BUFOA Journal Number 2, Autumn 1963

The BUFOA Journal, Number 2, Autumn 1963, serves as a compilation of reports, articles, and correspondence regarding Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) in the United Kingdom and internationally. The British UFO Association, a coalition of various regional research societies, outlines its objectives as the coordination of investigations and the dissemination of knowledge regarding aerial phenomena. The journal features several specific sighting reports, including an incident in Leeds on July 24, 1963, involving two ten-year-old boys who observed a metallic, oval-shaped object, and a sighting in Parkstone, Dorset, on July 14, 1963, where a witness described a large, cigar-shaped object hovering over a gasholder. Another section details a series of sightings in the Midlands on July 25, 1963, which were partially attributed by the Royal Radar Establishment at Malvern to aircraft from their Flying Unit. The journal also provides an account of the 'Oradell Incident' of 1962 in New Jersey, USA, which involved multiple sightings and reports of strange tracks, later dismissed by some as a model aircraft hoax. A significant portion of the journal is dedicated to technical and analytical discussions. J.G. Roberts contributes an article on the challenges of using satellite-tracking cameras to photograph UFOs, noting that such efforts are largely a matter of luck. An ophthalmic optician provides a detailed explanation of 'entoptic phenomena'—visual sensations originating within the eye—suggesting that some UFO sightings may be misinterpretations of these natural biological processes. Furthermore, the journal includes a statistical analysis by F. Malcolm Bull regarding 'orthoteny,' the theory of straight-line alignments of UFO sightings. Bull applies chi-square tests and correlation coefficients to data from 1959-1962, concluding that while there is a correlation between the number of reports and the population density of a region, the data does not definitively support the existence of orthotenic lines. The journal concludes with a 'confession' from John Southern regarding the 'Charlton Crater' incident, which he claims was a hoax, and a section titled 'As a matter of fact' that covers various astronomical and scientific news items.