From: Ray Dickenson <r.dickenson.nul>
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 22:57:07 +0100
Fwd Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 08:34:30 -0400
Subject: Re: Scientist Goes Toe-To-Toe With Bad Astronomy -


>From: David Rudiak <drudiak.nul>
>To: <ufoupdates.nul>
>Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 11:25:59 -0700
>Subject: Re: Scientist Goes Toe-To-Toe With Bad Astronomy

>>Source: The Times-News - Twin Falls, Idaho

>>http://tinyurl.co.uk/g5xw

<snip>

>Unfortunately, bad astronomy can also be found on Phil Plait's
>web site. Plait proclaimed that amateur astronomers never
>report UFO sightings to him, they spend lots of time outdoors
>watching the skies and are experienced observers, therefore if
>they see nothing there are no UFOs. See:

<snip>

>The main study of amateur astronomers was done by Gert Herb with
>the guidance of Allen Hynek and published in the CUFOS Bulletin
>in 1980. The results were recently republished in International
>UFO Reporter in May 2006. Out of 1805 AA's who answered the
>mailed questionnaire, fully 24% answered "yes" to the question,
>"Have you ever observed an object which resisted your most
>exhaustive efforts at identification?"

<snip>

>About 20+% of all questionnaires mailed were returned. Even if
>one assumes that only those who had sightings or an interest in
>the subject returned the questionnaire, the percentage of all
>amateurs who received questionnaire's who had UFO sightings
>would still be 5%. Therefore the "true" percentage is somewhere
>between 5% and 24%.

<snip>

Thanks David, that was interesting enough to send me to CUFO's
Blue Book Archive Search, put in "astronomer" and first document
was introduction to a report by J Allen Hynek - written in Aug
1952

http://tinyurl.com/fjx9c

Pages 958 to maybe 980, but if you read on there's some more
interesting stuff on page 982.

Points:

1 - He interviewed some professional astronomers "not in the
guise of an official investigator, but rather as an astronomer
traveling about to discuss scientific problems".

2 - Several were "unwilling to discuss" sightings and one
(apparently mediumly typical) said - "If I saw one I wouldn't
say anything about it".

3 - "Over 40 astronomers were interviewed, of which five had
made sightings of one sort or another".

With hindsight it was quite sad reading his constructive
suggestions aimed at making reporting easier for nervous
professionals.  Especially as it seems `authority' had already
made its mind up to suppress (and oppress?) all such reports -
 See p. 982 - where he accepts that the news clippings service
had been ordered stopped (by AF?) from Oct 1 1952.

Nevertheless that rough figure of 12.5% of professional
astronomers making sightings - but presumably _not_ reporting
them officially - seems clear enough.  Wonder if it's the same
today?

Cheers

Ray D