On 3rd September 1976 much of the world looked on as NASA’s Viking 2 touched down on the surface of Mars. A momentous and historic event, no doubt. While the Soviet Union had achieved several probe landings on Venus going back to the early-1960, the mission ahead for the Viking probe was much more futuristic and potentially important for future space missions. Space missions currently in the planning with both NASA and the private sector.

Meanwhile, though, back on Earth during the same time, coincidentally or not, several strange close encounters and UFO sightings would unfold. And all in completely different locations of the planet. What’s more, they all feature a strange, oval or disc-shaped craft (depending on the witnesses’ angle), and all the incidents would unfold either on the ground or at very low altitude. Several would even include sightings of humanoid figures or strange occupants. Undoubtedly there will be more encounters. Maybe buried away in a file of reports or even untold, known only in the memories of those who witnessed them.

While the Viking 2 probe was busy beginning its long-term mission on the red planet, a region known as Utopia Planitia, several strange crafts were embarking on their own apparent missions on Earth. The 3rd September 1976 is not only home to one of the most significant events in the history of humanity and space exploration, but it is a twenty-four period that UFO researchers in all areas of the planet had their focus on a more terrestrial plane. The following are four of the strange UFO encounters of that twenty-four-hour period. All are intriguing. Might they also share a connection other than just the date?

Strange Disc Disappears Into The Tundra Of Bethel, Alaska

In the early hours of 3rd September in Bethel, Alaska (a place with several previous UFO encounters to its name), the anonymous witness, a young woman, was walking on the tundra-like land when she suddenly heard a “very high-pitched whine” coming from above her. When she tilted her head, she could make out what she thought was a “white beach ball”, moving smoothly through the morning sky, although relatively close to the ground.

Suddenly, the object shifted its position and tilted slightly. She could now see clearly that it was a disc shape with a rotating middle section that appeared to be made from shiny platinum-like material.

As the witness remained still and watched this shining craft, she noticed it suddenly began on an arced trajectory before heading straight back to the ground. Bracing herself for the object to hit, the witness was more than confused when it simply disappeared. As if the ground itself had simply swallowed the object whole. As soon as the craft vanished, the intense whine ceased. After several moments, the witness walked over to where the object had “come down”. To her amazement, there was nothing to suggest any kind of collision. Nor was there any markings to attest to the object’s presence.

Incidentally, in the weeks that followed the incident, the witness would claim to suffer from strange and intense dreams. Even more bizarre, she would claim some of these “dreams” would result in out-of-body experiences. During these apparent astral projections, she would find herself roaming through large corridors. At the same time, “large objects” hung above her, as if “suspended in space”. These objects were of fantastic size and shapes, and all glowed brightly.

Of course, the sighting in Bethel wasn’t the only encounter during this strange twenty-four-hour period.

UFO Landing And Humanoid Sighting In Italy

In the town of Ravenna, Italy, a short time later, Lorenza Jole heard a sudden noise which caused her to investigate through her front window. Stunned, she would witness an oval-shaped object between two houses opposite hers on the ground. She would later estimate the object to be around ten feet high and around seven feet across. Even more bizarre, several smaller spheres were also visible in the vicinity of the craft. Unlike the object, which was a pink color, the smaller spheres were a bright white.

It was then that she saw the strange and slightly menacing humanoid figure stood in front of the craft. It was dressed in some strange “battle-like armor” including a heavy-clad helmet. Unsure whether the figure had noticed her, Jole went to another window to get a better view. However, by the time she reached this vantage point, the figure was gone. And the object was rising rapidly into the air. Then, it vanished into the sky at great speed.

Whether the sighting in Italy shares a connection with the sighting in Bethel, Alaska is open to debate. It is perhaps interesting, though, that each of the witnesses would describe the craft as oval or “ball-like”. In the case of the Alaska sighting, this description would change in sympathy with the craft’s position.

Several hours later, two more sightings would unfold. Both of them thousands of miles away from the first two incidents. And each other. The first would take place at around 7 pm at Serra do Mouro, Santa Catarina, Brazil, when a 19-year-old farmworker was returning home for the evening. However, he would suddenly notice a strange object in the sky ahead. And what’s more, it appeared to be heading in his direction.

Close Encounter Paralysis Case In Brazil

As this strange object made its way to the witness, he would take in as much detail as he could. He would describe the object as being in two distinct parts or sections, although each appeared to be of the same grey, metallic-looking material. The bottom section resembled a “deep bowl” which looked as though it was rotating as it moved. The upper section, by contrast, was almost flat with a bright light on the top. Furthermore, this light appeared to change color depending on how fast or slow the craft was going. The witness would remember seeing the light change to shades of red, orange, yellow, white, and green at various times during its approach. He would later estimate the craft to be around ten feet across.

It passed overhead of him before coming to a stop slightly ahead, hovering around twenty feet above the ground. Then, as the witness watched, a red beam suddenly emerged from the bottom of the craft and projected directly down to the ground. Not quite believing his eyes, the witness would state that within this beam, standing around three feet tall, were three small figures. Each was descending down to the ground. They were now directly in front of him.

The witnessed removed a knife from his person and suddenly launched it at one of the creatures, hoping to scare it away. However, as if protected by an invisible shield, the knife bounced away before it could make contact. As if in retaliation, one of the creatures would point a “rod-like device” at him, a blue beam striking him simultaneously. As soon as it did, he became paralyzed. Shortly after, he would lose consciousness. A neighbor would find him and bring him inside. When he awoke, he was inside his home.

The Doll-Like Creatures Of County Durham, England

In the mining village of Fencehouses in County Durham, England, a 63 and 18-year-old woman were walking home at a little after 9 pm. They had been at a friend’s home for the evening, and although the remains of the summer still clinging on, the skies were beginning to darken considerably. As they were making their way back, however, they noticed a strange object, on the ground on wasteland near the old mine shaft.

Intrigued, the two women walked towards the object. The closer they got, the clearer the details became. It was a distinct oval shape and standing on legs or steel runners. They would estimate it to be around three feet high and five feet across. There was a glowing orange section on the top of the object, and the witnesses would describe the exterior as being mainly “glass-like”. Bizarrely, when the two women reached the strange craft, the traffic and general noise of the village suddenly stopped. As if they had stepped inside an invisible bubble. Furthermore, when the elder lady reached out to touch the object, it had a distinctly warm feel to it.

It was then that two creatures, about the size of a doll, appeared inside the craft. Each had large eyes and claw-like hands, as well as a spurt of long, white hair. Upon seeing these strange creatures, a surge of panic went through the women, and they turned to run. As they did so, the object suddenly came to life. It began to rise from the ground and shot into the air at high speed. A strange “humming sound” was audible as it did so.

A Most Interesting, And Historic, Twenty-Four Hours

There were also several interesting details noticed about the County Durham incident. For example, both women would notice their wristwatches stop working when approaching the craft, likely at the time the traffic and background noise “cut out” (which is a particularly interesting detail in itself). When they moved away from the object as it took off and disappeared, their watches each began to work again. Given that they were each exactly ten minutes slow, they women would suggest this was the amount of time they were in the UFO’s presence for.

Perhaps even more bizarrely, was an incident of the elder witness the following day, who you will remember would physically touch the strange craft. While going about her usual house chores, she went to plug in her hoover. However, whenever she attempted to put the socket into the wall, a “strange force” would prevent from doing so. As if someone was physically pushing her hand away. She would ask her daughter to plug the hoover in, and she had no problem doing so. Does this suggest some kind of “transfer of energy” from the strange craft into her body when she reached out to it? It is a detail that is most interesting.

Whether or not this apparent spike of activity on Earth at the same time humanity was placing an object on Mars shares a connection is open to debate. There are, however, some intriguing details to examine. Many of which come up repeatedly in multiple other UFO cases around the world.

Persistent Technological Details

The account in Brazil is particularly interesting. Largely due to the “rod-like device”, the use of laser-beams or “solid light”, and the resulting paralysis following such light striking the witness. We have examined several such paralysis cases. All of which are remarkably similar, including the administration of such paralysis and from what kind of device. Furthermore, they are on record across the decades and from locations all over the planet. While it is a detail perhaps more at home in science-fiction movies in the minds of many, the number of documented cases would suggest that not only is this a very real and advanced technology, but that the same race of alien, at least in such paralysis cases, appears to have been making return visits to the planet, all over the planet, for some time.

“Solid Light” cases are also not as few and far between as some people might think. And like the use of “paralysis beams”, their existence, to some, belongs in the movies and comic books. It would appear, however, that such a technology is in use by one extraterrestrial race or another. It is certainly an interesting detail. Might it be some kind of artificial gravity and/or vacuum creating technology that allows occupants to “glide” down to the ground from their respective crafts above? Or might it be more in line with some kind of teleportation technology? If that is the case, does this technology only operate in the immediate vicinity of these mysterious objects? Or might they work from much farther away?

The 3rd September was certainly an interesting twenty-four hours. For humanity, and for our apparent cosmic visitors. The short video below looks at both the Viking 1 and 2 missions. An interesting piece of history in its own right.