Explorify by Dnuk_Z

The central aim of the work is to compose a history of celestial motions based on careful study and observations, and then to devise geometric models or hypotheses that can provide a reliable basis for computing these motions accurately for both the past and the future5. The author was motivated to seek a different system because existing astronomical theories did not agree among themselves and contained significant "absurdities" when compared with observations.

The modelling relies heavily on geometry and mathematical calculation. Key mathematical principles and tools include:

•

The universe and celestial bodies are considered spherical.

•

Motions are fundamentally assumed to be uniform, eternal, and circular, or compounded from circular motions. Straight-line motions (librations) are also used but potentially understood as resulting from circular motions.

•

The principles of plane and spherical triangles are essential for calculating positions, distances, and angles. A key question is how to obtain sides from angles and angles from sides.

•

The use of straight lines subtended in a circle (chords) is a fundamental technique for relating arcs and lengths.

•

Tables are extensively used to provide pre-calculated values for various phenomena and motions.

The geometric models employed include:

•

Historically, eccentrics and epicycles were used to account for apparent nonuniformities, although the author finds issues with these traditional models5....

•

Under the new hypothesis, the motion of the Earth itself accounts for many phenomena previously explained by complicated epicycles or eccentricities, such as the apparent nonuniformity of planetary motions and retrogradations. The Earth moves on a "great circle" around the sun.

•

Specific motions like librations (appearing as straight-line oscillations) are introduced to explain phenomena such as the variation in the obliquity of the ecliptic.

The concept of prosthaphaereses (or equations) is central to reconciling the theoretical uniform motions with the observed apparent nonuniform motions; these are calculated differences that are added or subtracted to find the true position or motion.

The author stresses that these hypotheses are primarily tools for computation that provide a calculus consistent with observations, rather than necessarily representing the absolute physical truth, particularly because the true causes of apparent nonuniform motions were considered unknown. The work aims to make astronomical computations easier to understand and more enduring.

This research paper traces the history and evolution of the UFO Contact Movement from the 1950s to the present. It explains how prevailing beliefs and narratives within the movement have changed over time.

Key aspects covered in the research include:

• The origin of the term "flying saucer" following Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting and the shift towards considering UFOs as extraterrestrial in origin.
• The era of "contactées" in the 1950s, like George Adamski, who claimed friendly, extended encounters with human-like alien beings and often espoused philosophical or religious messages.
• The shift in the late 1960s to the frightening "abduction" phenomenon, where people claimed to be kidnapped by inhuman alien creatures and subjected to physical examinations. The Betty and Barney Hill case is presented as a prototype for these accounts, notably involving "missing time" and recovered memories through hypnosis.
• The research highlights the move towards a consensus on the appearance of aliens within the American UFO community, particularly focusing on the "Grey" stereotype, a small being with a large head and large eyes.
• It discusses the influence of researchers like Budd Hopkins, who popularised the idea that abductions involved multiple encounters throughout a person's life and were part of an extraterrestrial breeding experiment to create hybrid children.
• Finally, the paper notes a recent split in the movement, with some individuals now reporting positive, spiritual encounters and referring to themselves as "experiencers," contrasting with those who view the Greys as negative or evil manipulators.

Overall, the research views the UFO subculture as a rapidly evolving, pop-culture-inspired group.