Question about sphere found in the 1970s

This is for the older members out there who may remember or have a lot of older research books on UFOs:

There was a case in the 1970s where someone had found a purportedly alien sphere. It brought out a lot of curiosity and was photographed. I don't remember if it was ever tested, but I do know the family did not like the publicity and put the sphere away never to be seen again. I don't think it was ever proven a hoax, and the family did not cash in on anything. If anyone remembers or can find a link somewhere about it, I would be quite happy. I have searched everywhere on the internet (many sites out there!) and have turned up empty.
Thank you.

I don't know about one from the 70's, but this one happened in Alabama in 2005. A white shiny, pearl-like sphere was recovered.

Here's the link:

www.content4reprint.com...

reply to post by kidflash2008


This recalls to me the Fortunato Zanfretta's story, a very sad one:

Perhaps an explanation may be found in an object that the mysterious beings wanted to give to the man. It was a transparent sphere with a pyramid inside. Something like jumping sparks were discharged from the pyramid's vertices toward the inside. With that sphere, the aliens said, it was possible to understand who they were and how they live. Under hypnosis, Zanfretta said that he didn't want to take the object: he had had enough of all these strange encounters and wished only go back to his normal life. But they insisted, and told him that he was to give the sphere to a man of whom name he had never heard before: Dr. J. Allen Hynek

The Zanfretta Case
Could you please check the link and tell me if is what you're looking for?

reply to post by virraszto


Thank you, but the one I am thinking about was metallic and I believe gold colored. I don't know where it crashed (Florida comes to mind, but I could be wrong), but a family member found it. I remember this a long time ago, and I did find an article in a UFO encyclopedia book. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the book and there are thousands of them out there.
Thank you for the link, it is an interesting find.

reply to post by internos


That one isn't it (although I bookmarked the page on that fascinating case). The one I am thinking about happened in the US (Florida comes to mind). I do know the family got tired of the press bothering them and took the sphere with them into hiding. It happened in the seventies when there was a lot of UFO activity (and a big interest in New Age stuff).

I don't think any of these are the one you're looking for, but they're all interesting:

Kingsbury Texas Sphere

Alabama Sphere Project

Paul Maley's Space Debris Page

I was a teenager and young adult in the 70's, but I don't remember hearing about your case. I can vaguely remember a couple of fiction stories that sort of match ... but that's all. Sorry not to be more help.

reply to post by Heike


The second report sounds close. I do remember the family kept the object. I do like the military stating they would destroy it. (More than likely to ship it off to some secret location).
The spheres seem to be more common than I thought. I hope people who do own any mystery sphere would have it tested by a University and report it to MUFON or other good investigative agency.
These spheres are evidence, and could prove the ET hypothesis once and for all.

reply to post by kidflash2008


hey kidflash2008,

i remember exactly what you are talking about and i spent two hours last night looking for anything about that case but i couldn't find anything.

it almost seems like it has disappeared from the web.

i will keep looking here and there.

I think I found it! I've U2U'd kidflash 2008 with the address. Sadly, I can't creat links or upload pictures from my work PC, so I'll just have to keep watching here to see if it's the right story. If anyone else wants to go get it and link it on here, please U2U me and I'll point you in the right direction. Thanks.

-Static Sky

reply to post by Static Sky


Okay, here we go:

Strange sphere baffles U.S. navy JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - The United States Navy says it is mystified by a metal sphere found by a family here. "There's certainly something odd about it," CPO Chris Berninger said after initial attempts at identifying the 25-pound object that the Antoine Betz family says appeared outside their home here recently. (In the picture above, 12-year-old Wayne Betz wonders if the sphere is some kind of bugging device.) "We're going to use a more powerful machine on it and also run spectograph tests to determine what metal it's made of," Berninger said. The family said the ball moves strangely, apparently of its own volition, and throbs as though a motor were running inside. The sphere, slightly smaller than a bowling ball, appears to be made of stainless steel.

Source

and

Ball from Space

Terry Betz was a twenty-one year old pre-med student. He and his father, Antoine, were inspecting 88 acres of newly acquired timberland located on Fort George Island just east of Jacksonville, Florida, when they came across a highly polished, round, metal ball, approximately the size of a bowling ball. The date was May 27, 1974.

Terry decided to take the ball back home. Later on he gave it a closer examination and found it to be a perfect sphere, slightly smaller than a regular size bowling ball. Its weight was 25 pounds. Terry soon also discovered that the ball seemed to move with a mind of its own. When he rolled it, it always rolled away from him as any ball would do, eventually stopping. However, once it paused, it would roll back to him! Sometimes it would veer off to the side, stop, then vibrate for a short time, but always returned to the person who rolled it.

Lou Egner, a reporter and photographer for a Jacksonville newspaper, was sent to do a story on the unusual sphere. Being very skeptical of the unknown ball, the reporter gave it a roll. He later said that the ball stopped, made a turn rolling four more feet, then stopped again. It then rolled another eight feet, made a big arc, then rolled right back toward him, stopping at his feet.

The reporter took the time to examine the ball closely, he later wrote in his story, and found that it was made of some sort of metal, very similar in appearance to stainless steel. The ball had no seams on it, and only a small triangular mark on its surface. One spot on its surface attracted metal as would a magnet.

The family continued to play with the ball for several weeks and found many more amazing things it was able it was able to do. For example, when Terry struck the ball with a metal object (like a metal tool) it produced a ringing sound, and strumming his guitar near it caused the ball to emit a sound as if responding to the guitar. They also found the ball was sensitive to weather conditions: sunny days produced more activity than cloudy days. Direct heat or infrared seemed to have no effect on it.

Yet, the most amazing feature of the ball was how it performed when placed on a flat surface above ground level. When placed on a piece of glass above the ground, it would roll to the edge, but not fall off... it would go right up to the edge, stop, reverse direction and stop at the other edge. It seemed as if the sphere had some sort of built-in sensing or guidance system. It the case of the piece of glass, it would eventually roll along the edge of the glass as if trying to find a way to get off.

At this point, the Betz family began to consider the possibility that they might be in possession of some type of alien space probe, so they decided to have scientific test done on the object. The “ball from space” was examined by Dr Carl Williston of Omega Minus One, an institution located in the state of Louisiana at the time. In his six hours of testing, Dr Williston found that the sphere contained three magnetic poles and a possible fourth. He stated that the aspect of the magnetic field was a mind bender, the flux density of the field appeared to vary in strength based on an unknown pattern. Simply stated, the power of the magnetic portion varied up and down. Back in 1974, this phenomenon was not part of our known physics. The same applied to the multiple poles.

An x-ray was taken of the object which revealed 3 similar spheroid shapes within the ball. Curiously, these 3 shapes had a “halo” surrounding them, as though they were surrounded by a material with a different density. The metal was similar to stainless steel, but had some unknown content making it slightly different.

Conclusions: This unusual ball was a magnetic sphere sensitive to magnetic fields, numerous sound emissions, and mechanical
stimulation. It was both passive and active. If it was an extraterrestrial probe, it might possibly be in a damaged state.

Where is the Betz ball today? There is no certainty as to its present location. At one point though, the mysterious sphere had created enough excitement that both Dr J Allen Hyneck and Dr James A. Harder (former APRO Director of Research) wanted to perform their own testing; however, I am not sure if the tests were ever carried out. Unfortunately, both men are now deceased.

If someone made the metal sphere, they apparently went through a lot of trouble (and money) to create it as well as they did. It makes no sense that they did not bother to try and retrieve it. Perhaps, the “ball from space” might, indeed, be just that... something from beyond our Earth.

Source

Please note that these links were provided by Static Sky; I'm only putting them up here for him because he can't.

I saw that movie it was called heavy metal. I believe the sphere ended up killing everyone....lol.

reply to post by Heike


Thank you so much for helping out, Heike! I can't tell you much I appreciate it. I owe you one.

And kidflash2008, I hope this is what you were looking for. I'd never heard of this case before but thanks to your clues, I've read all I can find on it. Very interesting stuff.

A star and flag for you, kidflash2008, and a star for my good friend Heike's help. Cheers.

reply to post by Static Sky


Thank you Static Sky for finding it and Heike for putting it up. I wonder if there are any researchers out there who could locate the family and test that orb? UFO Reality, this could put you on the map!
This is one case where there is evidence and possible proof of alien life forms out there. The truth is still out there.

Thank you again, starred your finds and added you both as friends!

reply to post by kidflash2008


I really hope someone can find that sphere. It would be a shame if that B&W newspaper clipping of Wayne Betz is the last we ever see of it. Sounds like a very compelling story to say the least. I can't imagine how the story just dropped out of circulation, even in 1974. I hope it's not just sitting in some nameless government warehouse collecting dust.

reply to post by Static Sky


I believe the family owns the sphere. That is why I think some serious UFO researcher should try to contact the family. This is the stuff that needs to be looked at, and the testing that was done shows this to be quite a strange object.

reply to post by kidflash2008


I have no doubt the family started off with ownership of the sphere. (What I finds, I keeps, right?). But I imagine the government has some law that any US military technology must be returned to the US military. So what's to stop them from approaching the Betz family quietly, claiming it's an experimental US device of the utmost importance and top secret? Then they say it's a matter of national security, turn it over or face the consequences and stop talking about it.

The other option is someone with a lot of money and unknown interests came forward and made the family an offer they simply couldn't refuse. Money talks.

If the latter scenario is the case, it should be traceable. If the prior rings true, it may not be. If the family indeed still has the object, why wouldn't they come out and make a few million on it now. Books, videos, public appearances, magazine rights....All could prove very lucrative to them. I can't imagine they just put it in the attic and there it sits. That just seems too inconceivable to me.

reply to post by Static Sky


In the article I read all those years ago, it stated the family took it with them. Did the government/military take the sphere from them after that? A good possibility. I hope the family has it in some attic or basement in a box, waiting for a new generation of the family to discover it and bring it to a good researcher.

reply to post by kidflash2008


This is the REAL power of ATS
I was so disappointed for not being helpful, but someone else has found it, you see?
I am so PROUD for sharing my membership with these people: this time wasn't easy.

[edit on 3/9/2008 by internos]

reply to post by internos


I couldn't agree more, Internos. Since joining ATS, I've had an absolute riot on here! And I'm quite proud of myself for finding this one based on the clues from kidflash2008. As I stated before, I'd never heard of this case. Now kidflash2008 has me onto it and I'll keep looking for more. Great thread. Be well.

[edit on 9/3/2008 by Static Sky]

Cool old ufo story. I remember mid 80's a similar disc found on a beach in USA. I think it was a saucer shape, and it was claimed to be shrouded in mystery. I don't remember if it was ever proven as a hoax, but it was found in the sand and given t the military.......anyone know this story? It was about 3 feet in diameter.