Phantoms and Monsters

The Father Gill / New Guinea UFO Encounters
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The Father Gill / New Guinea UFO Encounters

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 09:23 PM PST


Artist's impression of the encounter by Australian missionary Father Gill and several of his native parishioners. (credit: Brookesmith)

Summary: William B. Gill, an Anglican priest with a mission in Bosinai, Papas New Guinea, observed craft-like UFOs (one with humanoid figures on top) on two consecutive evenings, June 26-27, 1959. About twenty-five natives, including teachers and medical technicians, also observed the phenomena. They "signaled" the humanoids and received an apparent response. This was one of sixty UFO sightings within a few weeks in the New Guinea area.

Incident: According to J. Allen Hynek, during the years 1958 - 1959 there were over 60 UFO sightings reported in the Papua New Guinea area, with many of these sightings occurring in the area of Mount Pudi, near the mission station at Boianai. New Guinea was part of Australia until 1975, and the Australian Anglican Church sent many missionaries to the people of that island nation. One of these was Father William Booth Gill, who began the year 1959 as a skeptic.

That was soon to change. On April 5, 1959, Father Gill saw a light on uninhabited Mount Pudi that moved faster than any human could move, and then on June 21, Stephen Moi Gill, Father Gill's assistant, saw what he described as an "inverted saucer" in the sky above the mission.

Of these first sightings, Father Gill wrote to a friend:

"I do not doubt the existence of these 'things' (indeed I cannot, now that I have seen one for myself) but my simple mind still requires scientific evidence before I can accept the from- outer-space theory. I am inclined to believe that probably many UFOs are more likely some form of electric phenomena--or perhaps something brought about by the atom bomb explosions, etc. That Stephen should actually make out a saucer could be the work of the unconscious mind as it is very likely that at some time he has seen illustrations of some kind in a magazine, or it is very possible that saucers do exist, but it is only a 50/50 chance that they are not earth made, still less that they should carry men (more likely radio controlled), and it is still unproven that they are solids. "

"It is all too difficult to understand for me; I prefer to wait for some bright boy to catch one to be exhibited in Martin Square."

This sketch by witness Father Gill shows the craft and occupants as they appeared from the position of observation. One to four "men" were clearly seen.

These sightings were only a prelude, however, to the events of June 26 through June 28.

At about 6:45 on June 26, Father Gill saw a bright white light to the northwest. As thirty-eight people at the mission watched, a four-legged disc-shaped object that was approximately the size of five full moons lined up end to end hovered over the mission. On top of the object they saw four human-like figures that appeared to be performing some sort of task. At times one or more of the figures would vanish from sight, only to reappear a few minutes later. At regular intervals a beam of blue light shone upwards from the center of the craft. The object was visible until about 7:30, when it ascended into the clouds and vanished. At about 8:30, several smaller objects appeared in the sky, and at 8:50, the first object returned. The four-hour sighting lasted until 10:50, when clouds moved in and blocked the view.

Father Gill prepared a written report of the sighting, and twenty-five witnesses signed it.

The next day, the large object with "people" on board and two of the smaller objects, returned at about 6:00 p.m. Father Gill described it thus:
"On the large one two of the figures seemed to be doing something near the center of the deck. They were occasionally bending over and raising their arms as though adjusting or 'setting up' something. One figure seemed to be standing, looking down at us."

Father Gill raised his arm and waved to the figure.

"To our surprise the figure did the same. Ananias waved both arms over his head; then the two outside figures did the same. Ananias and self began waving our arms, and all four seemed to wave back. There seemed no doubt that our movements were answered.... "

There was more waving, and signaling with torches, with responses from the UFO. At 6:30, Father Gill went in to dinner, but at 7:00, the object was still there, only smaller, as if it had moved farther away. When Father Gill checked again, after church at 7:45, the sky was cloudy, and they were gone.

The next evening, the UFOs made their final appearance. Father Gill counted eight of them at 6:45 p.m. Oddly, at 11:20, the quiet night was shattered by a loud bang on the roof. Father Gill went outside to check, and saw four UFOs in a sort of circle around the building, but at a very great height. They were still there when he returned to bed. When the roof was checked the next morning, June 29, no evidence of an impact was found.

The Boianai sightings was "analyzed" by astronomer and noted debunker Dr. Donald H. Menzel, who "explained" the sightings as being the plant Venus viewed myopically by Father Gill. Venus, he said, was very conspicuous in the west setting about three hours after the sun. He wrote:

I think it significant that, despite the brilliance of Venus, none of the sightings by Father Gill and the mission group refers to that planet.

Menzel based his conclusions on several purely speculative assumptions: that Father Gill was near-sighted and without glasses at the time, that he "probably" had a degree of astigmatism also (causing him to see a distorted image of Venus), plus blood cells on the retina of his eye producing an illusion of motion. Menzel seems to have believed that the Papuans were ignorant natives who worshipped Father Gill and merely went along with everything he said. (That's an easy way to dispose of 24 signed witnesses...)

Fred Beckman, a colleague of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, who actually went to Papua and traveled with Father Gill to Boainai, notes in rebuttal that Father Gill was wearing properly corrected glasses at the time and that Venus was pointed out separately by Gill.

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An approximate chronology of the complex series of sightings follows (based on Father Gill's log of events and a summary report by his colleague, the Reverend Norman Cruttwell):

June 26--6:45 P.M. Large sparkling light seen by Father Gill in western sky. Called natives who also saw it.

6:55--7:04 P.M. Up to four illuminated humanoid figures seen on top of object off and on.

7:10--7:20 P.M. Sky now overcast at about 2,000 feet. Humanoid figures seen again, and a "thin electric blue spotlight" upward from the UFO, hovering below the overcast. UFO disappears in clouds.

8 :28--8:35 P.M. Skies clear again; UFO visible, appearing to descend and increase in size. Second object seen over sea, "hovering at times," and another over village.

8:50--9:30 P.M. Clouds forming again. Large UFO stationary, others (about three) like disks coming and going through clouds, casting a light halo on the clouds. Large UFO moves away rapidly across sea toward Giwa.

9:46--10:30 P.M. UFO reappears overhead. Hovering.

10:50--P.M. Heavy overcast; no sign of UFO.

11:04 P.M. Heavy rain.

June 27--6-7 P.M. Large UFO seen again. First sighted by medical technician at hospital, before dark. Closest sighting yet: seen clearly, bright and sparkling. Humanoid figures seen on top. Father Gill and about twelve others in group waved at humanoids and one of figures appeared to wave back. One member of the group waved both arms, and figures apparently responded by waving both arms. Two smaller objects remained visible, stationary at a higher altitude.

7:45 P.M. Sky overcast; no UFOs visible.

On the first night, Father Gill stepped out the front door of the mission house after dinner, about 6:45 P.M., and glanced at the western sky looking for Venus, which was conspicuous at the time. "I saw Venus," he said. "but I also saw this sparkling object, which to me was peculiar because it sparkled and because it was very, very bright. and it was above Venus and so that caused me to watch it for a while, then I saw it descend towards us.''

Father Gill estimated the object's angular diameter as about five inches at arm's Length. Stephen Gill Moi. a teacher, who joined Father GilI a few minutes latter, said that if he put his hand out closed, it would cover about half of the object.

In a signed statement, the witnesses agreed that the object was circular, had a wide base and a narrower upper "deck," had something like legs beneath it, at times produced a shaft of blue light which shone upward into the sky at an angle of about 45 degrees, an that four humanoid figures appeared on top. Some of the witnesses described seeing about four portholes or windows on the side. Father Gill saw what appeared to be bright panels on the side but did not interpret them as portholes.

"As we watched it," Father Gill said, "men came out from this object and appeared on top of it, on what seemed to be a deck on top of the huge disk. There were four men in all, occasionally two, then one, then three, then four; we noted the various times the men appeared . . . .

"Another peculiar thing was this shaft of blue light. which emanated from what appeared to be the center of the deck. The men appeared to be illuminated not only by this light reflected on them, but also by a sort of glow which completely surrounded them as well as the craft. The glow did not touch them, but there appeared to be a little space between their outline and the light.. . . ''

Father Gill described the movements of the objects, especially the smaller disks, as very erratic. They sometimes moved rapidly, sometimes slowly, approaching and receding, changing direction, and at times swinging back and forth like a pendulum. One object moved away and appeared to descend toward Wadobuna village, and everyone thought it was going to land. The Papuana ran down on the beach, but the object swooped up and away over the mountains, turning red as it disappeared.

When the large object disappeared at 9:30 P.M., Father Gill said it made a slight wavering motion, then suddenly shot away at tremendous speed, changing color to red and blue-green, and disappeared across the bay, vanishing. No sound was heard throughout.

The next evening, about 6 P.M., the same or a similar object reappeared while the sky was still bright, first seen by Annie Laura Borews, a Papuan medical assistant at the hospital. She called Father Gill, who in turn called Ananias and several other to watch. "We watched figures appear on top.'' Father Gill said. "Four of them. There is no doubt that they were human. This is possibly the same object that I took to be the 'mother ship' last night. Two smaller UFOs were seen at the same time, stationary, one above the hills, west, and another overhead."

Two of the figures seemed to be doing something, occasionally bending over and raising their arm as if "adjusting or setting up something [not visible]. One figure seemed to be standing, looking down on us (a group of about a dozen).'' This figure, he explained later, was standing with his hands on the "rail" looking over, "just as one will look over the rails of a ship."

"I stretched my arm above my head and waved. To our surprise the figure did the same. Ananias waved both arms over his head, then the two outside figures did the same. Ananias and self began waving our arms and all four seemed to wave back. There seemed to be no doubt that our movements wee answered. All the Mission boys made audible gasps (of either joy or surprise, perhaps both)."

As darkness began to settle in, Father Gill sent one of the natives for a flashlight and directed a series of signals (''long dashes") toward the UFO. After a minute or two, the UFO wavered back and forth like a pendulum, in apparent acknowledgment. They waved and flashed signals again, and the UFO appeared to Descend toward them, but stopped and came no closer. After two or three more minutes, the figures disappeared. Then, at 6:45 P.M., two figures resumed their activity, and the blue spotlight came on for a few seconds twice in succession. By 7:45 P.M. the sky was totally overcast and no UFOs were visible. Thus ended the sightings.

In his evaluation of the incidents, Dr. Donald H. MENZEL, a Harvard University astronomer who wrote three UFO debunking books, refers to the natives as 'uneducated" and to Father Grill as being their "great leader,'' to them "a holy man'' (implying that they were influenced in their testimony). He attributed the sightings to the plant Venus viewed myopically by Father Gill. Venus, he noted, was very conspicuous in the west setting about three hours after the sun. "I think it significant that, despite the brilliance of Venus, none of the sightings by Father Gill and the mission group refers to that planet."

Menzel then openly assumed that Father Gill was myopic and without glasses at the time, that he ''probably" had appreciable astigmatism as well (causing him to see a distorted image of Venus), plus blood cells on the retina producing illusory motion. He concluded. "Since a very simple hypothesis accounts, without any strain, for the reported observations. I shall henceforth consider the Father Gill case as solved. Moreover, 1 feel the same phenomena are responsible for some of the more spectacular unsolved cases in the Air Force files." (See HYNEK, J. A., The UFO experience, 1972.)

Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the former Air Force UFO consultant, notes in rebuttal that Father Gill was wearing properly corrected glasses at the time and that "Venus was pointed out separately by Gill."

Although any prolonged series of UFO sightings with excited witnesses may be "contaminated'' by coincidental sightings of aircraft, meteors, or stars and planets glimpsed through moving cloud, the report of a large structured object (with humanoid figures) below a low overcast is not easily explainable. - Richard Hall - www.nicap.dabsol.co.uk

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The Boianai Visitants of 1959

In 1959 Papua New Guinea was still a territory of Australia. June of that year saw the spectacular sightings by Father William Gill, an Australian Anglican missionary, and 37 members of his Boianai mission. Gill made notes about the experience, which the media obtained. Stories appeared in August, causing a sensation. I have had two extended interviews with Reverend Gill and was impressed with his quiet and certain manner in relating the events. What follows comes from his own account of the affair.

Only the day before the sighting, Gill had composed a letter to the Reverend David Durie, Acting Principal of Saint Aidan's College at Dogura, to accompany a report regarding a UFO sight- ing made by Stephen Moi, an assistant teacher at Gill's mission.

'Dear David, Have a look at this extraordinary data. I am almost convinced about the "visitation" theory. There have been quite a number of reports over the months, from reliable witnesses. The peculiar thing about these most recent reports is that the UFOs seem to be stationary at Boianai or to travel from Boianai. The Mount Pudi vicinity seems to be the hovering area. I myself saw a stationary white light twice on the same night on 9 April, but in a different place each time.

I believe your students have also sighted one over Boianai. The Assistant District Officer, Bob Smith and Mr Glover have all seen it, or similar ones on different occasions again, over Boianai, although I think the Baniara people said they watched it travel across the sky from our direction. I should think that this is the first time that the "saucer" has been identified as such.

'I do not doubt the existence of these "things" (indeed I cannot, now that I have seen one for myself) but my simple mind still requires scientific evidence before I can accept the from outer space theory. I am inclined to believe that probably many UFOs are more likely some form of electric phenomena, or perhaps something brought about by the atom bomb explosions, etc.

That Stephen should actually make out a saucer could be the work of the unconscious mind as it is very likely that at some time he has seen illustrations of some kind in a magazine, or it is very possible that saucers do exist, but it is only a 50/50 chance that they are not earth made, still less that they should carry men (more likely radio controlled), and it is still unproven that they are solids.

'It is all too difficult to understand for me; I prefer to wait for some bright boy to catch one to be exhibited in Martin Square. 'Please return this report as I have no copy and I want Nor, (Rev. Norman Crutwell) to have it. Yours, Doubting William Anglican Mission, Boianai. 27/6/59'

The events of the next day converted the Doubting William, as the next letter graphically indicates.

'Dear David,
Life is strange, isn't it? Yesterday I wrote you a letter, (which I still intend sending you) expressing opinions re: The UFOs. Now, less than twenty-four hours later I have changed my views somewhat. Last night we at Boianai experienced about four hours of UFO activity, and there is no doubt whatsoever that they are handled by beings of some kind. At times it was absolutely breathtaking. Here is the report. Please pass it round, but great care must be taken as I have no other, and this, like the one I made out re: Stephen, will be sent to Nor. I would appreciate it if you could send the lot back as soon as poss.

Cheers,
Convinced Bill'

As indicated by his notes, Gill saw a bright white light in the north western sky. It appeared to be approaching the mission and hovering about 100 metres up. Eventually 38 people, including Gill, teachers Steven Gill Moi and Ananias Rarata, and Mrs Nessle Moi, gathered to watch the main UFO, which looked like a large, disc-shaped object. It was apparently solid and circular with a wide base and narrower upper deck. The object appeared to have four 'legs' underneath it. There also appeared to be about four 'panels' or 'portholes' on the side of the object, which seemed to glow a little brighter than the rest. At a number of intervals the object produced a shaft of blue light which shone upwards into the sky at an angle of about 45 degrees.

What looked like 'men' came out of the object, onto what seemed to be a deck on top of it. There were four men in all, occasionally two, then one, then three, then four. The shaft of blue light and the 'men' disappeared. The object then moved through some clouds. There were other UFO sightings during the night. Gill described the weather as variable sky scattered clouds to clear at first, becoming overcast after. He estimated the height of the clouds at about 600 meters. The first sighting over the sea, according to Rev. Gill, seemed to be about 150 metres above the water all times. The main UFO was clearly visible and seemed mostly stationary during the twenty-five minutes of observation.

Astonishingly, the aerial visitor put in a repeat performance the following night, 27 June. Gill prepared another statement.

'Large UFO first sighted by Annie Laurie at 6 p.m. in apparently same position as last night (26/6/59) only seemed a little smaller, when W.B.G. saw it at 6.02 p.m. I called Ananias and several others and we stood in the open to watch it. Although the sun had set it was still quite light for the following fifteen minutes. We watched figures appear on top four of them, no doubt that they are human. Possibly the same object that I took to be the "Mother" ship last night. Two smaller UFOs were seen at the same time, stationary.

One above the hills west, another over- head. On the large one two of the figures seemed to be doing something near the centre of the deck, were occasionally bending over and raising their arms as though adjusting or "setting up" something (not visible). One figure seemed to be standing looking down at us (a group of about a dozen). I stretched my arm above my head and waved. To our surprise the figure did the same. Ananias waved both arms over his head then the two outside figures did the same. Ananias and self began waving our arms and all four now seemed to wave back. There seemed to be no doubt that our movements were answered. All mission boys made audible gasps (of either joy or surprise, perhaps both).

'As dark was beginning to close in, I sent Eric Kodawara for a torch and directed a series of long dashes towards the UFO. After a minute or two of this, the UFO apparently acknowledged by making several wavering motions back and forth. Waving by us was repeated and this followed by more flashes of torch, then the UFO began slowly to become bigger, apparently coming in our direction. It ceased after perhaps half a minute and came no further. After a further two or three minutes the figures apparently lost interest in us for they disappeared "below" deck. At 6.25 p.m. two figures re-appeared to carry on with whatever they were doing before the interruption. The blue spotlight came on for a few seconds twice in succession.'

Gill has described how he and the mission people called out to the men, even shouting at them, and beckoned them to de- scend, but there was no response beyond what has already been noted. Two smaller UFOs higher up remained stationary. By 6.30 p.m. the scene had remained largely unchanged, and Gill records that he went to dinner. Subsequently critics were to question this, why would someone walk away from such an extraordinary sight? 'I'm always asked this question,' Gill has said, 'either in puzzlement or with a sneer.

Having had about four hours of this sight on Friday night, we were not nearly so interested when it returned on Saturday night, especially after we were unable to persuade it to land. You must also keep in mind that there was nothing eerie or other worldly about any of this. It was all so ordinary, as ordinary as a Ford car. It looked a perfectly normal sort of object, an earth made object. I realised, of course, that some people might think of this as a flying saucer but I took it to be some kind of hovercraft the Americans or even the Australians had built.

The figures inside looked perfectly human. In fact, I thought they were human, that if we got them to land we would find the pilots to be ordinary earthmen in military uniforms and we would have dinner with them.

At 7.00 p.m. the 'No. 1 UFO' was still present, although it appeared somewhat smaller. The group of observers went to church for evensong. After evensong, visibility was very limited with the sky covered in cloud. Nothing else was seen that evening. At 10.40 p.m., a very penetrating, 'ear splitting' explosion woke up people on the station. It sounded like it had come from just outside the window of the mission house. Gill felt it did not sound like a thunderclap. Nothing had been seen, but the whole sky was overcast. Other less compelling activity occurred the following night. Then it seemed the Boianai visitants had gone. But the controversy had just begun.

Reverend Gill was at the time of his sightings already scheduled to return to Australia. This presented civilian groups with an excellent opportunity to assess the credibility of the reports.

All investigators found Gill to be very impressive. This led one of the leading civilian groups, the Victorian Flying Saucer Research Society, to view the Gill reports as constituting the most remarkable testimony of intensive UFO activity ever reported to civilian investigators. They were unique because for the first time credible witnesses had reported the presence of humanoid beings associated with UFOs. The major civilian groups of the day, in a spirit of new found cooperation inspired by the significance of the Boianai observations, distributed copies of Gill's sighting report to all members of the House of Representatives of Australia's federal parliament.

A letter accompanied the report, signed by the presidents of the participating civilian UFO groups, urging members of parliament to press the Minister for Air for a statement about the attitude Air Force Intelligence had to the New Guinea reports.

On 24 November 1959 in federal parliament E.D. Cash, a Liberal member from Western Australia, asked the Minister for Air, F.M. Osborne, whether his department (specifically Air Force Intelligence) had investigated the reports. The minister's reply did not address this question, but instead focused on the general situation, indicating that most sightings of UFOs were explained and 'that only a very small percentage, something like 3 per cent of reported sightings of flying objects cannot be explained'. A representative of one UFO group was advised by the Directorate of Air Force Intelligence that the Department was awaiting 'depth of evidence' on the New Guinea sightings.

However, the department had not even interviewed Gill. Finally the Minister for Defence requested a report and the RAAF interviewed Gill on 29 December 1959, some six months after the sighting. Gill's recollection of the visit is that the two officers from Canberra talked about stars and planets and then left. He heard no more from them.

As one might expect, Gill's account was dismissed by the RAAF despite its extraordinary nature and the number of witnesses. The senior interviewing officer, Squadron Leader F.A. Lang, concluded:

'Although the Reverend Gill could be regarded as a reliable observer, it is felt that the June/July incidents could have been nothing more than natural phenomena coloured by past events and subconscious influences of UFO enthusiasts. During the period of the report the weather was cloudy and unsettled with light thunder storm. Although it is not possible to draw firm conelusions, an analysis of rough bearings and angles above the horizon does suggest that at least some of the lights observed were the planets Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.

Light refraction, the changing position of the planet relative to the observer and cloud movement would give the impression of size and rapid movement. In addition varying cloud densities could account for the human shapes and their sudden appearance and disappearance'.

My own close analysis of the reports suggests that the RAAF 'explanation' of either known planets seen through fast moving cloud, or natural phenomena' does not bear up.

Over the years there have been a number of 'explanations' put forward to account for the Boianai sightings, including astronomical misidentification, hoax, cargo cult effects, and that Gill had myopia and astigmatism. (In fact at the time he was wearing correctly prescribed glasses). None of these satisfactorily address the evidence. Dr Alien Hynek, and staff at his Center for UFO Studies, went to great lengths to investigate and research the affair.

Hynek and Alien Hendry, the the centre's chief investigator, concluded the 'lesser UFOs' seen by Gill were at- tributable to bright stars and planets, but not the primary object. Its size and absence of movement over three hours ruled out an astronomical explanation. My own discussions with Gill led me to the same conclusion.

Most recently there was an attempt at explaining the whole affair away by suggesting that Gill and the other witnesses were confused by a false horizon, and that all they had been watching was a brightly lit squidboat and crew too busy to do more than just wave at the people on shore. This idea is not tenable when one realises that Gill was certain that the object he saw was at a 30 degree elevation in the sky. A more radical attempt to dispose of the Gill case came from UFO sceptic Daniel Cohen in his book Myths of the Space Age.

The Boianai visitations are enshrined in a classic piece of Australian fiction. Novelist Randolph Stow's 1979 book "Visitants", which has the Boianai visitations as a backdrop to a striking story of confrontation and disintegration, emerged from Stow's experience as a cadet patrol officer in Papua-New Guinea. He was an assistant to the Government Anthropologist. His novel opens with this sentence: 'On 26 June 1959, at Boianai in Papua, visitants appeared to the Reverend William Booth Gill, himself a visitant of thirteen years standing, and to thirty-seven witnesses of another colour.'

The Boianai 'visitants' still stand as remarkable evidence for an impressive aerial anomaly and are regarded as some of the best entity reports on record. At the time of writing I spoke again with Gill. He still remains puzzled by what he saw and was pleased that an authority like Dr Hynek had independently interviewed him and some of the other witnesses and travelled to the site. While he accepts that the sightings remain unexplained, he questioned my characterisation of some attempts to explain them as 'silly'. He felt that these 'explanations' were serious attempts to bring understanding to the events. I think that attitude encap- sulate the integrity of Gill and the reality of the affair.

In 1973 Alien Hynek visited Australia and Papua New Guinea and found six of the witnesses to the Boianai events. They all upported Gill's version of what had happened. - Bill Chalker, The 'Oz' Files

Click for video

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Was The "Father Gill" Sighting A Classified Aircraft?

What many may not know is that this event took place about 1200 miles from the United States military installation in the Kwajalein atoll, located in the Marshall Islands, which has been a semi-secret missile and rocket test facility since, coincidentally enough, 1959. Now, 1200 miles may seem like a long way, but in the geography of the immense South Pacific, as well as the distances covered by high speed aircraft and of course rockets, it's a stone's throw. New Guinea is also the nearest land that isn't a micro-island in that area of the South Pacific (with the possible exception of Guam) which suggests that the object and apparent "crew" may have picked it in case they ran into any serious trouble with their equipment.

If you lend any credence to stories of unconventional aircraft (of the anti- or electro-gravitic type) and rumors about captured technology just after WWII, Gill and his fellow witnesses may have seen some sort of test flight stopover. Why the crew bothered to hover right over a beach in New Guinea in front of scores of witnesses is a question that remains unanswered.

Gill's own account stresses the almost mundane nature of the encounter. There were no high-G or other strange movements made by the object. It apparently hovered over the small church complex and then slowly disappeared into the clouds. (There were two sightings on subsequent evenings.) During the second event, Gill went inside before the craft had left. While some investigators have expressed surprise that anyone would leave in the middle of such an extraordinary sight, Gill and his companions had been looking at the UFO for over four hours just the night before. After returning hand gestures and moving the object in answer to a flashlight, the "crew" had apparently lost interest in the witnesses as well, and repeated attempts to make it land were unsuccessful.

Father Gill died at the age of 79 on June 13, 2007 in Melbourne, Australia. - www.ufomystic.com

NOTE: another very good link to this incident can be found at Gill Again: The Father Gill Case Reconsidered...Lon

Sources:
Hynek, J. Allen - 'The UFO Experience' - Ballantine - 1972
NICAP
www.ufoevidence.org
www.nicap.dabsol.co.uk
Bill Chalker - 'The Oz Files' - Duffy & Snellgrove, Sydney - 1996
Normal Cruttwell - 'What Happened in Papua in 1959?' - 'Flying Saucer Review' - 1960
CUFOS
Jerome Clark - 'Close Encounters: History's Best Case' - Fate - February 1978
'Papua/Father Gill revisited' - International UFO Reporter - November = December 1977
www.ufomystic.com

Fortean / Alternative News: Philippine Volcano Erupts, Solar Storm Warnings and Magnetic Pole Shift

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 12:04 PM PST

Thousands flee homes as Philippine volcano erupts

Thousands of people in the Philippines fled their homes as a volcano erupted yesterday, sending a spectacular column of ash high into the sky, residents said. The eruption of Bulusan, a 1,559-metre (5,115-foot) volcano, turned mid-morning into night for about 20 minutes across largely farming areas around its slopes, regional army spokesman Major Harold Cabunoc told AFP.

There was a major ashfall. There was zero visibility," Cabunoc said. State volcanologist Ramil Vaquilar told AFP that rumbling sounds accompanied the ash column that rose between two and 2.5 kilometres (1.2-1.6 miles) above the crater. About 2,000 residents were evacuated from three farming villages in the area as the government banned people from within four kilometres of the crater, said Lieutenant-Colonel Santiago Enginco, the local army commander.

Thirty-eight high school students were treated for ashfall inhalation, Enginco said. Volcanic ash can cause nose, throat, eye or skin irritation as well as contaminate tap water, while prolonged exposure can cause lung disease, according to the health ministry. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology director Renato Solidum said on national television that planes should avoid the skies over Bulusan, as ash might clog jet engines.

However the area is not widely used in the aviation industry. Bulusan is among 23 active volcanoes in the Philippines, which is located in the so-called Ring of Fire of volcanic activity around the Pacific. Bulusan, 360 kilometres southeast of Manila, last erupted between March and June of 2006. The volcano also shot ash into the air in November last year, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate their homes. However volcanologists said this was not an eruption, rather heated ash deposits near the crater mouth that exploded and burst out on contact with rainwater.-- AFP

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Renewed Solar Storm Warnings

dailymail - The world is overdue a ferocious 'space storm' that could knock out communications satellites, ground aircraft and trigger blackouts - causing hundreds of billions of pounds of damage, scientists say.

Astronomers today warned that mankind is now more vulnerable to a major solar storm than at any time in history - and that the planet should prepare for a global Katrina-style disaster.

A massive eruption of the sun would save waves of radiation and charged particles to Earth, damaging the satellite systems used for synchronising computers, airline navigation and phone networks.

If the storm is powerful enough it could even crash stock markets and cause power cuts that last weeks or months, experts told the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The chances of a disruption from space are getting stronger because the sun is entering the most active period of its 11 to 12-year natural cycle.

The world got a taster of the sun's explosive power last week when the strongest solar eruption in five years sent a torrent of charged plasma hurtling towards the world at 580 miles per second.

The storm created spectacular aurorae and disrupted radio communications.

Professor Sir John Beddington, the government's chief scientific adviser, said: 'The issue of space weather has got to be taken seriously. We've had a relatively quiet period of space weather - but we can't expect that quiet period to continue.

'At the same time over that period the potential vulnerability of our systems has increased dramatically, whether it is the smart grid in our electricity systems or the ubiquitous use of GPS in just about everything we use these days.

'The situation has changed. We need to be thinking about the ability both to categorise and explain and give early warning when particular types of space weather are likely to occur.'

Solar storms are caused by massive explosions on the sun.

The explosions release waves of X-rays and ultraviolet radiation which smash into the Earth within minutes, disrupting radio signals and damaging the electronics of satellites.

They are followed ten to 20 minutes later by a burst of energetic particles which cause even more havoc with satellites - and then 15 to 30 hours later by supercharged plasma which collides with Earth's magnetic field.

The plasma create the aurora - or Northern Lights - and can induce electrical currents in power lines and cables.

Jane Lubchenco, head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said: 'This is not a matter of if, it is simply a matter of when and how big.

'The last time we had a maximum in the solar cycle, about 10 years ago, the world was a very different place. Cell phones are now ubiquitous; they were certainly around but we didn't rely on them for so many different things.

'Many things that we take for granted today are so much more prone to the process of space weather than was the case in the last solar maximum.'

The sun goes through a regular activity cycle about 11 years long on average. The last solar maximum occurred in 2001. Its latest minimum was particularly weak and long lasting.

Space storms are not new. The first major solar flare was recorded by British astronomer Richard Carrington in 1859.

Other solar geomagnetic storms have been observed in recent decades. One huge solar flare in 1972 cut off long-distance telephone communication in the mid-western state of Illinois, Nasa said.

Another similar flare in 1989 'provoked geomagnetic storms that disrupted electric power transmission' and caused blackouts across the Canadian province of Quebec, the U.S. space agency said.

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Pilots, boaters adjust to shift in magnetic north

sun-sentinel - Magnetic north, the point at the top of the Earth that determines compass headings, is shifting its position at a rate of about 40 miles per year. In geologic terms, it's racing from the Arctic Ocean near Canada toward Russia.

As a result, everyone who uses a compass, even as a backup to modern GPS navigation systems, needs to be aware of the shift, make adjustments or obtain updated charts to ensure they get where they intend to go, authorities say. That includes pilots, boaters and even hikers.

"You could end up a few miles off or a couple hundred miles off, depending how far you're going," said Matthew Brock, a technician with Lauderdale Speedometer and Compass, a Fort Lauderdale company that repairs compasses.

Although the magnetic shift has little impact on the average person and presents no danger to the Earth overall, it is costing the aviation and marine industries millions of dollars to upgrade navigational systems and charts.

Why is magnetic north shifting?

The Earth's core of hot liquid iron is constantly moving. That motion, combined with forces such as the Earth's rotation, dictate the position of magnetic north, not to be confused with geographic north, or the North Pole.

"Magnetic north is shifting all the time; it's a continuous process, not an event," said Jeffrey Love, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey Geomagnetism Program, based in Golden, Colo.

Over the past century, the shift has been increasing in speed. It went from creeping as slow as nine miles per year in the early 1900s to more than 35 miles per year in the 2000s. However, that acceleration also is part of natural cycle, Love said.

"In 10 to 20 years from now, it might be slowing down," he said.

Currently, the shift creates about a one-degree difference in compass direction every five years, Love said. Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration evaluates airport runway numbers every five years, said Kathleen Bergen, FAA spokeswoman.

The FAA could not say how many airports are affected. However, scores of large and small airports in the United States have either changed or plan to change their runways' numbers, which are based on compass directions.

Palm Beach International Airport changed its three runway numbers in December 2009 at a cost of $268,686. That included repainting the runway numbers, replacing signs and updating publications, said airport spokeswoman Casandra Davis.

Now the airport's main east-west runway is numbered 10-Left and 28-Right. Previously, it was 9-Left and 27-Right.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport plans to renumber its south runway as part of the $791 million expansion in 2014, said Mike Nonnemacher, the airport's director of operations. Shortly after that, the north runway numbers will be upgraded, he said.

"We wish to keep our runway designations close to what the compass says," Nonnemacher said.

When Miami International Airport's new north runway was built in 2003, it was given an updated number based on the magnetic shift, said airport spokesman Greg Chin.

"At that time, we had foresight to number the runway toward where it will be shifting," he said.

Because GPS navigation draws on satellites, it has no reliance on magnetic north. On the other hand, satellites and GPS systems can malfunction. For that reason, Tom Cartier recommends all pilots and boaters keep a compass handy as backup.

"The magnetic compass is what gets you home in your boat or plane when everything else quits," said Cartier, a senior deck instructor at Maritime Professional Training in Fort Lauderdale. "It's a very, very valuable piece of equipment."

Cartier said large ships and planes have sophisticated electronic navigation systems, but the vast majority of small boats and planes have magnetic compasses and rely on them heavily.

"They don't have the money to spend for a sophisticated system," he said.

He added that boaters should always bring updated maps, showing the latest corrections for the magnetic north shift, even if they have GPS.

The oil industry also relies on knowing the exact position of magnetic north, as companies use a device, similar to a compass, to determine what angle to drill into the earth, Love said.

"They don't drill straight down," he said. "They need to orient their drill bits to know which way they're going."

Many mobile companies equip smart phones with magnetometers, allowing their customers to see what direction they're heading. Those phones are likely to have a device that adjusts for the shift in magnetic north, said Manoj Nair, a research scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geophysical Data Center.

Humans aren't the only ones affected by magnetic north. Birds that fly south for the winter and some sea turtles that migrate from Africa to South America must learn to adjust their senses so they end up migrating in the right direction, Love said.

"Some sea turtles live for a long period of time, up to 100 years," he said. "They have to accommodate the change in the magnetic field, because it changes substantially over 100 years."

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UK Powerless to Stop 'Jedis, Witches' Spoiling 2011 Census

bloomberg - People who want to declare their religion as Jedi or call themselves witches will be free to do so in the 2011 census in England and Wales, its organizer said.

Office for National Statistics Census Director Glen Watson said that while it is "not acceptable" to submit joke answers, he is powerless to act. In the last census in 2001, 400,000 people claimed they were part of the Star Wars movement, some of them putting the answer as a protest against privacy invasion.

"The religion question is the only voluntary question on the whole questionnaire," Watson told reporters in London today at the launch of the 482-million-pound ($782 million) project. "We would process the information and we would include that in the results, I imagine. I don't think we would pursue somebody for declaring their religion, for example, as Jedi."

The census aims to give an accurate snapshot of life in Britain and will focus more on how people view their identity and language ability as a result of an increase in immigration in the last decade.

Changing lifestyles and home use will also be tracked, with the section on rooms now including a category to list conservatories and studies. About 26 million forms will be sent out to households in March.

NOTE: you wouldn't want Luke Skywalker to lie? Back in 1990, the U.S. Census bureau contacted me for a clarification...I listed all my ancestries. Granted, I did check and add a list of 12 different but they did ask for it. Besides, I didn't want to slight myself...Lon

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Man kills 'possessed' family

allafrica - A 38 year old man has been arrested by Gicumbi Police for killing his father and a 15-year old brother, by throwing a grenade at them, on Sunday.

The suspect, only identified as Mugabonejo, accused the deceased, whose names were not readily available, of witchcraft, Police said. The incident took place at Kisaro Sector of Rulindo District.

"The assailant is still under police interrogation to establish his motive. Preliminary investigation indicates the attack was due to a domestic related wrangle," said Police Spokesman Supt Theos Badege.

"The assailant had claimed he had two grenades in his possession and had already surrendered one to the police, during the voluntary disarmament programme."

Badege advised residents still in possession of illegal firearms and other dangerous explosives to voluntarily hand them to the Police.

UFO / OVNI Over Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Posted: 22 Feb 2011 10:10 AM PST

lavozdecataratas - Ariel Suarez in an exclusive interview with La Voz de las Cataratas described what he saw and recorded with his cell phone early Wednesday morning in the vicinity of the Santa Rosa district: a zigzagging object in the heavens that subsequently vanished.

Suarez, 29, was enjoying the warm evening with his girlfriend around 2 in the morning on Wednesday when they noticed a light moving in the sky. Reaching for his cell phone, he recorded the object, which changed colors and zigzagged. "The image lasted about a minute, and then it vanished in the sky as though something had absorbed it," Ariel told La Voz de las Cataratas.

His video clearly shows the object moving in the sky over Iguazú on a moonlight night. It can be seen on the La Voz news screen.

Believing in the existence or non-existence of life beyond our planet and visits from extraterrestrial entities goes transcends belief, skepticism and myth, as it requires serious scientific study. Specialists say that we must go beyond "watching tiny lights" or recording videos to an in-depth study of the phenomenon. "The UFO phenomenon has been manifesting itself for thousands or millions of years," said Marco Antonio Gomez Perez, a researcher of the subject, during the Foro OVNI Paranormal discussion held on 29 January 2011 in Mexico City by the Sociedad Mexicana de Filosofía Hermética.

The term unidentified flying object, better known by its acronym -- UFO -- refers to the sighting of a real or apparent flying object that cannot be identified by the observer and whose origin remains unknown following an investigation. UFOs are generally associated with flying saucers. While sightings of unusual aerial phenomena go back to antiquity, the term flying saucer was popularized in 1947 -- mistakenly, one could say.

Many thanks to Scott Corrales - Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology

Click for video

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Argentina: Air Force Makes Contact with the UFO Phenomenon

The radar picked up an object of considerable size, flying from Rio Gallegos toward the north. The device is unable to determine its point of origin. But it flies without stopping. There is astonishment and disquiet. However, the decision in quick and unequivocal: two Mirage interceptors are scrambled from the Tandil Base to intercept the object...and they find that it is a weather balloon launched in Australia, winding up in Argentina's airspace.

More or less, this is the story told by Commodore Jorge Tealdi, press officer for the Argentinean Air Force (FAA) which decided in late 2010 to create a commission to investigate celestial phenomena that penetrate the nation's skies.

The incident he recalled took place several years ago, but it helps to explain the goals of this new commission. There was something strange in the air, an unknown object, and it was possible -- by specific actions -- to establish what it was. "The Argentinean Air Force's main mission is to safeguard Argentinean airspace, and we admit that our skies have cases involving objects or phenomena that cannot be explained. This does not necessarily mean that they are alien spacecraft, but they are indeed unidentified flying objects," explained Tealdi, a resident of Córdoba, born in Morteros, in a statement to Día a Día.

The new commission already has the authorization of the Ministry of Defense and will operate out of the Condor Building as the Comisión de Estudios de Fenómenos Aeroespaciales o Celestes (Aerospatial or Heavenly Phenomena Study Commission). Its members have not yet been appointed, but will include specialists in a variety of disciplines, such as meteorologists, air traffic controllers, pilots and radar experts. Collaborators will also be invited to participate -- Ufologists, for example -- under the command of military personnel.

"This is the first time that the Air Force makes a similar move. Based on sighting reports, we are going to create an official statistical base aimed a creating a sightings map, to know where we need to pay attention. The idea is to have the official Air Force website have a link to any reports and photos we may receive, and that also provides news regarding investigations," said Tealdi.

While the goal is to receive all possible information, he explained that "the experiences of a group of hikers at Mount Uritorco do not have the same weight as those fo a trained pilot flying an aircraft with instruments." He added: "And I say this respectfully, becaus we know that expectations are considerable. Many people send us their concerns, photos and videos and want us to provide an explanation immediately. We are in no position to provide rapid responses, but we can say that the decision to investigate has already been made."

Air safety. In June of last year, a Chinese airport interrupted its activities and cancelled flights for three hours due to a UFO manifestation. Its exact nature remains unknown. In this regard, Commodore Tealdi said: "In the history of Argentinean aviation, there has never been an aerial phenomenon that jeopardized air safety. With the creation of this investigative commission, the priority shall be to deal with cases that may affect this safety beyond any anomalies in the sky."

In the region, Brazil and Uruguay have already implemented commissions of this sort, and in South America, only Perú and Argentina have not opened their files regarding UFO phenomena. "We have nothing to hide and I have no evidence that there is classified or secret information. I repeat, these concerns are precisely [the reason] for the creation of an official statistical database, not only to satisfy general curioisty. We are also charged with guarding our airspace," stressed the military official.

Regarding the protocol to be followed by Air Force pilots in the event of a sighting, Tealdi explained that "a traditional procedure of alerting authorities" is followed.

Brazil's air force published a new regulation for pilots, should they have a "close encounter"

Regarding expectations in the new undertaking, Tealdi was enthusiastic and prudent all at once. "We cannot dismiss anything, or steer ourselves by preconceptions. We know that we are going to come across all manner of information, from natural phenomena such as light refraction and glow against the clouds, to space junk and burned out satellites. Not to mention jokes, such as tricked photos or hoaxed videos. There will be everything. I look at the sky all day and never saw anyting [unusual], and even so, I'm convinced that we have taken a major step."

Thanks to Scott Corrales, IHU

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