Report on Conversations with Soviet Scientists on Subject of Unidentified Flying Objects…

pproved for Release 202 Minin i sine [ " . i mn 8. CONTROLLED DISS peak in the lunar crater Alphonsus) has turned out to be correct, On the other hand, it is really more accurate to say that this observation -tronomers had been out in the countryside one evening and had seen a the phenomenon. It is possible that some interest was » kindled that might there was definitely an opportunity for additional research, ‘The general feeliug one | gets is that no offtet al treatment of the UFO - work, principally Menzei's book, to demonstrate the absence of real scientific problems. At the same time, there is an almost universal a - awareness of the history and characteristics of the phenomenon often se sociated with considerable interest, The reault is that a demonstration of the inadequacy of US Official explanations coupled with some leew of the reality of the observations might excite enthusiesm more idly = ; among soe: sscrengente ‘than emorg their us counterparts bso are more : cu red ae prereagediows | experience of this effect. (Comment: Kozyrev is a controversial figure in the Soviet scientific community as well as internationally, Appar- ently one of his questionable observations (the activity of the central led to an intensive search for activity on the Moon that has produced some positive results, There may be no connection between the two sete of data, however.) At the Main Astronomical Observatory, Kiev, little interest is shown in the UFO question. I.K. Koval mentioned that he and several other as- curious, reddish object flashing through the sky that they were convinced Was neither a satellite nor a meteorite, However, their immediate 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. Koval thought that UFO's had been seen in the USSR but he could not be specific as to locations and characteristics. At the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, Crimea, again little intereat was shown, One of the astronomers, L.I. Galkin, was with the group men- tioned by Koval and confirmed the observation of a peculiar object. He did not discuss the experience in detail but clearly had been struck by the possibility that the object might have been a "saucer." At the Astrophysical Institute, Alma Ata, there was considerabie interest. The institute includes an Atmospheric Optics Section presided over by G.S, Lifschitz. However, the initial discussion of the problem was with the 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 etaff and that they had received no reports of such observations. However, when the US scientist proceeded to indicate the results of McDonald's critical study of the problem, Idlis readily con- ceded that there might be more to it and concluded by stating that it was "clearly still an open question." Another astronomer mentioned that in ths 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 discovered that what wa: being seen were reflections of automobile headlights from an anvereton ee layer. Later, a discussion was held with Lifschitz. He was not very impressed with Menzel's book, but was also not impressed with the significance of lead to additional investigations, A stellar spectroscopiet, Dr. yy Kupo, was also interested in this problem, partly as an adjunct to her attempts to locate fragments from bolides. Sha was elso dissatisfied with Menzel's book and felt that problem has been given in the USSR, Instead people refer to the US