The New Jersey Turnpike UFO Sighting.

Just after midnight on the 14th July 2001, droves of motorists including off duty police officer Lt Daniel Tarrant pulled over their cars along the highway at the New Jersey Turnpike and stared in awe towards the sky. A set of orange and yellow lights was sitting in a V-formation over the Arthur Kill Waterway between Staten Island and New Jersey and it was observed for around 15 minutes.

When asked, Air Traffic Control denied any military maneuvers or space operations that could be the lights so many people saw, however the New York Strange Phenomena investigators apparently have FAA radar data that corroborated the event. Still unidentified.

SETI Founded 1984

On the 20th November 1984, the most famous institute (in my opinion) for exploring life in the universe was founded - incorporated as a 501(c)(3) California nonprofit organization - The S.E.T.I Institute which stands for the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence. It was started by Thomas Pierson and Dr Jill Tarter along with their colleagues and it still going strong today employing many scientists and researchers with the mission to 'explore, understand and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe' and bring it to the general populace.

The SETI Institute has three main centres which cover it's work. The Carl Sagan Centre is primarily devoted to the study of life in the universe, The Centre for Education is focused on astrobiology, astronomy and space science aimed for students and teachers, and the Centre for Public Outreach produces the 'Big Picture Science' radio show, podcast and the 'SETI Talks' lecture series.

By employing the use of many scientific instruments around the globe including the Allen Telescope Array, the Very Large Telescopes in Chile as well as the space telescopes Hubble and Herschel have meant that SETI has been able to delve into the subject of life in the universe for many years and bring the research and result to life, there have been some rocky patches along the way with funding, criticism and skepticism of the work, but I for one will support the institute for as long as possible.

Levelland UFO sightings.

The Levelland UFO case is known as one of the most impressive simply due to the large number of witnesses to the same events, although of course it was discounted by the US Airforce and skeptics as 'ball lightening' among other things.

It began on November 2nd and 3rd 1957 at Levelland Texas when two farm workers called the police to report a UFO sighting. Pedro Saucedo and Joe Salaz said they had been driving west of Levelland and had seen a blue flash near the side of the road, their truck's engine died and they told of seeing a rocket shaped object rise up into the air and flew over them. Once it had passed, the truck started up again. This report was dismissed immediately, but then an hour later Jim Wheeler rang to report an egg-shaped object, brightly lit which was about 200 feet long, which was sitting on the road. Similarly his car engine had died and the craft flew off when he got out of his vehicle to approach it, once gone his car kicked back into life.

The accounts kept coming, including;
10.55pm a couple reported a bright light moving across the sky, their car lights and radio failed for a few seconds during the sighting.
Joze Alvarez reported his car dying when he came across a large object on the road, once it had gone the car was fine.
12.05am a student called to report his car struggling and eventually dying before he saw a large egg-shaped object in the road, it flew away and his car came back to life instantly.
12.15 Frank Williams called to report a sighting along with his car cutting out until the object had left.
12.45 Ronald Martin called.
1.15 James Long rang with his report stating the same as those beforehand.

By the end of the night, 15 people had reported incredibly similar accounts, the Sheriff and the Fire Chief also saw unexplainable things of a similar nature.

Apparently, according to ufologists, there were no electrical storms in the area that night as mentioned in Project Blue Book, and the airforce did not interview 9 of the witnesses.
Fascinating stuff!

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levelland_UFO_case
https://science.howstuffworks.com/space/aliens-ufos/levelland-ufo.htm

2019 already!

Hi folks, hope you had a fantastic festive period whatever you did and however you celebrated, I can't believe its 2019 already...I remember celebrating the millennium and it really doesn't seem that long ago!

There are many things planned for this year, mostly research for a book I am compiling as well as the usual keeping up to date with the stranger goings-on in the world...far too much time spent browsing on Twitter and not enough posting...can't see that changing to be honest.

Anyway, just checking in, first post of the year and all that. Incidentally today would have been Professor Stephen Hawking's 77th birthday, he was born 300 years to the day since Galileo died (plus he died on Einstein's birthday...spooky) men of science all linked in time, fascinating stuff.

Book find...'Fifty Most Amazing Crimes of the Last 100 Years'

Sometimes these books just find you don't they, and this one...THIS one is fantastic. It dates from 1936 and as the title suggests it chronicles 50 of the most 'amazing' crimes of the 100 years previous to that date. There is no author name, but it was edited by J.M Parrish and John R. Crossland, Published by Odhams Press Ltd.

From the first case - Landru: A Real Life Bluebeard by H Russell Wakefield which is described as "Dark, bearded, sinister, urbane, greatest 'lady-killer' - in the most terrible sense - of all time" to the final one - Fritz Harman: Terror of Hanover by F.A Beaumont, this book drips intrigue, I can't wait to delve into it and see what it brings. I will keep you updated as I go!

Weekly round up of the strange - check this out.

Every weekend on the Myth or Maxim blog there is a post featuring the Myth or Maxim Chronicle which is a round up of the week's tweets, news and stories from around the world, it makes for really good reading with links back to the original poster's page.

This week featured a Paul Walker conspiracy, strange sounds from the skies and UFO stories and is well worth checking out...

Read it HERE along with other issues.

Fortean evening ahead.

Tonight is Fortean Times night in my house, it arrived yesterday, and I should have time to read it through later, always fascinating!