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From: Bob Young <YoungBob2@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 15:01:45 EDT
Fwd Date: Thu, 03 Jun 1999 06:37:38 -0400
Subject: Re: *U* Map: North America 1947


>From: Larry Hatch <larryhat@jps.net>
>Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 02:18:54 -0700
>Fwd Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 11:35:07 -0400
>Subject: *U* Map: North America 1947

<snip>

>http://www.jps.net/larryhat/NAM47.html

<snip>

>I hope you all have some time to look around the website. It
>took 15 years to gather the data.

Larry and Everyone:

You should really be commended for this effort, which provides a
continuing, public record of this information.  Your site
provides a lot of food for thought.  For a number of pages that
I looked at some thoughts come to mind relative to your
analyses:


Venus-Earth Sidereal Proximity.

For some 16,800 UFO sightings with known dates, the Heliocentric
Longitude of Earth and Venus are compared.

The DIFFERENCE between these longitudes is divided into 24
"zones" of 15 degrees each.   Earth and Venus are closest in
zone 12 ( yellow bar ).   Sightings >that occur at these times
increment the height of the bar. "Zone zero" sightings >occur
when they are on opposite sides of the sun.

The influence of Venus is diminished in zone 12, probably lost
in the Sun's glare.

Mars - Earth Sidereal Proximity.

For some 16,800 UFO sightings with known dates, the Heliocentric
Longitude of Earth and Mars are compared.

The DIFFERENCE between these longitudes is divided into 24
"zones" of 15 degrees each.   In "zone 12" Earth and Mars are on
the same side of the Sun, as close as they get for any given
orbit.  Zone zero sightings occur when Mars and Earth are on
opposite sides of the sun.

While Venus is often blamed for low quality sightings, It would
seem that Mars correlates much better using a filtered database.

I agree, but the the reason for the closer correlation of Mars
probably has to do with its longer visibility to an Earth
observer.  Mars, an outer planet, is best seen which it is at
opposition, or opposite to the Sun, when it is closest to Earth,
and hence brightest.  Since it is 180 degrees away from the Sun
it rises in the East when the Sun sets, is highest due South at
midnight, and sets at dawn.  In other words, it is up all night
and can be observed by all observers who are outside.

Venus, on the other hand, is visible either in the evening or
morning, but never all night.  Also, Venus, an inner planet, is
closest to Earth when in Conjunction, or nearest to the Sun,
but this is not, as you point out, its best visibility.  This
occurs  from the time that Venus is at Greatest Elongation
(about 45 degrees away) East of the Sun in the evening, or
Greatest Elongations West, in the morning, until the time of
greatest brilliance some weeks later, when it is closer to us
and the Sun, and presents a large, thin, but brilliantly
illuminated crescent.  Greatest elongations occur about 10 weeks
on either side of close approach to the Earth, and greatest
brilliancy  is about five weeks on either side.  For example,
this coming week, on June 10, Venus will be at Greatest Eastern
Elongation, easily noticed 30 degrees above the horizon at
sunset and will set 3 hours after the Sun, at about 11:30 P.M.,
Daylight Saving Time.

The giveaway for this Observers Effect is that more UFO reports
occur at the _evening_ Eastern Elongations, not at the less well
noticed morning Western Elongations, on the right of your
12-hour band.

Sidereal Sightings Histogram.

For any given date, time and place, some part of the zodiac is
directly overhead.

Astronomers divide the sky into hours of Right Ascension
(R.A.). By convention, the >Vernal Equinox in Pisces is
considered "zero hours" R.A. This display divides the sky into
24 hours (R.A.) with UFO sightings counts for each hour.

There is a notable rise between 20 and 21 hours R.A., when
Capricorn is overhead. Oddly, this points toward the galactic
center.

I have no ready explanation for this surprising effect

The galactic center is not in Capricorn, it is at 17H 45.7m
Right Ascension,  -29 deg Declination, two Zodiacal signs to the
west, in Scorpio.  Also, Capricorn is never overhead but is
actually more than 100 degrees away from the zenith.  I think
that you meant that is appears highest in the sky, or due south
at midnight.

But, again, for this peak of reports I suggest an Observer
Effect.  The jump in sightings you point to undoubtedly comes
from reports in early August, during the summer months when
folks are outdoors and when it gets dark by 9 P.M.

Clear skies,

Bob Young