MARITIME AERIAL PHENOMENA. (From "Just Cause". December 1992.)
(Just Cause, Copyright 1992 by Citizens Against UFO Secrecy, PO Box 218, Coventry, CT 06238, published bi-monthly with a subscription rate of
$15/yr.)
Spot checks of a government marine publication have revealed interesting reports of strange aerial manifestations that have largely been overlooked. "Notice to Mariners" is a long-time weekly of the U.S. Hydrographic Office, published since the 1800s. The bulk of each number is devoted to reports of lighthouse positions and schedules, hazard reports, chart revisions; etc. Beginning in the late 1950s reports of "Celestial Phenomenon" crept into various issues and continued fairly regularly into the mid-1960s. The reports were extracted from ships' logs, much the same way as those appearing in a similar British serial, "The Marine Observer."


From "Notice to Mariners," March 9, 1963

Celestial Phenomenon - North Atlantic.
Second Officer H. Rathsack of the American S.S. Overseas
Rebecca, Capt. D.N. Dibble, Master, reported the following: At
0600 G.M.T. December 1, 1962, in lat. 36 degrees 27' N., long. 7
degrees 26' W. on passage from Bordeaux to Tripoli, a mysterious
object was observed. It was first observed bearing 130 degrees
altitude 20 degrees and appeared to be a comet with its tail
almost reaching the horizon. Later it appeared more like an
atomic mushroom. It was visible about 40 minutes and faded away
with the sunrise. Barometer 1022.4 millibars, air temperature
14.4 degrees C., sea temperature 19.4 degrees C.

From Notice to Mariners," October 28, 1961

Celestial Phenomenon - North Pacific.
Second Officer William C. Ash of the American S.S. Iberville,
Capt. M.O. Vinson, Master, reported the following: "At 1700
G.M.T. on September 21, 1961, while in lat. 31 degrees 30' N.,
long. 175 degrees 30' E., a few minutes before morning twilight,
a white opaque mass about twice the size of a full moon appeared
in the northwest at an elevation of about 20 degrees. It
continued to climb toward the zenith and at about an elevation
of 40 degrees the mass opened gradually to appear as a huge halo
with a satellite in the center having very nearly the brightness
of a first magnitude star. By the time it reached the zenith it
had more than doubled in size reaching its maximum at the zenith
and then diminishing as it proceeded to the southeast. As it
diminished it continued to decrease in size but did not appear
to shrink into a corona as it had appeared but rather faded out
completely at an elevation of approximately 20 degrees. The
entire mass was in view for approximately 8 to 10 minutes."
Weather partly cloudy, wind NW force 2, slight sea and small NW
swell, temperatures: dry 74 degrees F., wet 67 degrees F., sea
79 degrees F.

From "Notice to Mariners," May 11, 1963.

Celestial Phenomenon - North Pacific.
Junior Second Officer B. Gronberg of the Swedish M.V. Kungsholm,
Capt. H. Solje, Master, reported the following: At 0500 G.M.T.
April 4, 1963, in lat. 31 degrees 30' N., long. 128 degrees 53'
W., on passage from Honolulu to Los Angeles, the following was
observed: A white cloud more intensive than the surrounding
clouds was seen. A few seconds later the cloud transformed into
several concentric rings which become larger and larger similar
to the rings formed when a stone is dropped into smooth water.
In the center of the inner ring 6 or 7 bright white dots similar
to bright stars were seen. The phenomenon was bearing 315
degrees altitude 45 degrees and was moving westward very
rapidly. After about 3 minutes the dots separated into two
groups, one group proceeded as before and the other group turned
to the right and disappeared. The phenomenon lasted about 7
minutes. Weather partly cloudy with good visibility, wind NE
force 1, temperatures: dry 20.0 degrees C., wet 16.8 degrees C.


Eddie,
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