Documents / Report
This is the final report of the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, conducted by the University of Colorado under Air Force contract F44620-67-C-0035, with Edward U. Condon as scientific director and Daniel S. Gillmor as editor. It was submitted to the National Academy of Sciences on 15 November 1968 for review. The report includes field studies, photographic and radar analyses, case studies, historical chapters and appendices such as the Robertson Panel report and the Twining letter.
:-;ola1' sy~tCI1l, prilH.:ipully Vl'IlUS and Mars. It IS a quite complicatf.'d
and difficult prolJh'tn to c<.llculatc the way i.1l v,hich these perturbations
would affect the Illation of Earth an'l Clarion.
At the request of the Colorado project, Dr. R. L. Duncombe,
director of the Nautical Almanac office at U.S. Naval Observatclry in
Washington, D. C., kindly arranged to calculate the ~ffect of the intro-
duction of the hypothetical planet Clarion into the solar system. The
exact res'Jl t depends to snme extent on the location of the Earth-Sun-
Clarion line re1ativl~ to the line of apsides and the c~mputations were
carried out merely for one case (see Appendix E).
fhese calculations show that the effect of the perturbations would
be to make ClarLon become v:sible Leom Earth beyond the Sun1s limb
after about thirty years. if, other worJs, Clarion would long since have
become visible from Larth if many years ago it were started out in such
a special way as has been post:ulated,
The computations revealed fUl'ther that if Clari»n WCIC there it
would T(;vcal its presence indirectly in ~ much shorter time. Its
attraction on Vt::nus would cause Venus to move in a different way than
if Clari on Ivere not ttlere, Calculation shows thilt :rnus would pull
away from its otherwise correct mati on by about 1" of arc in about
three months time. Venus is routinely kept und~r observation to thi~
accuracy, a.. d tr.ere}ore if C1 arion were there it woul d reveal its
presence by its efftlct on the motion of VOPUf;. No such effect is
observed, that" 3, the motion of Venus as actually "bserved ]~ accu-
rately in accord wi th the absence of Clarion, so therefore we may
safely conclud,' that Clari on is nonexistent ,"
In his letter of transm ~tal !Jr, Duncombe comments "I teel this
is definite proof that the ~'Tl'SCI1CC of su.:h a holly c;)uld not remain
undetecte\l fIJi.' long. lIow\~Vt'r, J all1 afraid it w.i1 1 not ch··mge the minds
of those people ',~'hu lyc} ievt' in the existcnce of Clarion "
Ne fir~.t heard abvut Clarion from a lally who is promine'lt in
American politic~J1 life who was intrigul'uwith the ic\t:a that tld~" is
.. TIll'SC culc:ulations assUllle Cll1rl(j~~'S Il1US~i rl)ll~lily "quoII to that of
till' Eart.h.
43
solar sr~tell\, priJ1<.:ipally Venus and Mars. I t is a qui t<~ compli(;at f .·d
and difficult prollIt'l11 to calculate the way III whIch these perturbations
would affect the moti all of Earth al1'l Clarion,
At the request of the Colorado project, Dr, IL L. DUllcombe,
di rector of the Nautical Almanac offi co at U, S. Naval Obs Io'rvat()l'Y in
lI'ashington, D. c., kindly arranged to calculate the ;.:ffect of the intro-
ducti on of the hypothetical pI anet Cl arion into the sol ar sys tem, The
exact res'.!lt depends to s()me extent on the location of the Earth-Sun-
Clarion line relati Vl' to the line of apsides and the c~mputations were
carried out merel:! for one case (sec Appendix E).
l'hcsc calculations shol; that thc effect of the perturbations would
be to make Clar.Lon become v.sible fcom Earth beyond the Sun's limb
after about thirty ),ears. Ire other words, Clarion would long since have
becume visible from hirth 1 f many years ago it were !;tarted out in such
a special Ivay as has been pos~ulated,
The computations revealed i\ll·ther that if Clari<)n we Ie there it
would rr;veal its presence indirectly in ;l much shorter time. Its
attraction on Venus would cause Venus to move in a different way than
if Clarion were not tnere. Calculation shows th"t :rnus would pull
away from it.s otherwis(; correct motion by about 1" of arc in about
three months ~ime. Venus is routinely kept und~r observation to thi£
accuracy, Clad d,ere/ore if Clarion were there it would reveal its
presence by i ts eff~)ct on the motion of VOl'm:. No such effect is
observed, that:.5, the lIlotion of Venus as actually ('\Ilservcu is accu-
rately in accord wi til the absence of Clarion, so therefore we may
s:.Jfcly conclude that nari on is nonexistent, .,
In his letter of transm 'tal IJ:r. llullcolr.iJc comments "I teel this
is definite proof that the ;'Tl'scnc(' of such a hooy c;)uld not remain
undetecte,j fiJi' lonE;. lIow'~V<.·r, J ar,1 afraiJ it wi I' not ch'1nge the minds
of those pCt.'pl,' '.d1U l"wl ievt' in the l'Xi!it':l1ce of Clat-loll II
h'e fir"t heard abvut Clarion frorn a lally who is promine'lt in
American politic~jl lire who wa~ intrigul',hiith thcil.ka tllat tld~\ is
• TI\l'sC' culc:ulation5 aSSUl1\l' C1ar"i'~'s muss rt)II~Ii.ly ,·tPl.t! 10 that of
till' Earth. Report, from the classic collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 1497 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.