FUERON ALUMNOS DE UNA ESCUELA EN PUNTA DEL AGUA
Vieron un ovni en el Oeste
(A continuación se transcribe una nota periodística aparecida el martes 26 de agosto de 1998 en el diario "EL ANCASTI" de Catamarca. El recorte contiene dibujo. Se mandó carta a la escuela en cuestión pidiendo información adicional.)
" Cerca de una decena de alumnos que asisten a la Escuela de Punta del Agua, localidad perteneciente al departamento de Tinogasta, aseguran haber visto la noche del 19 de agosto un ovni que desapareció entre las estrellas.
Alumnos de entre 5 y 12 años que asisten a la Escuela n| 56 de la localidad de Punta del Agua, ubicada a casi 85 kilómetros hacia el norte de Fiambalá, aseguran haber visto en la noche del pasado miércoles 19, un objeto con forma de "sombrero u hongo" que se desplazaba en el aire.
La observación fue realizada por el grupo de alumnos, aproximadamente a las 21, cuando estaban acompañados oportunamente por padres y docentes de la zona.
Esta historia fue relatada por el maestro y director de la escuela, Julio Flores, quien especifica que ‘aproximadamente a las 21 del pasado miércoles 19, un objeto con forma de sombrero, hongo o paracaídas, surcaba el aire acompañado por una estrella que iba adelante del objeto. Luego envolvió a las estrellas y se desintegró, quedando una sola que finalmente se ocultó detrás de los cerros circundantes" cuenta.
De a cuerdo a lo informado, el fenómeno llamó poderosamente la atención de la comunidad y para asegurarse que todos habían visto lo que creían, el maestro hizo que el instante quedara registrado en dibujos y pinturas realizadas por cada uno de los alumnos. La sorpresa fue la coincidencia en las ilustraciones de 9 alumnos que junto a su palabra conformaban el testimonio de lo vivido.
Información.
Los alumnos, testigos directos de lo que vieron, están interesados en buscar más datos, por lo que quieren saber si otros niños de la provincia observaron algo similar.
De ser así solicitan enviar información por correspondencia a ‘Escuela N° 56, Punta del Agua, Tinogasta, Catamarca, C.P.5341, o en caso contrario a través de este medio de comunicación ya que en la zona no existe otro’.
De la misma manera, el docente Flores destacó su interés por obtener información científica sobre ovnis que hayan aparecido en otros lugares del país."
NOTA: En el mes de septiembre de 1998 se mandaron dos cartas al Director de la Ecuela, las cuales no fueron contestadas, por lo cual de momento y por no poder proceder, se suspende la investigación. Sin embargo, a continuación se transcribe la respuesta a una consulta efectuada a la NASA, que da una pista sobre lo que pudo haber ocurrido esa noche en Catamarca:
CASO POSIBLEMENTE EXPLICADO GRACIAS A LA NASA
HTML1DocumentEncodingutf-8Da: Monday, December 28, 1998 1:15pm Electronic
Mail
De:
A: Oegs
Tema: Barium clouds--second transmission attempt
TO:Fernando Walter-SiarezSIAREZ2.TXT
Oegs@siscor.bibnal.edu.ar 23-DEC-1998 16:27:47.86
FROM:David P. Stern
Goddard Space Flight Center
Subj:Barium clouds
Dear Mr. Walter-Siarez
This is in reply to your e-mail message, reproduced below:
******************************
Dear Mr. Stern
I read the interesting page '#8 Positive Ions' about barium ion clouds
experiments.
I want to know where to ask for information on recent experiments of
that kind, because some luminous aerial phenomenon was seen in Argentina
about the end of August 1998, and it could be related to barium clouds.
Sincerely, Mr. Fernando Walter-Siarez
oegs@siscor.bibnal.edu.ar
****************************
Your message sounds familiar, because in August I received a message from
a gentleman in Brazil who might have seen the same event. Here is
what he wrote:
***********************
>
> Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 01:13:37 -0300
> From: charles carminati <charles@engeplus.com.br>
>
> To whom it may concern.
>
> I live in the south of Brazil. My city is Criciuma, my state is Santa
> Catarina. Two days ago a strange phenomenon occurred around the cities
> I live. Since then people have wondered for answers but none could be
> found.
>
> This is what happened. Last Sunday, August the 16th, a loud noise,
> similar but different from a thunder was heard. Some people even
> attributed such noise to a plane flying at high speed, which was
> later discarded by local authorities.Moments before the noise many
> people saw lights in the sky which were different from a lightning. Many
> witnessess said that their windows shaked as well as plates and
> glasses inside their houses. No earth shake was felt.
>
> The noise was heard at around the same time in places or cities as far
> apart as 35 miles. The cellular phones systems have had problems since
> the phenomenon.People have also attibuted the phenomenon to
> explosions, what was also discarded.
>
> I was wondering for an explanation and thought that, perhaps a meteor
> or some kind of object could have penetrated the atmosphere and caused
> such phenomenon. Perhaps it crashed on the ocean, all the cities are around
> 20 miles from the ocean.My first question is if an object entering
> the atmosphere can cause some kind of noise?
>
> I would like to know if NASA has the ability to track such phenomenon
> in case it happened.
>
> If this does not have to do with your departement, I would like to ask
> you to redirect this message to the appropriate person to answer my
> questions.
>
> People here are waiting for answers.Please write soon if you can. To
> let me know if you can help us or not.
>
> Appreciate your attention.
>
> Jaci Carminati
>
***************************************
I wrote back that it was likely Mr. Carminati had witnessed a reentry
of a satellite. At the same time I sent a message to a person in the
US Navy who, I knew, was connected with the tracking of space objects.
Here is his reply:
******************************
To:U5DPS
Subject: RE: Question about possible satellite re-entry
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:21:21 -0400
David - I've tracked down this report with Naval Space Command, and
there was indeed a satellite reentry at that time and place. They were
reluctant to tell me more for general distribution. The Brazilian
report seems to be an interesting anecdote of a satellite re-entry.
This a data ought to be more generally available.
*****************************
Judging by the above, you might have seen the same event.
Barium clouds are usually released just after sunset or just
before sunrise. The whole purpose is to have sunlight shine on
the cloud at a time when the sky is dark. If your event occured
during such a time, and the cloud was greenish, it might be a
barium release: in that case, it would probably be an experiment
by the Argentine space agency, which might have further information.
Today is Christmas here, and snow lies on the ground. To you
in mid-summer, wishes for a happy holiday.
David P. Stern