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COUMIRY.
SUBJECT
US 8R
Report on Conversatione wich Boulet
Selentlete on Bubject of Unldentifled
Flylas Objeces ia che 0388
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DATE DISTRI
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00-8-321/23490-67
18 AUG
67
1L522-64
DATE OF INFO. May 1967
PLACE & DATE ACO USSR: May 1967
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
SOURCE
US elelson; an astrophysluiet on the staff of • large research in.
•tituto, The Information in thia report tie ectrected tron e menorendus be
wrote for his superiors.
[chie roport was developed by en Air force (APNIN) representative aa-
algrad to the office of préparacion.)
1.
Inte report le an account of conversetloncl exchanges on the subject of
UFO a during the course of a one-wonth trip of a US scientiat through
the USSR In the spring oL 1967, for the purpose of vie
ting several astro-
nowleal observ
having staft mombere engaged in planetary rese
arch.
The only set
is contacted during the trip were astronomere, and La-
gulzles concerning Soviet observations and interpreiations of uro a
were a minor spect of the trlp.
Within these liatcatious, on attempt
was pade to assone Soviet scientifle thinking on this controversial
topie.
3.
4.
The scentiat who surved se translator,
a redlo patronomer, "Phatically ptated that he knew of no aightinge
of UPOe in the USSR and added wich a laugh that if they were only seen
In the US, they wuet be of Soviet origin.
At the Pulkovo Observetory, Leningrad, on of the entronomere mentioned
that she had heard ot som sightings of unidentified objecte near the
Caucasus. She was unaware of any study being nade of them but was open-
ainded on the subject.
IBLE was tO N.A.
kosyrey, uno was very inter-
ested in the problew.
had reed Menzel 3 book (unich has been trans-
lated into Bussian, but did not accept his conclusions. Kozyrey knew
of sore sightinge in the northern part of the USSR, but said that re-
porte of such sightings are not printed in Soviet nevspapers because
they are pot reserded as scientifie observations.
interesting in vier of the readinare of Soviet nevspspers to priat re-
cher fansaatis reperce of bypothesen and "obaervatione" dusgented by che
nore imaginative penbors of che selentifie community.
oftlelal sanction la needed.)
Kozyrey has been interested in US re-
porce of UrO a and readily accepte their reality.
In fact, le 1s hle
parsonal opinlon that the UFO'» may originato on Venue.
He la well
avare of the negative effect of "enlightened" scientitle opinion on
the interprecation of questionable observacione es he has had personal
REPORT
INFORMATION REPIO
The dilem
of the USis member
in accordance wil pares aph
Perncieeing in the
190 ON PATIE
within the mioliganise components
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experience of this effect.
(Comment: Kozyrev is a controversial figure
in the Soviet scientific community aa well as internationally.
ently one of his questionable observations (the activity of the central
peak in the lunar erater Alphonsus) has turned out to be correct. On
the other hand, it le really more accurate to say that this observation
led to an intensive search for activity on the Moon that has produced
some positive resulta. There may be no connection between the two seta
of data, however.)
5. At the Main Astronomical Observatory, Kiev, little interest is shown in
the UFO question. I.K. Koval mentioned that he and several other as-
tronomers had been out in the countryside one evening and had seen a
curious, reddish object flashing through the sky that they were convinced
was neither a satellite nor a meteorite.
However, their imnediate in-
terpretation was that this object might have been a fragment of a satel-
lite or rocket returning from orbit, burning up in the atmosphere.
thought that UFO's had been seen in the USSR but he could not be specific
as to locations and characteristics.
6. At the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, Crimea, again little interest
was show. One of the astronomers, L.I. Galkin, was with the group men-
tioned by Koval and confirmed the observation of a peculiar object.
did not discuss the experience in detail but clearly had been struck by
the possibility that the object might have been a "saucer."
7, At the Astrophysical Institute, Alma Ata, there was considerable interest.
The institute includes an Atmospheric Optics Section presided over by
G.S. Lifschitz. However, the initial discussion of the problem was with
he director of the institue, G.M. Idlis.
He too had read Menzel's
book, but considered it an adequate treatment of the subject which he
consequently felt was closed.
He indicated that no observations of UFO's
had been made by his staff and that they had received no reports of such
However, when the US scientist proceeded to indicate the
results of McDonald's critical study of the problem, Idlie readily con-
ceded that there might be more to it and concluded by stating that it
was "clearly still an open question."
8.
Another astronomer mentioned that in the northern part of Kazakhstan
there had been repeated sightings of ball lightning.
The University in
Alma At. had sent a team out to investigate and dicovered that what war
being seen were reflections of automobile headligite from an inversion
layer.
9. Later, a discussion was held with Lifschitz. He was not very impressed
with Manzel's book, but was also not impressed with the significance of
the phenomenon.
It is posstble that some interest was kindled that might
lead to additional investigationa.
10.
A stellar spectroscopiet, Dr.
Kupo, was also interested in this
problem, partly as an adjunct to her attempts to locate fragments frow
She was also dissatisfied with Menzel's book and felt that
there was definitely an opportunity for additional research.
11.
The general feellug one gets is that no official treatment of the UPO
problem has been given in the USSR.
Instead people refer to the US
work, principally Menzel'a book, to demonstrate the absence of real
scientific problems.
At the same time, there is an almost unversal
awareness of the history and characteristics of the phenomenon often as-
sociated with considerable interent. The realt is that a demonstration
of the inadequacy of US Official explanations coupled with some proof of
the reality of the observations might excite entlusiasm more rapidly
among Soviet astronomers than among their US counterparts who are more
strongly influenced by the offielal ridicule associated with UFO's in
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