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This is a New Zealand Defence Force public release of RNZAF file AIR 39/3/3, "Flying Saucers," which covers 1952 to 1955 and was declassified in September 2010 under the Official Information Act. It collects sighting reports from the public and military personnel, press clippings, and a table of 1952 sightings. It also holds Carter Observatory opinions attributing some reports to meteors. A large part covers the inquiry into lights seen from National Airways Corporation Flight 108 on 31 October 1955, which the RNZAF could not fully explain as Venus.
“Open Minds”13 pages
## CIVILIAN SAUCER INVESTIGATION (NZ) P.O.BOX 1914 AUCKLAND STATISTICAL RELEASE 8TH FEBRUARY 1954 ## MARS AND THE FLYING SAUCERS. There is much evidence to show that the greater flurry of sightings of mysterious flying objects have occured during the "Oppositions"of Mars and Earth to the Sun. The sketch below illustrates the meaning of these Astro-nomical terms and the significance of the near future to all "saucer" inves-tigating agencies. Particularly during the last three "Oppositions", the frequency of of sightings have shown a marked increase. The near close as possible approach of these two planets in space on June 25th 1954 & Sept 11th 1956, may well present; as yet earthbound man; with the greatest lesson in recorded history. If indeed these space-craft do originate or operate from Mars and or Venus, it is equally certain to assume that our satellite "Moon" will also be used as a nearby convenient staging base. This could possibly account for the various signs of life or activity of an unexplainable nature astronomers have reported from time to time. There has been noted, apparently moving patches, of a darker shade than the surrounding areas; moving lights and most recently by leading Lunar astronomers a vast bridge-like construction span- ning 20 miles in a perfectly straight line. In the words of Dr. Percy Wilkin Director of Lunar Section, British Astronomical Association, " It looks like a vast engineering job, it is almost incredible that such a formation could of happened from natural meteorical causes". (First located or discovered by an American Astronomer July 23rd 1953, in area Mare Crisium). The following sketch and latter explanations are extract from book " Astronomy" by William T. Skilling & Robert S.Richardson FAVORABLE OPPOSITIONS, Though Mars is always nearer and brighter than usual when it is opposite the sun (in the east when the sun is in the west, for example) it is not equally bright in all oppositions. When the earth passes it near its perihelion point, it is approx 28,000,000 miles nearer to us than when we pass near its point of aphelion. Mars is in opposition at intervals of 780 days (nearly 2 years & 2 months); this is its synodic period. But only at intervals of sometimes 15 years, sometimes 17 years, does the opposition take place near enough to the perihelion point to be spoken of as "favorable". When an opposition takes place in August or Sept., it is a favorable one, for earth passes the perihelion position of Mars near August 28, each year. Mars and the earth were closer together at the opposition of August 22,1924 than they will be again for several centuries. At the opposition of 1909 the first successful photographs of Mars was taken. Although the average mean distance between the two planets at passing is 48,600,000 miles, this may be reduced to 34,600,000.
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