"It is common for planets low in the sky to scintillate. At 8000 feet, position 33 degrees south 175 degrees east (the approximate position of the aircraft when the light was seen) the setting time for Venus on October 31 was 8.19 p.m."
Venus was suspected from the moment one of the passengers in the aircraft, Air Commodore R. J. Cohen, Inspector-General of the R.N.Z.A.F., is awakened by the pilot. A flying light was pointed out by the pilot. "A planet," the officer pronounced, and promptly went back to sleep. When he landed Air Commodore Cohen consulted the stars and finally decided it was Venus.
substantially. The latest one is remarkable in that a number of responsible people aboard the aircraft flying over the Waikato declare they watched the object for five minutes—a much longer time than is usually associated with "sightings."
Five minutes is an exceedingly long time for an optical illusion to persist, especially from a swiftly moving aircraft. Extravagant claims will no doubt be made, especially among those who were not witnesses, but from the statements of the experts aboard the aircraft it might be possible to make some progress toward an explanation of the frequent sightings of strange moving lights in the skies. The explanation may be simple, if it can be established—a trick of reflected light, an electrical manifestation? Those making the inquiry can be assured of an interested following.