he and two senior patrolmen discovered indentations on the forest floor as well as mild radiation and evidence of broken branches on trees. He said: "We suddenly observed a very bright red orange object. It was oval with a black centre. It reminded me of an eye and it appeared to be blinking. It manoeuvred horizontally through the trees with an occasional vertical movement. When approached, it receded and silently broke into five white objects." He then describes how he moved out of the forest and observed "several objects in the sky" which changed shape from elliptical to round. "One approached at very high speed and sent down a strange beam at our feet. It was more like a laser beam," he said. "Another object sent down beams of light into the weapons storage area. The whole time we had difficulty communicating with the base as all three radio frequencies we were using kept breaking up. This activity continued for about an hour." Secret Government files released for the first time recently delivered a damming verdict on the sighting. The files indicated that because Mr Halt only filed his report two weeks after the sightings this prompted a lack of investigation by the British Government. A briefing document from the time read: "Overall, we believe that the fact that Col Halt did not report these occurrences to MoD for almost two weeks after the event, together with the relatively low key manner in which he handled the matter (given resources available to him) and indicative of the degree of importance in defence terms which should be attached to the incident. He himself took all investigative action which was required." _______________________________________________________ May 24, 2008 SAD NEWS, PRAYERS REQUESTED We have learned from mutual friends that Anne Morrison, one of the founding members of the Gulf Breeze Research Team underwent emergency surgery earlier this week to remove a tumor at the base of her brain. Anne was stricken with double vision and nausea at her home, symptoms similar to the stroke Anne suffered and recovered from several years ago. Anne phoned her husband, Bruce, who was away on business. He advised Anne to call 911, and Anne was transported to the hospital. Her son was at her side in Bruce's intitial absence. The medical team treating Anne found two tumors at the base of her brain, and also what they believe to be melanoma tumors in all her major organs and in her brain, as well as the tumor that was causing constriction of blood flow at the base of her brain. The tumor on her brain which caused the blood flow problem and dizziness and nausea was successfully removed, and Anne is resting comfortably in ICU. Lab results for tests samples will not be known until Monday, May 26. At that time, it is hoped there will be positive news, but the prospects cannot be considered encouraging. For anyone who has met or known Anne, this is devastating news. Anne is a truly wonderful person. Anne's strength will be reinforced by your spiritual support. We ask you to keep Anne, Bruce, and their family in your thoughts, hearts and prayers. Deb & Dave _______________________________________________________ May 24, 2008 Published: Thursday, 22nd May, 2008 09:00 UFO researchers look into sightings over Saltcoats, U.K. By Fiona Simpson CALLS are still flooding into the Herald office about the recent UFO sightings in Saltcoats on April 27 and several overseas enthusiasts have been contacting us with their opinions. One long-term researcher, Steve Tobias, from America has emailed us this week and completely disregards comments made by Nick Pope. He said: "Nick Pope is not going to be a very good expert on UFOs, since he is not completely unbiased in his approach, being an ex British defence official at the UFO desk in your nation in the past years. "After extensive research I believe there has been an extensive cover up in sightings of unidentified flying objects and that many of these orange lights are in fact UFO ships. After reading your article and watching the video I believe the lights spotted in your town are also UFO space ships and not any form of firework as suggested." _______________________________________________________ May 24, 2008 Notable UFO sightings in history: Reuters Published:Saturday, May 24, 2008 LONDON (Reuters) -- Here are some of the more celebrated UFO sightings: MOUNT RAINIER, WASH. May 1947 -- In the first sighting since the Second World War Two -- during which there had been several reports of "foo fighters" or balls of light following combat aircraft -- American businessman Kenneth Arnold saw lights in the sky near Mount Rainier, in the northwest United States. He described seeing nine silvery objects that flew erratically, "like a saucer skipping across the water." Newspapers seized on his account and a new phrase entered the language -- "flying saucer." ROSWELL, N.M. July 1947 -- The daddy of them all, the Roswell incident in which an alien craft was widely believed to have crashed. According to some accounts, the ship crashed in an empty field with several aliens on board. Those who believe an alien craft landed are adamant the incident involves a huge government cover-up. The official explanation was that it was a secret research balloon that had come down. KECKSBURG, PA. In December 1965, residents of Kecksburg watched a fireball crash into a heavily forested area 40 miles from Pittsburgh. That night, the area was cordoned off by the military. Trucks and helicopters came and went, and the town was reportedly placed under martial law for a short time. Reports say a truck took away an acorn-shaped object about the size of a VW Beetle. The official explanation: a meteor strike. RENDLESHAM FOREST, SUFFOLK (U.K) December 1980 -- Known as "Britain's Roswell," the Rendlesham Forest incident is one the country's most famous UFO sightings. U.S. officers at a military base close to Rendlesham Forest, near Ipswich, saw a brilliantly lit object land in the trees. They investigated what they thought must be a crashed plane in the forest and saw a triangular "strange glowing object." "It illuminated the entire forest with a white light," reads a report by Deputy Base Commander Lt.-Col. Charles Halt contained in a Ministry of Defence file. The ministry said there was no hard evidence to explain the sightings. Skeptics say witnesses were tricked by the beam from a lighthouse on the nearby coast. BONNYBRIDGE, SCOTLAND This town near Falkirk is often described as Britain's UFO capital, with thousands of reported sightings in recent years. Witnesses claim to have seen flying saucers, hovering cigars and mysterious lights in the sky. UFO Web sites say the area is "some kind of landing strip for flying saucers." Skeptics say the sightings may be due to routine military flights or even lights caused by marsh gas combining with static electricity. -The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008 _______________________________________________________ May 21, 2008 < http://www.ardrossanherald.com/articles/1/24240> Published: Friday, 16th May, 2008 12:00 MORE 'UFOS' SPOTTED OVER THREE TOWNS in U.K. By Fiona Simpson MORE strange lights have been seen floating over Saltcoats on Sunday night and it is thought that they also appeared in Kilmarnock last weekend. The Herald has been inundated with phone calls about the four strange lights spotted on Sunday, April 27 and now another Saltcoats man has told the Herald that he spotted them again on Sunday night. Tony McLernon, 19, was in his home on Rosa Place when he noticed the lights floating in the sky above, he said: "I only saw one of them at first. It was a big orange light that was moving side to side. It then suddenly shot off and went behind my house. I ran inside and looked out my bedroom window, in the direction it went. This one light had now joined two others and was moving in a strange way. After a couple of minutes they shot up into the sky and disappeared. They looked just like the lights pictured in the Herald last week. When asked what he thought the strange objects were he said: "To be honest I don't really believe in wee green men but when I saw these lights flying around Saltcoats I don't really know what to believe. "They were nothing like Chinese lanterns, which you mentioned last week as I went and googled it to see what they did and the way this one light moved, well it was like something was controlling it." Two separate witnesses have also sighted the mysterious lights in Kilmarnock, last weekend. On Saturday, May 3 around 10.40pm a 32-year-old woman, who wishes to remain anonymous noticed a bright light floating behind her home, she said: "I got a bit of a fright when I saw them because at first I just thought it was a plane or helicopter. But when I went out into the garden, it wasn't making a sound and was closer than I realised. "It was orange and yellow in colour and wasn't that high of the ground. It was like the middle of it was a ball of fire. It is just so strange, I have never experienced anything like it before." Another witness spotted the same bright, orange light the night before and was floating in the skies over the New Farm Loch junction on the M77. Mark Roberts of the Scottish Ufological Research Association (SURA) told the Herald: "At approximately 10pm a reliable witness reported to have seen a luminous white light flying from East to West either across the top or just behind of Kilmarnock. "The witness was driving from Ayr to Kilmarnock via the motorway and cut off at New Farm Loch junction and drove along the back road towards Galston to try and get closer to the object. "The object suddenly disappeared and was not to be seen. The sighting lasted for around one or two minutes. There is unfortunately no photo or video due to the fact the witness was driving." To try and get to the bottom of these unexplained innocents the Herald got in touch with several experts in the field of UFOs. Nick Pope, who used to run the British Government's UFO project and is now one of the leading experts in the unexplained, exclusively told the Herald: "It's difficult to be certain, but this looks like it could be another sighting involving so-called Chinese Lanterns. "These are increasingly popular in the UK and are used at weddings, parties and indeed in some deliberate attempts to generate reports of UFOs. They are often let off in groups and then appear to drift in the wind. "If the witnesses describe a different movement I'd have to think again, but Chinese Lanterns have been responsible for an increasing number of UFO sightings in the last year or two" The sightings have also been viewed and discussed across the natation and one UFO enthusiast from Germany contacted us to explain the bizarre sightings, Werner Walter said: "Your actual UFO sighting is very ordinary here in Germany. Since 12 months ago we have been getting the exact same reports at the weekends in our UFO-Center from all across the nation. To date about 600 times. It is always the same thing- relatively cheap Asian Skylanterns. When they are seen in the night sky it can look like a scene from Spielberg's Close Encounter. "We have also done our own experiments with these Skylanterns and found that they spark calls of UFOs across the country and I believe what you have seen could be the same." However, the Herald is not satisfied with this explanation and will be testing this theory for ourselves later on in the week. Check out the website, www.ardrossanherald.com, for our video footage of the Chinese lanterns and see if you agree. Also see Werner Walter's experiments through our site. _______________________________________________________ May 20, 2008 Posted on Mon, May. 19, 2008 Stephenville-area UFO sightings still unexplained after investigation BY BRYON OKADA AND MATT FRAZIER STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER VALLEY RANCH -- Despite many eyewitnesses who can be regarded as credible, investigators from the Mutual UFO Network's state chapter were unable to conclusively confirm that what people in the Stephenville area saw in January was a bona-fide UFO. In addition, what is considered to be the most provocative piece of evidence about the event -- a 12-minute video by David Caron that seems to show a moving object writing "glyphs" against the night sky -- is a zoomed-in video of a star. "We're probably going to get a lot of flak for that," said the network's Texas chapter director, Ken Cherry. The group heard what may well be their investigators' final report on the matter Sunday afternoon at the Valley Ranch Public Library and Cherry says he expects that when the full report gets out to the public, the prevailing sentiment may very well be frustration. "It will not satisfy the believers or the debunkers," Cherry told the group. The report's contents were delivered by Cherry and the UFO Network's chief Texas investigator, Steve Hudgeons, in PowerPoint fashion. It is expected to be published in the group's upcoming journal. The findings include: Most of the significant sightings were in the Dublin area, not in Stephenville. Of the 19 reports from the January 8 event, 55 percent were in the Dublin area. Credible witnesses included a pilot, constable, city officials, business owners, clergy and teachers "and a full conglomerate of others," Hudgeons said. About 95 percent of the reports described bright lights: red, blue, orange, white and yellow. The object investigators concentrated on was described as being 1 mile long and a half-mile wide. The sightings came during a period of increased UFO sightings in Texas. From 1969 through September 2007, there were 496 Texas cases. In the last six months alone, there have been 240 reports in Texas. The increase began in December, before the Stephenville sightings. Other explanations for what people saw were: a military target sleeve, sensitivity of cameras, lights from other sources, sun dogs, lens flares and bad film. What did the UFOs look like? Descriptions vary. Some said the object was up to a mile long and hundreds of yards high. Others described seeing two to eight lights that flew in formation, changed color and shined with intensity greater than a welding flame. What is the network? The Mutual UFO Network is a nationwide organization that studies unidentified flying objects. Its Texas chapter took statements from about 50 witnesses Jan. 19 and interviewed at least 70 more, gathering descriptions, sketches, pictures and videos. A full report is scheduled in this month's issue of the network's publication. For more information, go to www.mufon.com. What's all this about a UFO invasion? Dozens of people around Dublin and Stephenville -- about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth -- say they saw flying objects on or around Jan. 8 that they could not identify and that did not move like conventional aircraft. Some of the witnesses said the objects were being accompanied or followed by military aircraft. News of the sighting captured interest across the world. Are these people crackpots? This sighting gained national and international attention because of the number and quality of witnesses, including a county constable and a pilot. Many are also familiar with aircraft because the military has a flight practice zone that ends just south of the sighting area. Why didn't they take pictures? Taking pictures of UFOs is not easy, some of the witnesses say. A few pictures and videos have surfaced. While some can be explained, some can't, including a video captured on a camera attached to the county constable's car. Was there a military conspiracy? Maj. Karl Lewis, a spokesman for the 301st Fighter Wing at Naval Air Station Fort Worth, initially said they had nothing flying in the area. Two weeks later, Lewis said that there had been "an internal error in communication" and that 10 F-16s from the 457th Fighter Squadron were training between 6 and 8 p.m. Jan. 8. Witnesses say the admission adds credibility to their stories. okada@star-telegram.com _______________________________________________________ May 16, 2008 UFO acclimation now underway? Steve Hammons May 15, 2008 The NBC show "Dateline" and msnbc.com have put out a request to the public to submit photos and videos of UFOs. According to the msnbc.com Web site, a show is planned this Sunday, May 18, using photos and videos of UFOs they receive. On the msnbc.com site, the public is asked, "Do you think you have seen a UFO? Tell us about it and you may be featured in a future episode of Dateline NBC or on msnbc.com." "On Sunday, May 18, Dateline plans to count down '10 Close Encounters Caught on Tape,'" according to msnbc.com. "If you think you've had your own close encounter, submit it here with any photos or videos, and you could be featured on Dateline or on msnbc.com. Videos and stories should be authentic and not staged. Material may appear on NBC's Dateline broadcast and/or Web site. Tell us your story ..." This Dateline and msnbc.com call for submission of photos and videos for a show is just another development that has raised national and international public awareness about the UFO situation. The recent news that the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense (MoD) is releasing more previously secret documents about UFOs, with some of the information apparently quite compelling, has been viewed as a positive step by those interested in further disclosure about this subject. In an article in the Vatican newspaper, the pope's chief astronomer, Father Gabriel Funes, has written an article about intelligent extraterrestrial beings titled "Aliens Are My Brother." Funes is director of the Vatican Observatory and is respected as a scientist who works with other international astronomers, according to published reports. These developments further acclimate the public to theories, reports, questions and perspectives about the possible visitation to Earth of intelligent extraterrestrial and/or extra-dimensional beings, as well as other possible emerging phenomena. ACCLIMATION AND DISCLOSURE Orienting and informing the public about possible developments in the area of extraterrestrial visitation to Earth has been a subject of much speculation and concern in the decades since the end of World War II. Journalists and writers, TV and film project producers, government military and intelligence personnel, as well as interested people in the U.S. and around the world have been exposed to more ideas, theories and rumors about UFOs and ETs over the years. We have been acclimated to the idea that it is possible for our planet to have been visited by intelligent beings from elsewhere in space, time and/or other dimensions. There may even be indications that disclosure of real information about the UFO situation has been subtly released to the public to further orient, acclimate and prepare Americans and people internationally. Recent UFO reports such as those in Stephenville, Texas, and Chicago's O'Hare airport were reported in responsible and serious ways by many in the news media. The most recent incident in Phoenix, reported to be road flares tied to helium balloons and launched by a local resident, does little to cast doubt on the 1997 incident in Phoenix when a massive object cruised at low altitude over that city's metropolitan "Valley of the Sun" early one evening. It was reportedly witnessed by hundreds or thousands of Phoenix residents, including the governor at the time, Fife Symington, a former Air Force officer. All of these cases, as well as many others, help acclimate not only the general public, but also journalists and those in the media. When some people interested in this field seek significant disclosure of information possibly held by governmental military and intelligence groups, they have had mixed success. Interesting documents and "off the record" information can provide a partial picture of what might be going on. At the same time, it could be that significant sensitive and classified reports are "not ready for prime time" and release to the public. Accounts of formal and even official acclimation efforts and programs indicate that a gradual and safe orientation for the public about a possibly significant UFO and ET situation may be a wise course of action. PSYCHOLOGY, EMOTIONS, SPIRITUALITY Adjustment to developments such as confirmation that UFOs are related to visitation to Earth by intelligent civilizations might be difficult for some people. This would disrupt their world view, possibly causing anxiety. For some people, their spiritual beliefs might be impacted in some way. In addition, many kinds of natural concerns would arise: Are these visitors friend or foe? Are they here to help us or hurt us? What is the role of our governmental and defense organizations? Will human society and civilization change in good ways or bad ways? This is where safe and intelligent acclimation may be a wiser approach than simply disclosure of too much information. Of course, in actuality, these two ideas work hand-in-hand. Acclimation is disclosure and disclosure is acclimation. Yet, the subtle interactions and distinctions between these two concepts may be worth considering. Another element rumored to be in play is the possibility that humans are facing multiple kinds of emerging developments. Different kinds of visitors may be near, including some who are friendly, some hostile and some neutral. In cases like this, various intelligence-gathering, liaison and rapport-building, dialogue, negotiation and defensive activities could be in play. Have humans been visited in the ancient past? Were Native American Indians and other cultures exposed to anomalous phenomena that may be of interest to us now? Are there aspects of our genetics and DNA that may in some ways connect with other unconventional questions? What are the concepts involved in scientific research into a "unified field" or "zero-point field" that may be an underlying layer or force of Nature and the Universe? What are the sources of crop circles and what are the messages they seem to contain? Additional metaphysical phenomena such as connections with other dimensions, including the afterlife or "Heaven" and even beliefs about activities of "angels" could be factors to consider. All of these ideas and scenarios pose interesting and fundamental questions about where we have been, where we are now and where we are going. Being prepared for various kinds of developments or contingencies is usually constructive. Reading between the lines of information we come across can also be useful. Our roles in any acclimation or disclosure processes underway would seem to include improving our "intelligence" in the many meanings of that word � gathering information, interpreting it, sharing it and using it to enhance our personal and collective situational awareness. NOTE TO READERS: Those who enjoyed this article may also want to read the piece (http://americanchronicle.com/articles/61735/)"Human consciousness, intelligence may suddenly shift." For more information and resources about these and other topics, please visit (http://jointreconstudygroup.blogspot.com/) the Joint Recon Study Group and have a look around. _______________________________________________________ May 16, 2008 http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/hampshirenews/display.var.2273429.0.mysterious_object_seen_flying_over_southampton.php MYSTERIOUS OBJECT SEEN, FILMED OVER SOUTHAMPTON (England) Release date: May 15, 2008 By Peter Law THE Daily Echo needs help in solving Hampshire's latest UFO mystery. Just a day after it was revealed 42 UFOs have been spotted in the county in the past ten years, a new video has emerged of a strange object in our skies. The footage was captured by company director Will Campbell on Monday, May 5, and shows a cubeshaped object floating high above houses in Shirley. "I was at home when my housemates Mina and Simon spotted the object out the window. We could barely see it with the naked eye, so I got my video camera out to zoom in to get a clearer picture of the object," the 28- year-old said. "It appeared to be a black, almost cube shaped. At first it was slowly rising, but then seemed to stabilise at an altitude and move away into the distance. We could see it for about 15 minutes, before it eventually got too far away." Mr Campbell was confident the object wasn't a kite as there was "absolutely" no wind that day. "Its large arc across the sky also means that it was not tethered to the ground in the way an advertising blimp would be. The shape of the object wasn't round like a weather balloon. "I rather hope that one of the readers of the Daily Echo might be able to shed some light on what the object was." (NOTE: View the video from the link provided on this page above.) _______________________________________________________ May 15, 2008 SIGHTING REPORT: SPOTTER: Deb, on her way to work SPOTTER LOCATION: Heading due west on (Howard) county road 2 miles South of State Road 22 (Markland) and 3 miles east of U.S. 31 TIME: 6:02 a.m. DST WEATHER: Calm. Mostly Clear. Moon had already set. Pre-dawn. (Civil twilight was at 5:57 a.m., Sunrise was at 6:28 a.m. DST) LOCATION: west-northwestern sky, estimated 10 miles from spotter (This would place the object above the northwest quarter of Howard County of north-central Indiana (U.S.)) DESCRIPTION: Orange Ball Of Light (OBOL). Pulsating intensity, fading on and off. Stationary. Elevation approximately 30 degrees above the horizon. Size, 1/4-1/3 the size of a baby aspirin at arm's length. No noise, but at distance, any noise would likely be inaudible. A single OBOL. DURATION: 2-3 Minutes, no way to know how long the object was there prior to sighting. ADDITIONAL NOTE: Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars are all visible in that general vicinity of the sky, BUT AT OR AFTER SUNSET, NOT AT SUNRISE. _______________________________________________________ May 14, 2008 BRITAIN'S MILITARY RELEASES LIMITED NUMBER OF UFO FILES FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION In dilatory response to numerous Freedom of Information lawsuits, the British military today released a limited number of UFO research files. This information is all available at: http://ufos.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ The files relate to numerous UFO incidents in which the British Military collected information regarding those incidents. It is widely known that numerous other incidents which contain much more-revealing information are still being kept private by the British Intelligence. Although the information is regarded as limited, many files released are still considered pertinent, relevant, and worth inspection by the public. Many British UFOlogists have called for openness regarding information still being withheld from the public. We support their efforts wholeheartedly, and welcome what one called, to paraphrase it, the inevitability that all information will eventually be released due to the impossibility of continuing to stifle it. For skeptics, remember that something doesn't require your belief to be real. _______________________________________________________ May 12, 2008 http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32776&Itemid=61 NEW BOOK DISCLOSES UFO CRASH A retired U.S. Air Force colonel and former fighter jet pilot says that he chased a UFO across West Texas and watched it crash along the Rio Grande River near Del Rio, Texas. Shortly after, he visited the crash site and saw a metallic object unlike any aircraft he had ever seen "sticking into the side of a hill." Decorated World War II and Korean War veteran Robert B. Willingham, 82, discloses his strange 1955 encounter in a new book titled "The Other Roswell: UFO Crash on the Texas-Mexico border," written by UFO researchers Noe Torres and Ruben Uriarte. The book is available on Amazon.com and at the publisher"s Web site, roswellbooks.com. "It"s one of the most amazing UFO stories I have ever heard," said Uriarte, a 25-year veteran UFO investigator and director of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) in Northern California. "Rarely do you have such a highly credible eyewitness to an event of this magnitude come forward with information that is guarded so closely by various intelligence agencies." Willingham, who lives near Wichita Falls, was one of America"s earliest jet aviators, during the time when the military was transitioning away from propeller-driven planes. It was also a time when UFO sightings had become commonplace throughout the United States, especially in and around top-secret military bases. "He was flying as part of a group of F-86 fighter jets that were escorting a B-47 bomber across West Texas," said Noe Torres, a lecturer, researcher, and member of the MUFON chapter in Texas. "It was a Cold War simulation designed to follow the route that bombers would take to reach Russia in the event of a nuclear war." A radio message warned Willingham and the others about a fast-moving UFO that was approaching Texas from the northwestern U.S. "Suddenly it came into their view, looking like an intensely bright light -- like a bright star seen through a telescope," Torres said. "It blazed across the sky past them, and everyone in all the planes saw it. But, because of the location of Willingham"s jet, he was in the best position to see what happened after the object flew by." Willingham estimated that the object was traveling at 2,000 miles per hour, and he saw it make a sudden 90-degree turn, without slowing down. As the UFO streaked toward the Texas-Mexico border, Willingham received permission to break from the formation and pursue the object in his F-86 fighter. Following the object"s vapor trail, Willingham followed it down to near Del Rio, Texas, where he saw it suddenly begin to wobble and descend rapidly. As the pilot watched in stunned silence, the UFO plunged toward the Rio Grande River, plowing into the ground just south of Langtry, Texas and digging out a 300-yard long furrow before finally coming to rest alongside a sandy hill. Uriarte said, "Willingham had heard a lot of discussion about UFOs, and now suddenly, he had one down on the ground. As he flew over the awesome scene, he decided that he was going to switch planes and return there as quickly as possibly to look at the thing up close." The aviator returned to the scene of the crash a few hours later, according to Uriarte. "They landed the small plane right alongside the crashed UFO and noticed that a large number of Mexican soldiers had already taken control of the crash site. They had cordoned off the area and would not allow Willingham or Perkins to approach the main part of the wreckage. However, what they were able to see and look at was so amazing that it forever changed their lives." Before being forced to leave the area by the Mexican military, Willingham picked up a chunk of strange metal debris that was about the size of a man"s hand. He later tried to burn it, cut it, and otherwise deform it, but he was not able to. "It was a piece of something not of this world," Uriarte said. Torres and Uriarte are active members of the UFO research community with many years of experience investigating UFO cases in the Southwestern U.S. and Northern Mexico. Their research has appeared on the History Channel's UFO Hunters and UFO Files TV shows. Their first book, Mexico"s Roswell: The Chihuahua UFO Crash, published in 2007, received wide critical acclaim and was the basis for a February 2008 episode of UFO Hunters, in which the authors appeared. The authors have appeared frequently on UFO-related TV and radio shows and have spoken at many conferences and events. _______________________________________________________ May 11, 2008 Subject: UFO AUTHOR/RESEARCHER MARC DAVENPORT DIES Marc Davenport made the transition from this life to the next on Sunday, April 20. Marc was a dedicated seeker of the truth who believed that we all had a right to know. He fought for human rights, liberty, justice, and the preservation of our planet. He was the author of Dear Mr. President: 100 Earth-Saving Letters and Visitors From Time: The Secret of the UFOs. Marc was married to Leah Ann Haley. Marc was deeply grateful for all of his friends and supporters. His wishes were that instead of a formal service to mourn his death those who loved him would hold private gatherings to celebrate his life. The family requests that donations in memory of Marc Davenport be made to Covenant Hospice; 5907 Berryhill Road; Milton, FL 32570 or to the International UFO Museum and Research Center; 114 N Main Street; Roswell, NM 88203. _______________________________________________________ May 8, 2008 More crop circles appear in East Tennessee Posted: 4:34 PM May 6, 2008 Last Updated: 2:22 PM May 7, 2008 Madisonville (WVLT) - Man-made or alien-aligned? For the second time in two years, a crop circle's appeared in Monroe County. Volunteer TV's Mike McCarthy's walked the crop circle. Does anyone know what made this? Not just yet, but everyone has their own theory. This new designs just down the road from the first crop circle. That appeared last May also in a wheat field. Neighbors say whoever, or whatever did it worked quickly and quietly. Beyond still-standing blades, there are others pushed in a perfect pattern. "I don't know whether it's man-made or not," resident Johnnie Helm said. It's the second Monroe County Crop Circle in two years. These lines and curves appeared in Johnnie Helm's 50-acre wheat field Monday morning. "I didn't hear nothing. And I'm up and down all night," Helm said. Her neighbor, Jean Merrell first spotted the bent blades. "I always look out the window, and I thought, my goodness, what's in the field? What's happened?" resident Jean Merrell said. The "what"? Well, the crushed crops form a triangle. At each corner a pair of circles, but "how" and "who" wilted the wheat is a crop quandary. "I really don't think it's man-made. I don't believe anyone could do that, that quick and so perfect," Merrell said. These thin lines are the only paths in and out. Helms says they're from crop fertilization and they've been here months. The new field phenomena's less than a half mile from last May's Crop Circle just outside Madisonville. Investigators ruled that design "non man-made." Crop circle researches came to investigate last year's design. As for this one, they want to come back. "They'd have to be very careful, cause I ain't talked to the man I rent it to," Helm said. For now the rows of curved crops inspire... "I think it's something fantastic myself," Merrell said. ...Not scare. "If it's aliens and they want me, they'll come and get me. Will you put up a fight? No. Why? I'll talk to them. What if you don't speak Alien? They better speak English," Helm said. And Helm wants to know...why her backyard? Investigators with the independent crop circle researchers organizations plan to scientifically test this design next week, but they still have to get helm's permission. We've haven't revealed the exact location on purpose. Her land's private property. She doesn't want strangers trampling the crops. So public visits are off-limits, for now. _______________________________________________________ May 8, 2008 Published: Wednesday, 7th May, 2008 12:00 MORE SIGHTINGS OF STRANGE LIGHTS AT SALTCOATS By Fiona Simpson AFTER last week's reports of strange lights over the skies of Saltcoats, the Herald office has been inundated by readers who also spotted the bizarre lights on Sunday, April 27. So far there has been no logical explanation for the strange sighting but there have been suggestions of a meteor shower and Chinese lanterns. Anne Duff, 45 of Auchanshangan Drive, Saltcoats believes it could have been a meteor shower and said: "I only caught the tail end of the lights. When I saw them, four of them were fading away and then one light appeared brighter than all the others. I think it could have been a meteor shower as they sort of disintegrated into the sky." "My daughter and her friend had been driving home and spotted the four lights before I did. She said they looked like a meteor shower as they broke up rapidly and sort of burned out but she isn't sure as they came from the earth rather than going from the sky to the ground." "I really don't know how to explain them myself. They were very different and definitely not an aircraft but it was really nice to see." However, another local resident, Allison Thompson, who took pictures on her camera phone, is convinced that they are not a meteor shower but could well be aliens. She said: "I saw five lights in the sky near my house on Dykesmains Road. They were very high up and were like orange balls of fire. They didn't fade away at first but three of them turned into squares and flew off into the clouds." "It is very strange and I am sure they weren't a plane or a meteor shower. The fact that they turned into squares is just too weird." However, there could be another reasonable explanation. One woman from Saltcoats who wishes to remain anonymous said: "These lights are not alien space crafts. We had a garden party on Sunday night around 9.30pm and set of Chinese lanterns which were bought on Amazon." Many people dispute this and claim that they are UFOs. Mary Cunningham, 54, said: "I have never seen anything like that before. The lights were certainly not planes as we have watched them coming into land for years and they definitely don't look like what we saw. I doubt they could have been Chinese lanterns either as they were exceptionally high in the sky." "The lights were very clear and were fireball red. It felt like they were flying straight for me. Two flew side by side and the other two broke away." "It is very odd and I have no idea what these lights were but it would interesting to find out." Some local residents have spotted the strange glowing lights on other occasions and Nicola Campbell is one of them: "I saw the lights on the Saturday night as well as Sunday. On the Saturday night there was only one light in the sky and it was glowing orange. I had been driving from West Kilbride when I first spotted it and when I got into Betsy Miller Wynd there were several people out watching it." "The light was really high in the sky and then we realised that it was coming down rather quickly as our heads had been pointing up the way and we were suddenly looking at the light around about eye level. It kept falling and falling until it disappeared behind two houses. It looked like it came down over the back of Dalry." Rita McJartton, 59, reckons she witnessed the same thing early this year: "I saw the lights in January but when I told my husband he thought I was seeing things. I didn't think to phone the Herald after that but now that they have been spotted again, I thought I should phone." "I had been in West Kilbride and was heading back to Saltcoats when I spotted these big, bright orange lights in the sky. They were moving rather rapidly and I think they came down about Dalry. It was very strange and I can not think what they could have been." The sightings have not only taken the town by storm but have also spread across the Atlantic and have been discussed on air on an American radio station, and featured on several International websites. After being inundated with calls about the sightings, the Herald contacted the Met office in search of a solution. Morris Scoolay, a spokesperson for the Met Office said: "There were thunder showers in the area at that time on Sunday so the lights could have been distant lightening flashes, but it is odd that they would be constant. There have been no signs of a meteor shower or any other abnormal activity." FOR THE VIDEO SEE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJZpJQry2sc _______________________________________________________ May 7, 2008 http://www.hbccufo.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4195 (Posted at this link on May 3, 2008: Kokomo, Indiana Dee Jay For WWKI Radio Reports On UFO Event Posted: May 3, 2008 Date: April 16, 2008 Time: Approx: 10:25 p.m. EST HBCC UFO Research Note: The below report is just excellent and talks about the events that took place on April 16, 2008 as a Dee Jay for WWKI Radio was on air when all broke loose. JJ gives a great description of the events of that night in his report below. Also I am waiting word to see if I can get the recordings from the radio station. Brian Vike Director of HBCC UFO Research is looking for anyone who witnessed the night's events, from the sonic boom, lights, craft, etc. Reports of debris from the police and area residents was reported scattered all over a road. I also would like to hear from any police officers who attended the calls, or anyone with information. Please note that I will keep your personal information private. You can email me at hbccufo@telus.net or go through my website at: http://www.hbccufo.org Also added is a Police and Dispatchers talking about the April 16, 2008 unknown event. Brian, The following report is lengthy, but I wanted to give you as accurate a report as possible. I realize this is two weeks after the fact, but I just found your website. I'm a dee jay for WWKI radio in Kokomo, IN and was working on the night of April 16th. The explosion, or boom happened at approximately 10:25pm ET. I remember looking at the clock after it happened, because I thought someone crashed into my car or the building, and would need the time it occurred for the police report. I stepped outside and saw that nothing was wrong with the building or my vehicle. By the time I had walked back to the studio, the scanner was going crazy with activity and all 11 phones lines were lit up. The police and sheriff's department were treating it as a possible plane crash and had all units heading south of town to look for a crash site, and to set up a crash perimeter. Phone calls poured in that they were looking in the wrong area, as sightings were toward the west. I put several calls on the air explaining what they saw, or thought they saw. Everything from sonic booms from F-16s doing maneuvers and dog fights, to meteorites, to UFOs, but when I put a guy on that described the following, almost all the callers afterwards said they saw the exact same thing. Most said that the explosion happened first, and shortly after they saw a big ball of fire in the sky, which broke into smaller balls and headed in all different directions. I thought that was unusual in that you would normally see the explosion before you hear it. Then they saw the glowing lights in a row, 6 to 9 in all side by side, appearing approximately 60-90 seconds afterward. There were reports of debris on the highway as well as in people's yards south of town, but when the authorities showed up they reported no debris had been found. The dispatcher then told all of them to go to Tach 6. The search was redirected west of town toward one of the county schools, and then quit altogether. We covered the event until just after midnight when the scanner died down and the police and sheriff's department had nothing more to report. I later heard that a similar occurrence happened the night before in Logansport, which is a small town just northwest of Kokomo. The following night I received a half dozen or so calls that the lights in the sky were back again, but nothing else became of it. Then on the following morning my wife and I were awakened by the earthquake. I've never been in an earthquake before, but the sound I heard was very loud like an explosion. My first thought was that my dogs had knocked something over in the other room. When I walked into our dining room I could hear our wineglasses rattling together for about one minute. I was on the air when the Challenger exploded, and on 9/11, but in my 25 years in radio, I have never seen the phone activity as high as it was on the night of April 16th. I don't know what happened that night, nor am I sure what I believe. All I know is that it was one of the strangest nights I've ever experienced. JJ Davis, Kokomo, IN Thank you to JJ for the excellent report, also permission was granted to leave the personal information in the report. Police and Dispatchers talking about the April 16, 2008 unknown event. Clip #1 - Police and Dispatchers talking about the April 16, 2008 unknown event. http://hbccufo.org/videos/911_Indiana_Kokomo.mp3 The audio clip is courtesy from Frank Warren: http://frankwarren.blogspot.com/ Brian Vike, Director HBCC UFO Research and host of the Vike Report UFO Eyewitness radio show. email: hbccufo@telus.net Website: http://www.hbccufo.org http://www.brianvike.com, http://www.hbccufo.com, http://www.hbccufo.net HBCC UFO Research International: http://www.hbccufointernational.org/ Radio show host for the Vike Report, eyewitness relating their experiences. http://jancikradionetwork.com/innerstreamsradio/show/vike_report/index.html Just added, the Vike Report Radio Show Blog. You can check the blog out for archived radio shows and all the new and upcoming programs I do. http://thevikereport.blogspot.com/ HBCC UFO Research, Box 1091 Houston, British Columbia, Canada - VOJ 1ZO _______________________________________________________ May 6, 2008 Dells, Lake Delton residents report UFO sightings By Kay James, Dells Events wde-news@capitalnewspapers.com Accounts of bright moving lights in the sky and even alien abduction have been reported from the Dells area, and UFO reports can be found on a Web site and in a new book. The site, www.ufowisconsin.com/ lists reports of the sightings from across Wisconsin including in the Dells area and in other nearby towns such as Baraboo, Portage, Oxford, Lyndon Station. The Web site and the book, "UFO Wisconsin: A Progress Report" are the work of paranormal researcher Noah Voss of Sun Prairie. Voss has been trying to collect reports, identify and explain UFOs for more than a decade. His interest in the subject started as a child. He said in a phone interview that as far back as when he was in grade school, he would write reports about UFOs and Big Foot. "I've always been enthralled with mysteries," he said and as he got older he went to space camp and then conferences on the paranormal. These days, he's a speaker at conferences on the unusual such as a recent one in Madison. He will also be a speaker at four or five more conferences this year, plus appearing on radio shows and at book signings around the state. Voss is also ready to check out UFO reports, although he concedes those that report a bright light in the sky are the most difficult to verify even while they are the most typical. "There's not a lot of data to cross reference," he said referring to reports of lights in the sky such as one in December 2007 from people in Oxford. In that report, the family reported seeing a "single, large, bright, golden light" that disappeared and then five such lights appeared. Another in December 2004 from a Wisconsin Dells person describes a solid red light in the sky that turned strobe light. Voss doesn't believe all the lights in the sky reported are alien spacecraft. "It truly means unidentified objects, not aliens." The lights could be ball lightening, flare drops, a hot air balloon, military exercises or other "common or mundane explanations." One Lake Delton family in April 2001 reported on the Web site seeing a balloon-like object floating in their home and lights outside. The report goes on to say the family was abducted and examined by aliens. The man claims to have an implant from the aliens and having been abducted before as a child. Most reports are just of lights in the sky. Some lights in the sky are verified. Voss said one of the 100 reports in the book is of lights seen by both a private pilot and the pilots in a major airline. The pilots described the lights in different ways and thought it might be a search light, except it seemed to bounce around the plane and moved quickly closer than further away. That light showed up on radar and it wasn't any known aircraft, Voss said. The pilots spotted it southeast of Madison and watched it for some time, before it turned north. It could have continued into the Dells area. Sometimes lights can be verified through checks of flight data and other information, Voss said. "I'm not able to check each one." The reports on the Web site are self-reported and anyone can make a report. Most do not include a full name, but only the location and date. When a UFO supposedly lands than Voss said, it can be checked with scientific equipment such as radiation detectors or physical evidence may be left behind. Voss's book lists the top five Wisconsin UFO hotspots, but the Dells did not make the list. The top five are Long Lake, Elmwood, Belleville, Madison and Milwaukee. The book, which sells for $14.95, is available on the Web site, at Book World, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. _______________________________________________________ May 6, 2008 Published: Tuesday, 6th May, 2008 16:00 UFO Latest By Kevin Paterson Herald reporters have been in contact with the MET office, Prestwick Airport and other agencies in an attempt to discover the origins of these unusual lights. Further exclusive pictures have been obtained from quick thinking eye witnesses, who used their high tech camera phones to capture the strange phenomenon. News of the sightings has also spread across the Atlantic and been discussed on air on an American radio station, and featured on several International websites. FOR THE FULL STORY AND EXCLUSIVE PICTURES, SEE THE FORTHCOMING EDITION OF THE ARDROSSAN AND SALTCOATS HERALD � OUT ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 _______________________________________________________ May 6, 2008 Published: Thursday, 1st May, 2008 09:00 'UFO' SIGHTING IN SALTCOATS By Fiona Simpson TWO Herald readers have been stunned after seeing what they believe to be alien space crafts hovering through the skies of Saltcoats. Alex Gibb, 34, had been sitting in his home on Saughtree Avenue when he spotted the four strange lights at around 9pm. He doesn;t believe in UFO's and so he went outside to investigate and took some shocking footage which can be seen below. Alison Kelly was in Adams Road in Saltcoats at the same time when she saw the unusual sight and she and her family were gobsmacked at the sight. VIEW the VIDEO at YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJZpJQry2sc _______________________________________________________ May 3, 2008 UFO buzz puts NT into flap BEN LANGFORD 03May08 A "UFO flap'' is taking place and Territorians are needed to help scan the skies during a national spotting session tomorrow. The Australian UFO Research Network has about 40 people across the country ready for a co-ordinated effort. Network national director Diane Frola said there had been more than 35 sightings in the past seven weeks. "Certain parts of the world go through what is called a UFO flap ... when there's a multitude of sightings coming from all different areas at the same time,'' she said. "Because it's been active the past seven weeks we decided the more pairs of eyes looking up the better.'' Ms Frola there were only two or three Territorians signed up for tomorrow's 6.30pm start. "There have been sightings of triangle-shaped craft with lights underneath, cylinder-shaped craft, there has been craft that look like a wheel of lights,'' she said. "There have been 30 or 40 dancing lights off SA that took off in different directions.'' A navy sailor contacted the Northern Territory News following Thursday's report of a UFO sighting on Groote Eylandt. Aaron Clement remembered seeing a similar flying object while in the Gulf of Carpentaria as a seaman on HMAS Kanimbla in July 2006. "I read it in the paper ... and I said 'get out' -- I saw exactly the same thing,'' he said. "It was high up in the sky. It was like a ball (then) it went orange and went away. Everyone thought it's a bit strange.'' Thursday's story prompted several more reports of flying objects. One woman said she saw a straight-moving ball of light crossing Darwin Harbour last Saturday night, another woman saw "orange, green and white'' flashing shapes moving around the moon. To register for UFO spotting call 1800772288. _______________________________________________________ May 1, 2008 Miners 'saw UFO' BEN LANGFORD-Austrailia FIVE mine workers are convinced they saw a UFO fly over them on a remote Territory island. Mine maintenance worker Arnold Murray said a bright object whizzed over the Gemco mine site on Groote Eylandt as he and his colleagues started the night shift last Friday. Mr Murray, 32, said the bright light was slightly higher than a plane coming to land -- but it was silent. He and four workmates were at the mine site at 7.15pm when he saw an object flying towards them. "I noticed a star in the sky and it was getting closer,'' he said. "As it approached I realised it was at plane level. "Four other lads walked out of the office and we watched it for a little while. It was vertical from us, there were no flashing lights or noise. "The plant's pretty quiet at night. (It made) no noise whatsoever. "All of a sudden it shot off and left a long orange trail behind it. That orange trail just faded out like a shooting star.'' Mr Murray said they wanted to know what flew over their heads in the night. "It wasn't a chopper, it wasn't a plane, we knew that much, and it definitely wasn't a shooting star.'' "It blew us out of the water.'' Defence spokeswoman Kelly Cooper said the object was not a military plane. "There were no military aircraft flying in that area at that time on that day,'' she said. She said any navy ships letting off flares would have been at least 200 nautical miles off shore. Groote Eylandt, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, is near one of the first and most famous UFO sightings in Australia -- the "light wheel'' reported on January 23, 1964. Sailors on a vessel off the northeast point of the island reported seeing a circle of pulsing lights rotating clockwise, and they said their compass went "haywire''. _______________________________________________________ May 1, 2008 ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Residents near the St. Augustine airport are used to seeing planes flying overhead. Saturday night, the Puckett family said they saw a UFO. The Puckett family claimed they saw two fiery ball-like objects flying across the sky. Other people around the globe reported seeing the lights too. A German man posted video of the fiery globes on YouTube. Skeptics said there is a clear explanation for the fiery lights. A Jacksonville woman said the lights are sky lanterns released at a wedding reception that was nearby. The lanterns can rise nearly 5,000 feet in the air and travel for miles. _______________________________________________________ May 1, 2008 Published April 21, 2008 10:30 pm - About UFO sightings Dear editor: UFO sightings are common in all parts of the country but most go unreported because the local press does not usually report on this activity. In areas where the local press does get involved is in Stephenville, Texas. There is an appearance of a UFO hotspot but in fact this sort of activity is going on in everybody’s back yard. When the local press writesa fair and honest article people begin to find the courage to publicly tell their own UFO stories and more and more stories come out in the public domain and a hotspot of activity seems to be apparent. I have been involved in the UFO/ET field for thirty years investigating and writing about the subject. At one time I was very involved locally in investigating UFO activity and once the word got out through the press I was receiving a couple of sightings a week from a 50-mile radius from where I lived. This is how common and frequent UFO activity is. In fact UFOs are the second most searched word on the Internet other than sex. My activity in the past few years in the UFO/ET field has been on the national and international level but I am back to reporting on activity in our local area. We have just released some good UFO video on Utube from an area near Moultrie . People can access this video, the report on the sightings, and contact me through email at my blog: http://exopolitics.blogspot.com/ Ed Komarek Cairo _______________________________________________________ April 30, 2008 Police Make Headway In Baltimore Co. Mystery (April 28, 2008) PIKESVILLE, Md. (WJZ) ― Officers Vickie Warehime and J. Posluszny Jr. have solved a lot of mysteries, but this one is over their heads--literally. In fact, it may be about 30 to 40 feet in the air. For months, the Baltimore County Community Outreach officers have been investigating a bizarre phenomenon disturbing neighbors in an area of Pikesville near Beth Tfiloh Community School. Now, they say they may be closer to an answer. Derek Valcourt reports 911 callers complain about a deafening explosion and a bright flash of light in the middle of night. "The bedroom actually lights up like day," says Elaine O'Mansky, who lives in the Stevenson Commons condominium building near Beth Tfiloh. "It's instantaneous and wakes us up out of a very deep sleep." She isn't alone. Barbara Friedman is Homeowner's Association president for the area. She was up late one night sweeping her back patio when she heard the boom. "I hit the deck," Friedman explained. "It was so loud, I thought I was being shot. I literally hit the deck." After she realized she hadn't been shot, she started emailing other homeowners to see if they heard it too. "Then my email got flooded because hundreds of people were hearing these noises and thought it was their imagination," she said. The noise was so upsetting, Elaine O'Mansky decided it was time to start keeping track of the phenomenon when it occurred. From late September until now, she's heard it 25 times, always between midnight and 7 a.m. with no consistent pattern. Convinced something was wrong, Friedman and O'Mansky contacted police, who were skeptical at first. "We were a little bit concerned that this was maybe a little bit of an exaggeration," said Sgt. Vickie Warehime. "They were saying they could see (the light) through their window blinds." Police were concerned that if something really was as loud and as bright as neighbors described, it could potentially be dangerous. So they began to investigate. Like many of the neighbors in the area, police first guessed that the noise could be coming from a hunter's rifle. But O'Mansky reminded them of the bright flash of light. So police started investigating whether it was an electrical or gas problem. Experts with BGE began checking all of the power equipment in the area. They climbed on rooftops of the nearby Beth Tfiloh School and nearby condo building to check all of their electrical equipment and air compressors, but found no evidence of problems. There was no electrical charring, burning or malfunctioning equipment. A BGE spokesman confirms their investigation found no electrical problems or gas leaks in the area. Then police decided to take the next step and install two cameras hoping to videotape the boom. Elaine O'Mansky volunteered to wake up every night around midnight to turn on the camera officers had set up in a fifth floor window of her building. "It wasn't until we caught it on tape that we realized the magnitude of what they were actually talking about," said Sgt. Warehime. "The sound is almost deafening. You can't describe it. Seeing it on tape without hearing the sound doesn't do it justice." Videotape taken at 3:34 a.m. on April 23 does show a flash of light that lasts a fraction of a second and lights up an area the size of a football field in the middle of the night. The flash on the tape is accompanied by loud boom that sounds like a crack of electricity or lightning. WJZ meteorologist Bernadette Woods analyzed the dates, times and weather conditions when the phenomenon occurs. "There's nothing coming out of the sky," said Woods, who added that weather likely isn't the primary cause of the flash and boom, but it may be a contributing factor. "The atmospheric conditions could be such that they are supporting the event." Cameras have videotaped the event on two other occasions. Police have used the shadows cast by the light flash to determine an approximate area where they think the light source may be coming from--30 to 40 feet in the air in the parking lot between the Beth Tfiloh Community School and the Stevenson Commons condominiums building. Officer Posluszny has already repositioned two cameras several times hoping to see the source of the boom and flash. "So when we get it again, and we will get it again, we should be able to narrow down where it's starting," said Posluszny. "I will not retire until I find out what this is." Police say they've consulted with many experts and they're running out of options. "Everything we can rule out, we are ruling out, and we're almost at a loss right now," said Warehime. "We need some help." "Whatever it is there's a scientific explanation," said Johns Hopkins University Physicist Dr. Peter Armitage, who reviewed the video tape evidence and went to the neighborhood where it's happening to see if he could find any possible causes. Armitage says more evidence is needed before he can form a scientific conclusion. "Right now it's hard to say the phenomenon is definitely occurring though," said Armitage. "It's not some people with creative imaginations that's for sure. When there's repeated eyewitnesses, and then there's something on tape like this, you really have to pay attention." For now, neighbors like Bonnie Friedman and Elaine O'Mansky say their quality of life depends on whether this mystery is solved. "We would like it to stop," said O'Mansky. "You go to sleep at night just wondering in the back of your mind, 'Is it going to happen again?" Friedman agrees. "We even said maybe it's aliens. We're at the point where we'll listen to anyone's theory. We just need to stop it because my homeowners need to sleep." Police say they will release more information about the case Tuesday afternoon. _______________________________________________________ <http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272620192.shtml> UFO Video: Phoenix Lights a Hoax, Man Claims By Michael Amsterdam Apr 23, 2008 What were those four red lights that floated over north Phoenix? Several witnesses caught the light formation in photos and on video and many are wondering exactly what the four lights were and what was their source? Officials have yet to come forward and make their usual claim that the lights were flares, or swamp gas in the desert, so is this sighting worthy of investigators? One man has now come forward and he says it is a hoax that he created on his own. He claims he tied four road flares to what he calls helium balloons and sent them off into the night sky to create an elaborate hoax that people would believe was a UFO sighting. So who is this man that created the hoax, well he isn't saying. He wants to remain anonymous. A video report of how to make the homemade UFO is here <http://www.azfamily.com/news/homepagetopstory/stories/Phoenix_local_news_042108_new-lights-sightings.895be60f.html> . *** So is the man telling he truth? It sounds plausible enough. But many of the witnesses aren't convinced and Channel 3 out of Phoenix even has a poll that asks if the man did actually do this, should he be charged with a crime. Certainly it was a dangerous stunt in the very dry desert and if one of the flares that the man claims he tied to fishing line had dropped into some brush while still burning it could have easily have started a wildfire. This is a disaster waiting to happen, if the hoax claim is even true, it is fire season and there is plenty of fuel to burn. And now that his story has been broadcast with detailed information on how the says he did it, you can expect copycats all over the Valley. ========================================= What people were saying about seeing the lights ... • Tell the man who created this light show to repeat it so he can have a larger audience and charge admission. This is a money maker! •I am sure they are UFO's & are out there and they are here to lend a hand not to hurt anyone. No matter what our government tells us, they want to be noticed and acknowledged and they are non threating. I say "welcome", do you? After all they are a lot higher evolved than we are. • Perhaps this one was of terrestial origin, how ever that shouldnt discredit millions of sightings world wide over the last 50 years that were infact of extraterrestrial origin, you want your proof, go to disclosureproject.org they have the eyewitness testimony of over 500 military, government and intellegence officials with thier name, rank, serial number, DD-214s(discharge papers) and the documents to prove they were either directly involved in the cover up, or they have had first hand encounters with UFO's themselves. • Too geometric in movement, no visable strobing.. hard to say, i'd say the flare story was a MIB coverup lol • why would an alien ship need outside lights on their ship? if they are here then their technology is greater than ours and i doubt they need outside lights on their craft. I can understand lights that are a by product of their fuel/engine. I wish it were a ufo, but it doesn't seem that there is one involved in this instance. • the man didn't want to be identified??? Why? Sounds like a cover up to me. • This guy claiming he hoaxed it with flares could be a hoax himself. Some guy just trying to get his 15mins of fame or even put up to it to discredit the sighting. Unless he can repeat it he is a liar. Those formations would be very difficult to do by a single man and flares. Make him prove it. _______________________________________________________ April 22, 2008 Hello All! Please spread the following ... this is my internet television station :-) All week, 24/7, we are running historical footage of UFO researchers presentations from the 1985 MUFON Symposium and the 1989 Show Me Conferences sponsored by the UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis. Get the real scoop on UFO's. Go to ,http://www.its-dms.com>, and select the city nearest you for FREE viewing. Thanks! Joseph Palermo _______________________________________________________ April 22, 2008 <http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/strange/news-article.aspx?storyid=107507> Two UFO Sightings in St. Augustine in Two Weeks By Jessica Clark First Coast News ST. AUGUSTINE, FL -- Some strange things have been seen in the skies around St. Augustine... like the orange glowing lights seen near the Castillo de San Marcos this past Saturday. 12-year-old Brandon Puckett says he thinks the video he shot shows UFOs. Puckett said the two fiery balls were flying along the coast in formation. One was slightly in front of the other, but both were going the same speed. Skeptics say the lights in the home video are something called sky lanterns. Others are not convinced. Monday, First Coast News learned that Saturday's sighting is the second UFO report in two weeks in the St. Augustine area. This other sighting was in St. Augustine Beach in the very early morning hours of April 14th. However, that was a different experience. In fact it was down right scary to the people who say they saw it. Bryan Cooper of the St. Augustine Airport took a call from a woman who says she and her husband saw something over the Intra-Coastal Waterway. It was a very large white light. Cooper told First Coast News, "She felt it zoomed at her and charged at her and then stopped fairly close, and then it backed away and hovered a little bit. Then it moved over and came again and pulled back. It scared them so much they went inside." Cooper checked out the airport's radar from April 14th between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and found nothing. "However," Cooper explained, "the radar information I have only responds to airplanes or helicopters that have been assigned a transponder code." Nevertheless, Cooper said he believed the witness was sincere and credible. _______________________________________________________ April 22, 2008 <http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/04/22/20080422abrk-strangelights0422.html> Aviation officials: Source of strange red lights unknown by Claudia Koerner and Erin Kozak - Apr. 22, 2008 10:02 AM The Arizona Republic Civilian and military aviation organizations said Tuesday the source of the strange red lights spotted over Phoenix Monday night remained unknown. An official with the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which monitors the skies for security threats, said Tuesday the organization did not know where the lights came from. Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said that though air traffic controllers at Sky Harbor Airport witnessed the lights, they do not know the cause. Nothing appeared on radar and Gregor said the FAA will not be investigating. “There's nothing to look into,” Gregor said. Several Valley residents reported seeing strange red lights in the sky on Monday night . Arizona Republic reporter Anne Ryman, who lives in Deer Valley, reported seeing four lights in a square shape that eventually became a triangular shape. The lights were moving to the east and they disappeared one by one. She said the lights were visible for about 13 minutes at about 8 p.m.. One north Phoenix resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he saw four or five red lights lined up in a straight line and spaced apart evenly. The lights slowly moved east and became dimmer as the witness watched. He said the last light remained in the sky the longest. Then three jets came from the west and traveled in the direction of the red lights. An official from Luke Air Force Base stated that they did not have any aircraft in the sky Monday night and that the lights were not part of any Air Force activities. The Deer Valley airport officials said that the lights were not from any aircraft at that airport. Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said that air traffic controllers at Sky Harbor Airport also witnessed the lights, but they do not know the cause. The incident is similar to the "Phoenix Lights" seen on March 13, 1997. Thousands of residents reported seeing a mile-wide, v-shaped formation of lights over the Valley. In that case the lights appeared about 7:30 p.m. and lasted until 10:30 p.m. _______________________________________________________ April 22, 2008 Strange lights reported in (Phoenix, Arizona) north Valley sky- April 21, 2008 (NBC Affiliate) 12 News/The Arizona Republic - Apr. 21, 2008 09:33 PM Several Valley residents reported seeing strange red lights in the sky on Monday night. One north Phoenix resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he saw four or five red lights lined up in a straight line and spaced apart evenly. The lights slowly moved east and became dimmer as the witness watched. He said the last light remained in the sky the longest. Then three jets came from the west and traveled in the direction of the red lights. An Arizona Republic reporter who lives in Deer Valley reported seeing four lights in a square shape that eventually became a triangular shape. The lights were moving to the east and they disappeared one by one. She said the lights were visible for about 13 minutes. An official from Luke Air Force Base stated that they do not have any aircraft in the sky tonight and that the lights are not part of any Air Force activities. Several Valley residents reported seeing strange red lights in the sky on Monday night. One north Phoenix resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he saw four or five red lights lined up in a straight line and spaced apart evenly. The lights slowly moved east and became dimmer as the witness watched. He said the last light remained in the sky the longest. Then three jets came from the west and traveled in the direction of the red lights. An Arizona Republic reporter who lives in Deer Valley reported seeing four lights in a square shape that eventually became a triangular shape. The lights were moving to the east and they disappeared one by one. She said the lights were visible for about 13 minutes. An official from Luke Air Force Base stated that they do not have any aircraft in the sky tonight and that the lights are not part of any Air Force activities. _______________________________________________________ April 22, 2008 We found out from Indiana MUFON sources that WWKI Kokomo, Country FM station had possession of some spectacular photos that were taken during the April 16th "Boom". The photos don't show F-16s, that's for sure. You can find the photos at : < http://www.wwki.com/Article.asp?id=661887&spid=21432> BE SURE TO TAKE THEIR POLL after viewing the photos. Also, George Filer, of Filer Files, has some incredible accounts from eyewitnesses. One eyewitness corroborated that picture #4 in WWKI's photos was the same as what she saw. Those can be viewed at: <http://rocketarena4.com/?p=247> . We are posting links to these pages on our front and links pages to be certain they are not missed. They are absolutely worth examining! _______________________________________________________ April 21, 2008: Deb will be doing an interview for Culture of Contact this Wednesday (April 23rd). The interview will be available on PodCast by Friday at noon. Culture of Contact: <http://blog.valiens.com/> Also check Deb's LINK page for the link to the web blog. _______________________________________________________ Paranormal Newsletter From Bill Knell, 4/19/08: UFO Alert: Explosions, Strange Lights, Debris and Jets over Northern Indiana By Bill Knell It began on Tuesday night, April 15, 2008, when a number of people living in the Indiana towns of Kokomo and Logansport reported seeing strange lights in their skies, hearing what sounded like a huge explosion and seeing a giant fireball. The lights returned late Wednesday night and were accompanied by the sounds of more loud explosions, the presence of military jets and evidence of debris falling from the sky. Most of the Wednesday night reports came from Howard and Tipton Counties and sent police and firefighters scr