UFOs of Pudasjärvi
| Date | November 13, 1967 – January 29, 1971[1][2] |
|---|---|
| Location | Syötekylä, Pudasjärvi, North Ostrobothnia |
| Coordinates | 65°38′32″N 27°42′55″E / 65.64222°N 27.71528°E |
The UFOs of Pudasjärvi (Pudasjärven ufot) were light phenomena and flying objects that many people reported seeing in and around the Pudasjärvi's area in North Ostrobothnia, Finland in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[3][4] The highest number of sightings was reported in January 1971,[2] and the largest regional concentration of sightings was in Särkivaara (now Syötekylä), located about 145 kilometres (90 mi) northeast of Oulu and about 165 kilometres (103 mi) southeast of Rovaniemi in the vicinity of Iso-Syöte near the Taivalkoski's municipal border.[3][5][6] In terms of timing, it was also related to the Saapunki's "light ball" seen in Kuusamo in January 1971.[3][5]
The interest of UFO researchers and the press in the UFOs of Pudasjärvi was aroused by a sighting in September 1969. After that, UFO researchers from other parts of Finland and Sweden visited the region.[3] Scientists also took a prominent part in the public debate sparked by the UFO sightings in Pudasjärvi, commenting skeptically on the alleged observations and evidence; some parties even tried to find uranium in Pudasjärvi, inspired by the UFO sightings.[3] An earthquake light has been proposed as an explanation for the Pudasjärvi phenomena;[7] based on seismic magnitude measurements made in Finland, there are more earthquakes than usual in Northwestern Kainuu and Southeastern Lapland, most of which can only be detected with a seismometer,[8] and on the other hand, the Pudasjärvi region is home to an ancient fault line and the boundary between different rock types.[9]
In the 1970s, engineer Ahti Karivieri (1933–2022) and motorist Atte Särkelä (1936–2021) planned and implemented a small-scale photography project.[6][10][11][12] The result was approximately 400 shots of color slides, black-and-white photos and infrared images. The best and most research-valuable images were obtained on infrared film.[5]
See also
References
- ^ Kuningas, Tapani; Laitinen, Teuvo E.; Löfman, Markku (1994). 100 ufoa Suomessa (in Finnish). Kirjayhtymä Oy. pp. 109–110. ISBN 951-26-3934-3.
- ^ a b Borg, Björn (2001). Tosiasioita ufoilmiöstä (in Finnish). UFO-Finland ry. pp. 181–183. ISBN 951-98374-1-8.
- ^ a b c d e Lax, Soini (1972). Pudasjärven ufot. Uraania vai utopiaa? (in Finnish). Kirjayhtymä Oy. pp. 16–20. ISBN 951-26-0151-6.
- ^ Glascock, Taylor Emrey (29 October 2015). "UFO Sightings Inspired These Eerie Photos". Wired. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ a b c Kuningas, Tapani (1970). Ufoja Suomen taivaalla (in Finnish). Kirjayhtymä.
- ^ a b Koivuranta, Esa (25 June 2021). "Täällä nähtiin kummia". Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ Katoavatko ufot (1993), Ursa.
- ^ "Alueelliset seismisyystutkimukset ja seisminen riski" (in Finnish). University of Helsinki. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ "Bedrock Map of Finland 1 : 1 000 000 (JPG, 8 Mb)".
- ^ Tikka, Iina. "VALOILMIÖIDEN HÄIKÄISEMÄT. Ihmiset ufohavaintojen takana Suomessa 1970-luvulla" (in Finnish). Tampere University.
- ^ Rintala, Mirja (23 November 2021). "Atte Särkelä on kuollut – tuli tunnetuksi kuvattuaan outoja valoilmiöitä". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ Pikkupeura, Risto (17 November 2021). "Atte Särkelä on kuollut". Iijokiseutu (in Finnish).
External links
- Petteri Riikonen: "Ufoilua ja valoilmiöitä Suomessa" – Yle, 21 May 2015. (in Finnish)
- Vuosien varrelta – Iijokiseutu (in Finnish)
- Atte Särkelä, Ahti Karivieri ja Oulun Ufokerho, v.1971 (in Finnish)