The enigma of close encounters: could aliens be ambassadors lacking credentials?

Debates and discussions about the long-ago events in Roswell are frequent. While this is acceptable, it’s conceivable that there may be one or two comparable incidents.

On August 9, 1762, in Lausanne, Switzerland, an observer named de Rostand, using a telescope to view the Sun, noted its unusually dim and pale light. He observed that nearly a quarter of the Sun’s eastern edge was obscured by a nebula encircling a dark object.

This spindle-shaped object traversed the Sun’s disk at less than half the speed of typical sunspots and vanished on September 7, 1762.

Furthermore, on the night of August 10-11, 1996, a low-flying UFO was reportedly captured on video over a field near Oliver’s Castle in England, followed by the appearance of a new crop circle (“pictorial writings” or “crop circles”). Despite some ufologists dismissing the tape as a hoax, the theory that an extraterrestrial intelligence is behind these patterns continues to attract followers.

On August 25 and 30, 1951, the newspaper “Centaur Crossing” reported that in Lubbock, Texas, hundreds of people, including astronomical observers, witnessed lights flying in a consistent cuneiform formation. An amateur photographer captured images of this event. Subsequently, an official explanation was provided: the photographs depicted reflections of city lights on the undersides of birds flying in formation.

On September 27, 1881, an unidentified object traversed the lunar disk. Based on simultaneous observations of this event by E.W. Day in the United States and Markwick in South Africa, its distance was estimated to be between 300-400 thousand kilometers.

On September 12, 1951, a teletype at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base relayed a sensational message: personnel at a radar center in New Jersey detected four unusual objects, one of which was flying at an altitude of 28 kilometers, a height unreachable by aircraft of that era.

Here is an intriguing story as reported by the newspaper “Centaur’s Crossroads,” issue number 13, from the year 1997:

“On September 5, 1978, at 8 o’clock local time in the delta of the Volga River (Akhtuba), an object with a dim silvery glow and a round shape appeared in the sky. It was positioned at an angle of about 80 degrees to the horizon and had an apparent diameter slightly larger than that of the Moon.

The object moved swifter than the clouds and was distinctly visible. As it distanced itself from the cloud by about its own diameter, an identical second object followed, caught up, and merged with it.

Subsequently, the merged entity continued its trajectory, covering a distance equal to its diameter before vanishing as if it had been “switched off”. Both objects were circular with well-defined edges. There were no accompanying sounds or other phenomena.”

Ultraviolet radiation was repeatedly recorded in ancient China

For instance, the Chinese scholar Shen Kuo, who lived in the 11th century AD, described in his work “Dream Pool Essays” the sudden emergence of a “radiant pearl of the Gods” in the sky near Yan-Zhou city:

“We observed it above the Shin-Kai reservoir, where it remained stationary, glistening in the sunlight. Once, it appeared very close to the city walls: it unfolded, emitting a golden light as if a broad golden beam had touched the ground…

Before long, another pearl, small enough to fit in one’s hand, materialized beside us. It expanded greatly, and its intense brightness made it impossible to look at. It moved sideways, casting light over all the dwellings and trees within a ten li (5 km) radius. Then, just as suddenly, it vanished, and darkness ensued.”

An intriguing case is presented in an article about UFOs from the Interesting Newspaper, D, No 10, 1997.

The author posits that the most intriguing observation of the 19th century occurred in November 1882, witnessed by English astronomers N. Maunder and J. Nylon.

Late in the evening, from the Greenwich Observatory, they witnessed the aurora and unexpectedly, in the northeast, they spotted a glowing olive-colored disk. It was drifting slowly at an altitude of approximately one hundred and fifty to two hundred kilometers above the Earth.

As it approached, the body morphed, elongating into a slender ellipse. Within two minutes, the object had vanished from view. Upon analyzing the observational data, scientists determined that the object was traveling at an altitude of at least two hundred kilometers, with a velocity of 16 km/h.

The object’s dimensions were astonishing: approximately 110 kilometers in length and 15 kilometers in width. Despite its immense size, its true nature remained undetermined.

During the nights of July 4-5 and July 17-18, 1990, a UFO was sighted over Yalta. It appeared around 10-11 p.m. and remained visible until 3:20 a.m., bearing the resemblance of a classic “flying saucer” with rays emanating from it.

Between these two sightings, another phenomenon occurred over the same location. On July 13, 1990, at 7:30 p.m. and again on July 18 at 7:40 p.m., a bright silver-colored UFO appeared, this time shaped like a cigar.

Moreover, in July 1990, what local ufologists referred to as the “main base” UFO made its appearance. “Stars” detached from this main object, which traversed the area, hovered over power lines and television antennas, and then rejoined the “main base.” Concurrently, significant disruptions were reported in television broadcasts, and unusual animal behavior was observed.

On September 11, 1967, astronomers observed an object in the Mare Tranquilitatis on the Moon that appeared as a dark rectangle with purple edges. It traversed from west to east for approximately 8-9 seconds. The object became invisible near the terminator line, and 13 minutes later, close to the Sabine crater and within the sunspot’s trajectory, a very bright light flashed momentarily.

Twenty days later, in the Sea of Tranquility, Harris observed a luminous object moving at a speed of 80 km/h.

The examples provided above are deliberately unsystematic and unconnected, reflecting the manner in which UFO information typically reaches ufologists. The volume of such information is vast. On average, semi-professional ufologists encounter two to three thousand cases before reaching a point of saturation, and sometimes even more. This figure encompasses both genuine incidents and deliberate or accidental misinformation efforts targeting ufological researchers.

Hence, the guiding principle for ufologists (and eniologists alike) is to remain open to all possibilities, yet withhold belief.

Without serious and, where feasible, exhaustive analysis of the facts, it is indeed impossible to conduct a “comprehensive” examination of any UFO sighting incident – such an endeavor is purely utopian.

No matter the effort and time invested, the number of questions only seems to grow. Even if it were possible to gather all conceivable scientific equipment at the site of a “saucer” sighting in advance, would that suffice?

Debates frequently emerge from the analysis of such observations, where subjective factors intertwine with objective ones. These are influenced by the individual’s internal, subconscious stance on the issue of UV radiation, as held by various eniologists or ufologists.

This stance, in turn, is shaped by numerous factors, among which intuition is not insignificant.

Let’s delve further into the facts and occurrences in Mexico:

“…In Mexico, the phenomenon of remarkable strength and intensity has persisted for six years. In 1996, researchers obtained five thousand video recordings of UFO flybys, with approximately two thousand being of high quality…”

It is noteworthy that the frequency of mass sightings of these objects has risen in recent years. Additionally, the witnesses have included numerous aviators, police officers, and military personnel. There has also been physical evidence presented of “UFO landings.”

In this context, it would be intriguing to learn how UFO debunkers will approach the situation this time. What “atmospheric effects” will they propose to explain the events described below?

Shortly after the solar eclipse on July 11, 1991, Mexico was swept up in what the leading Mexican UFO researcher Jaime Moussan termed a “ufological fever.” Local media were inundated with calls and letters from unsuspecting witnesses to these ‘visits,’ and the government, overwhelmed by the events, has made no attempt to contradict the whistleblowers.

Mexican ufologists have observed a peculiar phenomenon: the absence of panic or religious fanaticism in response to UFO sightings. The general populace regards these uncredentialed ‘ambassadors’ with a blend of excitement, wonder, and reverence.

During military parades in 1991, there were sightings of UFOs ‘swooping’ down on crowds and television crews.

At a particular celebration, UFOs were recorded escorting a group of military helicopters. The footage shows jet fighters abandoning their ceremonial formation to pursue the unidentified objects, which ultimately led to no tangible outcome.

Air traffic controllers at airports in Mexico City and other urban centers report that UFOs frequently approach the runways. Video recordings show “saucers” hovering perilously close to aircraft as they descend. The situation is becoming critically dangerous, as these “visitors” disrupt the aircraft’s onboard electronics, occurring 2-3 times weekly.

It is impossible to detail the full spectrum of facts regarding this extraordinary “flap” here. Additionally, we would refrain from doing so, as most are particularly fascinating for comparative analysis.

It should be noted that, as mentioned, the “saucers” appear remarkably indifferent to equipment and military installations. This observation is not exclusive to Mexico.

The statement, “You can be assured that anyone who witnesses such an event will never forget it as long as they live,” was included in a UFO report from June 1955.

According to the DPA agency, an incident occurred on May 13, 1977. The crew of a British Airlines aircraft, led by Captain Denis Wood, a pilot with twenty years of experience, reported encountering two cigar-shaped objects (UFOs) during a flight from London to Faro (Southern Portugal), and made official records of the event.

Following a request from Lisbon airport air traffic control to observe an unidentified object, Captain Wood and two other pilots witnessed a formation of round, white lights west of their aircraft.

Subsequently, they observed two large cigar-shaped entities near the formation.

Captain Wood later stated to the Associated Press, “These objects were large and resembled airplanes. We can state with certainty that they were not balloons, satellites, unusual cloud formations, or atmospheric light phenomena.”

On October 4, 1966, light phenomena were recorded in the sky above the Austrian town of Ernstbrunn, which were not visible to the naked eye. However, a NASA image captured on the infrared film “Kodak-1-N” clearly shows six diamond-shaped UV rays. It’s evident that they made no announcement of their presence!

Over recent decades, more than 100,000 observations of mysterious phenomena have been reported worldwide!

The challenge lies not only in the investigation but also in the “simple” classification based on certain characteristics.

The term “contact of the third kind” refers to encounters involving not just UFOs, but also “extraterrestrial beings” that appear human-like. In essence, we are discussing various forms of “contacts” between UFO occupants (“saucers”) and humans, which are numerous.

Individuals who have participated in such “encounters” are known as “contactees.”

This appears to be the pinnacle of intrigue and excitement, rendering all previous discussions mere trivialities of life. The “contactees” are here, and they have stories to share.

However, after reviewing numerous reports on “third kind” “contactees,” we’re consistently been left with an odd, subconscious feeling. It’s akin to the letdown of an audience member who anticipates a performance by renowned artists, only to encounter ordinary apprentices from a lackluster, provincial company.

Perhaps our luck is lacking in this aspect. Or it could be a gut feeling of letdown, stemming from the realization that the stories of the “contactees” are merely mediocre?

The narratives provided by “saucer makers” to the “contactees” would likely not stir much excitement among science fiction enthusiasts if transcribed onto the pages of the genre’s literature.

It was at this juncture that some of us came to believe that the “contactees” are, at best, being fed a contrived scenario of “contact” that bears no resemblance to the actual situation.

Please don’t misunderstand us; we do acknowledge this possibility. The only concern is that many people may not be able to accurately report what they have actually seen.

Often, individuals can only express the beliefs with which they have been indoctrinated. However, the truth usually lies somewhere beyond these imposed perspectives.