Rising of the Son no 18
The Cloud in Arizona
November 20, 2016
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
Luke 21:25 And there shall be
signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth
distress of nations, with perplexity;(That's
confusion and uncertainty, the people not knowing what to do) the sea and the
waves roaring; (tidal waves and
tsunamis) 26 Men's hearts failing
them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: (people
know there are things not right in the solar system, why do you think we have
such weird weather and why is there such a thing even as global warming) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then
shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things
begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your
redemption draweth nigh. (near)
Anointed ones at end time
65-0725M P:193 Now, I want you to know this is sure. And you that
listen to this tape, you might have thought today that I was trying to say that
about myself, being that I was packing this Message. I have no more to do with
it than nothing, no more than just a voice. And my voice, even against my
better judgment... I wanted to be a trapper. But it's the will of my Father
that I declare to do, and determined to do. I wasn't the One that appeared down on the river; I was
only standing there when He appeared. I'm not the One that performs these things and
foretells these things that happens as perfect as they are; I'm only one that's
near when He does it. I was only a voice that He used to say it.
It wasn't what I knew; it's what I just surrendered myself to, that He spoke through.
It isn't me. It wasn't the seventh angel, oh, no; it was a manifestation of
the Son of man. It wasn't the angel, his Message; it was the mystery that
God unfolded. It's not a man; it's God. The angel was not the Son of man;
he was a messenger from the Son of man. The Son of man is Christ. He's
the One that you're feeding on. You're not feeding on a man. A man, his words
will fail, but you're feeding on the unfailing Body-Word of the Son of man. If
you haven't fed fully on every Word to give yourself strength to fly above all
these denominations and things of the world, will you at this time do it, while
we pray?
Let us pray,...
Now, this morning we will be reading from the next seven paragraphs in
brother Branham's sermon the Rising of the Sun (Son) because in these seven
paragraphs Brother Branham does not change his thoughts at all, but rather
expounds on the cloud that came down over Flagstaff Arizona before the
preaching of the Seven Seals.
So we will be examining this Cloud this morning because there are some
who have fallen away from the Message and it all began with the Cloud, and
their lack of understanding just what took place when that Cloud came.
Now these next few paragraphs all speak of one thing, the appearing of the
Lord in a cloud in this hour that brought with it power and great
glory as spoken of in Luke 21.
Let's just read it again.
Luke 21:25 And there shall
be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth
distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's
hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And
then shall they see the Son of man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin
to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption
draweth nigh.
Notice it does not say with great power, like what took place in Moses day
or in the days of Elijah, but "with power and great Glory". So Jesus
placed the emphasis on "the glory" which we know this word he
used is the Greek word doxa which speaks of the Opinions, Values and Judgments
of God. In other words, the Word of God totally revealed to us in the breaking
of the seals which is what brother Branham will tell us as we begin to read
from paragraph number 3 of the Rising of the Sun
(Son).
Therefore let's pick up where we left off on Wednesday with the paragraph number 3 "Realizing that our time is limited
here, especially for those friends who are listening in by this telephone, I
would like to call your attention this morning to a picture that some time
ago was taken by the camera of a vision that I had here at the Tabernacle
of leaving Indiana to Arizona, where I was to meet in the form of a pyramid, seven Angels. Not
knowing what would happen, later when I got there, thinking it was the end
of my life, that no one could stand the blast... (And I'm sure all of you are
acquainted with the story.)
So for those of you who are not familiar with this vision of the
Lord, let's go back to December 30th of
1962 close to 5 months before the actual fulfilling of the Vision where brother
Branham was explaining the vision in his sermon...
Is this sign of the end sir
62-1230E P:70 Now, in this vision, or as I was speaking, I looked,
and I saw a strange thing. Now, it seemed like that my little son Joseph
was by my side. I was talking to him. Now, if you'll watch the vision real close,
you'll see why Joseph was standing there. And I looked, and there was a big
bush. And on this bush in a constellation of birds, little bitty birds, about a
half inch long and a half inch high, they were little veterans. Their little
feathers was beat down. And there was about two or three on the top limb, six
or eight on the next limb, and fifteen or twenty on the next limb, coming
down in the shape of the pyramid. And those little fellows, little
messengers... And they were pretty well worn out. And they were watching
eastward, and I was at Tucson, Arizona, in the vision. For it made it so
purpose that He didn't want me to fail to see where it was at, I was picking a
sand burr off of me from the desert. And I said, "Now, I know this is a
vision, and I know that I'm at Tucson. And I know that them little birds there represent
something." And they were watching eastward. And all of
sudden they taken a notion to fly, and away they went eastward.
71 And as soon
as they left, a constellation of larger birds came. They looked like doves,
sharp pointed wings, kind of a gray color, a little lighter color than what
these first little messengers was. And they were coming eastward swiftly. And no
sooner than they got out of my sight, I turned again to look westward, and
there it happened. There
was a blast that actually shook the whole earth. Now, don't miss
this. And you on tape, be sure you get this right. First a blast.
And I thought it sounded like a sound barrier, or ever-what you call it when
planes cross the sound, and the sound comes back to the earth: just shook like
roared, everything: Then it could've been a great clap of thunder and lightning
like. I didn't see the lightning. I just heard that great blast that went forth
that sounded like it was south from me, towards Mexico.
72 But it shook
the earth, and when it did, I was still looking westward. And way off
into eternity I saw a constellation of something coming. It looked like that it
might've been little dots. There could've been no less than five, and not more than seven.
But they were in the shape of a pyramid, like these messengers coming.
And when it did, the power of Almighty God lifted me up to meet them.
And I can see it. I... It's never left me. Eight days is gone, and I can't
forget it yet. I never had anything to bother me like that has. My family
will tell you.
73 I could see
those Angels, those shaped-back wings traveling faster than
sound could travel. They come from eternity in a split like a twinkling of
an eye, not enough to bat your eye, just a twinkle. They were there. I didn't
have time to count. I didn't have time, no more than just look. Mighty ones, great powerful
Angels, snow white, wings set in head, and they were "whew wheeew," [Brother
Branham illustrates--Ed.] and when it did, I was caught up into this pyramid
of constellation. And I thought, "Now, this is it." I was
numbed all over, and I said, "Oh, my. This means that there will be a
blast that will kill me. I'm at the end of my road now. I mustn't tell my
people when this vision leaves. I don't want them to know about it, but the
heavenly Father has let me know now that my time is finished. I won't tell my
family so they'll worry about me, because He's fixing to go and these Angels
has come for me, and I'll be killed pretty soon now in some kind of an
explosion."Then it came to me, while I was in this constellation,
"No, that isn't it. If it would've killed you it would've killed Joseph,
and I could hear Joseph calling me." Well, then I turned again, and I
thought, "Lord God, what does this vision mean?" And I wondered, and
then it come to me, not a voice, just come to me. Oh, that is the Angels of
the Lord coming to give me my new commission. And when I thought that, I
raised up my hands, and I said, "O Lord Jesus, what will You have me
do?" And the vision left me. For almost an hour, I couldn't feel.
Now, let's
skip to the end of the sermon where he speaks a little bit more about that
vision. Is this sign of the end sir 62-1230E P: 128
And
those blasting the other morning that shook me plumb till I raised up in the
air as high as this building, and that constellation of angels, seven
angels, in the form of a pyramid... Is that them thunders that's coming
forth? Could it be? This is all interpreted. According to his dream, it's all
finished. According to God's Word the seventh messenger will finish--seventh
message will be finished. And then the seven thunders, and he saw the
capstone rolled over, which many people don't even know there is seven seals
to be revealed. I've read many men's books on Revelations, never did hear
it talked on. They skip that. But it's been told you that it's there. I
don't know what it is. Could that be that? God, be merciful to us. If that
is, we're in a serious hour.
129 Now, just a
minute. Look. If that be so, and the mystery's finished that was wrote in these
rocks, I'm glad to be setting in a church with godly people, who God can give a
dream to. I'm glad to introduce to these men and women that goes to Junior's
church, and to this church, to Brother Neville's and them, that there's people
setting in this congregation, and the Bible said, "They
would dream dreams in the last days." And here it is, and look at it.
It's comparing with the Word. Knowing nothing about it, a blast come forth and here come
seven angels from eternity. I said, "Lord, what would You
have me do?" It wasn't told. I may have to go first to find out. I don't
know. Might not even be that; I don't know. I'm just saying, "What if it
is?" If it's Scriptural, that sounds very close to it. Don't you think so?
130 Look, then
look, the Capstone was not interpreted. See? "Get west and come back."
Or is it this? Is these seven angels in this constellation that came to
me... When I meet
you at the day of the resurrection, you'll see that I lie not:
God my Judge. Or is this that second climax that I talked about the other day.
Is there something coming forth for the church? I don't know. I could stay on
that a little bit, but I'll move on. Could it be that? The mighty thunder, or the
seventh angel in the seven constellation, seventh period constellation, the
pyramid made in a form, three on a side, and one on top, and they dropped from
eternity. Could it be? Is this the mystery of the thunders that will
bring back the Headstone? 131 And you know,
the pyramid never was capped. The Headstone's yet to come. It's been
rejected. Could it be, brethren, sisters. Or is this that third pull that He
told me three or four years ago. The first pull, you remember what happened? I
tried to explain it. He said, "Don't do that."The second pull, He
said, "Don't try..." And I pulled anyhow. You remember? All of you
remember; it's on tape and everything. And then He said, "Now, there's a
third pull coming, but don't try to explain it."You see how I approached
this tonight? I don't know. But I feel duty bound to my church to say
something. You draw your own conclusion.
Now,
brother Branham in December of 1962 did not know what this vision meant, but
here we are reading in The Rising of the Sun(Son), where he does know. So that
is what we want to find out.
"And then
in Sabino Canyon one morning like this, while in prayer, there had been a
sword placed in my hand and said, "This is the Word and the Sword of the Word." Later the Angels appeared as was
prophesied. And at the same time, a great cluster of Light left
to where I was standing and moved thirty miles high in the air and around
the circle, like the wings of the Angels, and drawed into the skies
a shape of a pyramid in the same constellation of Angels that appeared.
4 Science took the picture
all the way from Mexico as it moved from northern Arizona, where the Holy
Spirit said I would be standing (forty miles northeast of Tucson). And it went into
the air, and "Life"
magazine packed the pictures: a mystic something way in the spheres where there
can be no moisture, where there can be no evaporations of anything, thirty
miles high and twenty-seven miles across and coming right up from where those
Angels were. Now, they asked to know (science); one of them at Tucson
wanted to know any significance, but I didn't tell them. You all knew it
told beforehand, but it
wasn't for them; it was for you.
Notice br. Branham says "it was not for them, it was for you," the
believers." And he said Science took the picture, and I have shown to the
left the picture shown on the cover of Science Magazine April 19, 1963.
5 And so
there He spoke to me and said, "The Seven Seals will be opened. The seven mysteries, sevenfold
mystery of the Bible that's been closed up since the foundation of the world
will be revealed." And we, yet a humble little group compared
with all the world, we've enjoyed these blessings and hearing those
mysteries: Marriage, 
Divorce, Serpent's Seed. All those
different questions has been completely revealed to us, not by
man but by God Himself, that's opened those seven mysteries
of what the church was, how it was in Christ at the beginning, and how it would
be revealed in the last day. And now, as this went up... We have the picture
outside on the plaque. But then... I have the picture laying present here,
if you notice it as "Life" magazine had it. But I wonder if my
audience visible here has ever really looked at the picture (See, see?) in the
way it should be?
Now, what is very interesting is that on the reverse page of this picture
in life magazine is a picture of a rainbow, but no words on that page. The
words are actually on the previous page for an advertizing, but the picture of
a rainbow is on the reverse page and if
you hold this picture of the cloud up to light you will see the rainbow above
his head. God hiding in simplicity.
Revelations 10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down
from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was
upon his head, and his face was as it were
the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 2 And he had
in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 And when the seven
thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice
from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. 5 And the angel which
I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to
heaven, 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who
created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things
that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: 7 But in the days of
the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of
God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the
prophets.
Now, I think it not a coincidence that the rainbow was on the reverse
page and if you hold up the picture of the cloud, you will see the rainbow above
his head. And I think it not coincidence that the name of the
magazine is called "Life" magazine, for Jesus said, "I am the
resurrection and the Life." For this is all about Life to
us. And as brother Branham said, this was not taken for them, it was taken for
us. "Now,
they asked to know (science); one of them at Tucson wanted to know any
significance, but I didn't tell them. You all knew it told beforehand, but it wasn't for them;
it was for you."
Brother Branham continues, "6 You remember, I was preaching when this vision came,
upon the subject of the Book of the Revelations where the old judges, where
we seen Jesus in Revelations 1. When we started to open the Seven Seals, or the church
ages, rather, just prior to the opening of the Seven Seals, Christ was standing with hair
like wool, white; and I described that to you that the old English judges and
judges of long ago, when they went to the bench to be sworn in, their supreme authority was given
them; they
wore a white wig, as it was, over their heads to show their supreme
authority.
7 Well, if you'll turn the picture
like this and look (and you can probably see it from the audience), it's Christ. See
His eyes looking here just as perfect as it could be, wearing the white wig of
supreme Deity and Judge of all heavens and earth? Can you see His eyes,
nose, His mouth? Just turn the picture from this (the way they had it),
this a-way, the way it's supposed to be. And you... Can you see it? He is supreme Judge; there's
none other but Him. And that is a perfect identification again,
a vindication that this Message is the truth. It is true. And making Him, not a
third person, but the
only Person with the white...See, you see the dark, His face, His
beard, and His eyes? And notice, He's looking; from Him comes this Light
shining on the right-hand side to which He's looking to. And on the cross
that's where He looked, to the right, where He pardoned the sinner. In the
light of His resurrection we still go forth in His Name.
8 I wish, this morning, that I had just, much
time to spend upon these phenomenon, that's beyond any shadow of doubt been
proven for the past thirty years, or thirty-five years right here at this
church, since down on the river when that same Light came down here in Jeffersonville in
1933 and spoke those words: "As John the Baptist was sent to forerun
the first coming of Christ, your Message will forerun the second." We're at the end time.
And we see it. We wonder sometimes why it hasn't spread over the earth; maybe
sometime we'll have a chance to explain that, if God willing.
Before we continue, I want to read the scientific
report or at least some of it because it is seven pages, which I think that
number in itself holds some significance, but let me post up the official
report on the cloud because there are some who left the message over this
cloud. They say brother Branham lied about it, but listen, he told us the
vision he had of it at least 4 months before the actual cloud showed up. And
what took place was exactly what was in the vision. And we've already read that vision to you at
the beginning of this sermon, so let's read the official report, or the part
that I want to make a special point of interest concerning it. I will leave the
entire report in my notes but to save time, we will skip through much detail to
show you the area of importance because this is the part the make-believers
point to but just like they do with Scriptures, they only read just what they
want to read, and then they leave off that which makes it clear. And it does
make it very clear, but they missed it. I will leave his words in Brown because I do not wish to confuse them
with my own which are in black
or brother Branham's which are in blue.
Dr. James E. McDonald
Supplement
May 31, 1963
Institute of Atmospheric Physics,
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
STATUS OF INVESTIGATION OF THE NORTHERN ARIZONA
STRATOSPHERIC CLOUD OF FEBRUARY 28, 1963
James E. McDonald
I. General
This
report on the continuing study of the unusual ring-cloud
that was observed over Flagstaff area near sunset on February 28
has been prepared for the information of the many persons who have assisted in
this investigation. I had hoped that a fairly complete summary of the work
might have become possible some weeks back, but new questions have arisen that
are not settled even yet.
Nevertheless,
a summary of recent findings will be made here. Approximately
175 letters have now been received from persons who observed the stratospheric
cloud. Correspondence with those who indicated that they had
taken photos has led to a present total of 85 photographs
from 35 different localities in Arizona and New Mexico.
In
addition, two short movies have been received, though little cloud motion is
apparent on either of them. A preliminary scientific report on the cloud has
recently appeared in Science, Vol. 140, No. 3564
(19 April 1963), under the title, "Stratospheric
Cloud over Northern Arizona."The cover photo
of that issue is a shot of the cloud taken by C. E. Peterson of Bremerton, Washington. A photo taken in Springerville, Ariz., by I. E. Daniels
accompanies the text.
A set of four photos of the cloud will be found in the
May 17, 1963 issue of Life, along with a brief
discussion and plea for further photos.
The Science article, and still more the Life article, have led to a new surge of
correspondence on the cloud and on certain observations of other seemingly
similar clouds to be discussed below. In the latter category are about 75 letters, with more coming in daily
at the time of this writing. So far, only a few good photos have been turned up
as a direct result of the Life appeal;
but one of those (taken by F. H. Carver of Page, Ariz.)
is of such quality as to repay all of the effort that went into getting the
plea for more photos into Life.
II. Photo-site survey.
I
made a trip through central and northern Arizona in the period April 2-7 to
make detailed triangulation observations
of the foreground features and distant check-points that appeared in each
of about fifteen photos. This trip proved quite successful, and I take this
opportunity to thank once more the many persons who cooperated in those
surveys.
On April 20, I went to Lordsburg, N. M., to survey the site of
a series of six photos taken by H. J. McSpadden. These six were of special
value to the study because they were taken over a period of approximately
one-half hour, at recorded times. (The unknown time factor in most of the
photos remains a serious difficulty in photogrammetric analysis of the entire
set of 85 photos.)
III. Present estimate of
height, and related details.
A. Height. The survey work and the interviews
in and around Flagstaff have revealed that the southern tip of
the cloud lay about ten miles north of Flagstaff at about 1840 MST. (Mountain Standard time) This implies that the range of the cloud
from Tucson was greater than the initially assumed 190 miles. Using the revised range plus the angles of elevation
previously computed from the four photos taken in Tucson gives an altitude of
43 km, which equals about 140,000 ft. or almost 27 miles.
Now, this is important because brother Branham
was very precise that he was in Tucson in the vision and He saw the cloud
moving from the west toward the east. Flagstaff is actually north and West of
Tucson. And since the cloud moved from Flagstaff towards new Mexico it was
moving in an easterly direction in the vision and in the actual.
This revised altitude takes the
cloud still further above the height-interval of even Arctic nacreous clouds,
and puts it disconcertingly near the base of an "exclusion region" of the
mesosphere in which the temperatures are so high (due to ozone absorption of
solar ultraviolet radiation) that the saturation vapor pressure of water (or
ice) exceeds the total ambient air pressure. In that exclusion
region (typically from about 42 km to about 65 km), no water drops or ice particles can exist. Water can be
present there only in vapor form. The indicated altitude of the
Flagstaff cloud is slightly above the mean base of this exclusion layer, adding
further interest to the entire phenomenon.
B. Motion. Although precise photo-grammetry has
not been worked out to yield final motion estimates, preliminary analysis of
the McSpadden photos from Lordsburg indicate an eastward cloud drift speed of 95 mph for the upper limit, and 77 mph for
the lower limit, the uncertainty being due to the unfortunate fact that, on
the very first shot of this series, the time was uncertain to two minutes. An estimate of angular velocity of the
cloud over Flagstaff has been made by
Robert A. Schley (using subsequently-checked times of two long-distance
phone calls to obtain very close time-checks on his observations, made between
the calls). His angular velocity, along
with the present height estimate, gives an apparent speed of 110 mph.
There
have been only a few reports of early sightings of the cloud (or one like it); but these have not fitted into any consistent pattern. The motion
remains a rather uncertain feature, all in all. As will be seen below, this is
unfortunate, for the cloud's motion enters
critically into a test of one hypothesis as to its origin. It is hoped that the
ultimate photogrammetric analysis will shed further light on this point.
C. Some distant sightings.
Queries have been sent out to about twenty-five small town papers in Arizona
and surrounding states, and an A. P. wire story has gone much farther, asking
for observational details. No sightings
seem to have been made in California or Nevada, but some distant
observations were reported from localities to the east. Evidently many saw it in central New Mexico, reports coming from Santa
Fe, Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Truth
and Consequences, and Las Cruces. It was reliably reported by a
woman in Center, Colorado. But the most distant sighting reliably checked was
made in Juarez, Mexico, by J. H. Buels,
of El Paso, Texas. Mr. Buel's location was approximately 380 miles from the
cloud!
Now this is an important piece of information because
brother Branham mentioned concerning his vision that took place 4 months before
the appearance of this cloud that the cloud of angels moved in a blast towards
Mexico.
IV. Some excluded hypotheses
The true nature of the cloud cannot
yet be regarded as known; but a few hypotheses have been definitely ruled out.
So
we will list those hypotheses that have been ruled out as of this writing.
A. Contrail? Although this cloud initially seemed
to many, including myself, much like a high jet condensation trail, it lay far too
high to fit that simple hypothesis. Under the upper-air temperature conditions
prevailing on the 28th, as shown by the Winslow, Arizona, radiosonde records, jet
contrails could not have formed above approximately 24 km
(78,000 ft). Furthermore, no
operational aircraft can maintain steady horizontal flight at that altitude. Since
the entire ring had a circumference of the order of 150 miles,
and was essentially in a horizonal plane, it is quite out of the question to
attribute this cloud to any kind of jet effect.
B. X-15? One American aircraft can fly well
above 140,000 ft. That is the X-15 e-search aircraft. An analysis of the
thermodynamics of combustion of the fuel used in the liquid-rocket-motors of
this aircraft (liquid oxygen and ammonia) showed that it would produce
contrails to a higher altitude than could a turbojet engine, but only by a few kilometers. The upper limit to X-15 contrail formation
under conditions prevailing on the 28th was about 27 km, far too low to fit the
cloud. Furthermore, subsequent correspondence with officials at Edwards
AFB, the home field of the X-15's, and with North
American Aviation Co., wholly excluded the X-15 hypothesis, since no X-15 had been in the air for weeks
prior to and for a number of days following the Flagstaff cloud appearance on
the 28th.
C. Nevada Test Site atomic explosion?
The
cloud lay only about 250 miles east of the Nevada AEC test Site, and westerly
winds might conceivably have carried in some aftermath of an atmospheric test of
some sort. However, officials of the
Test Site reported no test activity of any sort occurring on that base that
might have had any connection with the cloud.
D. Naval Ordnance Test
Station activity? Looking
still further upwind for a possible artificial source, one might consider the
Naval Ordnance Test Station at China lake, Calif. Inquiries, however, turned up no activity there on the afternoon of the
28th, striking out that possibility.
Ok, now we are going to get to the hang up for those
make-believers who left the Message. But let's start with what Dr. McDonald
says is a possible explanation, but then he goes on to say although it is a
possible explanation there are too many things that makes us to not consider
this theory.
V. A possible explanation
- a Vandenberg AFB rocket explosion.
A. Thor booster
explosion. A
search of West Coast newspapers for the
28th disclosed a brief note on a
intentional destruction of a military-satellite launch booster sometime on the
28th. Further information was found in the March
11, 1963, issue of Missiles and Rockets, which contained the following
item: "The Air Force deliberately destroyed a
secret satellite, believed to be of the Discoverer series, after launching it
aboard the 'souped up'
Thor Feb. 28 from Vandenberg AFB. All four motors were ignited at
launch, but deviation from the programmed trajectory forced safety officials to
destroy the booster before payload separation. The
thrust-augmented Thor (TAT) is a
liquid-fueled Thor with three Thiokol solid rockets spaced around the Thor
case.
This
was the combination's first test. It
became essential to find the time of this detonation and to explore further
details bearing on the cloud, so both by direct inquiry and by inquiry through the Office of Naval Research in Pasadena,
further information was sought. Mr. E. E. Clary, Chief Scientist at Vandenberg,
has very kindly provided unclassified information on this flight. The booster was destroyed at an altitude of
146,000 ft, almost directly overhead (but a bit south) of Vandenberg AFB at
1352 PST. As soon as this information was received, it appeared to offer the
first solid clue as to the Flagstaff cloud's
origin. The altitude at
detonation was close to the photogrammetrically estimated cloud altitude, and
the time of detonation made it necessary to consider very seriously the
possibility that the Flagstaff cloud was some aftermath of the detonation.
A crucial question was whether the time interval between the detonation over
Vandenberg and the passage of the cloud over Flagstaff would match
photogrammetrically estimated cloud-drift speed and/or other independent wind-speed
observations. Taking 1840 MST as the
time of passage over Flagstaff, the 1452
MST ( = 1352 PST) detonation time implies a hypothetical
drift-time of 3 hours and 48 minutes. The
airline distance to Vandenberg from Flagstaff is 510 miles, so the minimum mean
drift speed required to associate these two events is very nearly 135 mph. This
required drift speed is substantially larger than Schley's
roughly estimated 110 mph, and even
further from the 77-95 mph estimated from the Lordsburg photos.
Thus
the agreement with respect to drift speed seemed rather poor, even
though the height agreement between detonation and cloud seemed very
encouraging. It was clearly necessary to
seek further wind data, so inquiry was made concerning possible observational
data from the Meteorological Rocket Network.
B. Rocket wind-data. The
two nearest rocket-wind observation points happen to be rather well located to
indicate winds along the trajectory that might have carried some explosion
aftermath from Vandenberg to Flagstaff: One
station is at Pt. Mugu, Calif., and the next nearest one is at White Sands, N.
M. Queries were sent to both stations. White
Sands sent a Judi sounding rocket up at 0800MST on 28 February, about 10 hours
before the Flagstaff passage. At
140,000 ft. the winds were 109 mph from WSW; at 150,000 ft. the winds were 97
mph from WSW. The following day, March
1, at 1215 MST, White Sands launched a Loki II sounding rocket that indicated
winds of just over 90 mph from WSW at
both 140,000 and 150,000 ft. No sounding was available from Pt. Mugu on the
28th; but an Arcas launched at 0800 PST
on March 1 indicated winds of 127 mph from the west at 140,000 ft. and 112 mph
from the west at 150,000 at that time.
The
rocket-sounding winds come tantalizingly close to fitting the hypothesis that
the Flagstaff cloud was some byproduct of the Vandenberg detonation; yet the agreement is not quite close enough to be conclusive.
The White Sands winds of the morning of
the 28th seem significantly too low to match the required drift speed of 135
mph; but they agree rather well with the maximum cloud-drift speed
estimated from the Lordsburg photos. It is regrettable that no Pt. Mugu winds
were measured on the 28th. They would have shown whether the winds at that
upwind location were enough higher than those at White Sands to imply a mean
drift speed of around 135 mph. (A
West
Coast speed of something like 160 mph would be needed to yield the required
mean of 135 mph, if
we take the White Sands 0800 speed of 109 mph as typical of the stratosphere
over Flagstaff near 140,000 to 150,000 ft. at 1840 MST on the 28th.)
Although
Mr. Willis Webb of the White Sands missile Range emphasized, in phone
conversation on the problem, that variations above or below measured winds at
times between observations might well approach 20 per cent of the measured
values at these levels, it remains uncertain whether one
may concluded that the Flagstaff cloud was due to the detonation at Vandenberg.
It is necessary to seek still further crosschecks.
So Dr. McDonald tells us here that the tests they did were
not conclusive in making any positive assertion that the cloud was from the
rocket destructive blast. This next section is where we come to the heart of
the problem. Dr. McDonal speaks of two clouds, one possibly from the exploded
missile and then the original which they could not scientifically find out its
origin. Notice the title of this paragraph.
C. Unsettled questions. At
this writing, further inquiries are being sent to the Chief Scientist of the Pacific
Missile Range, to whom I have been directed by Vandenberg AFB for further
information. It is hoped that phototheodolite movie records of the detonation
may exist and may yield data on the initial drift speed and drift direction of
the explosion cloud. Also, the initial configuration of the explosion cloud
will be sought, along with information on possible presence of a side-explosion
to the west of the main explosion. The latter item bears on the interesting
problem of the "secondary cloud" west of the main one at Flagstaff. Many photos and still more
letter descriptions establish the
presence of a smaller, roughly similar cloud some twenty miles west of the main
ring. This cloud was definitely seen to form and to dissipate during
the period of prominent visibility of the "main cloud".
Photos
show it to have a more pear-shaped form than the main ring;
and a short fish-tail formation existed at its northern extremity. It
is difficult to see how a single detonation over Vandenberg could have also led
to this secondary cloud. Mr. Clary, at Vandenberg, was fairly certain that no
side explosions occurred; but this will be checked further.
In
addition, information will be sought concerning the weight of liquid propellant still unburnt in the Thor at instant of
detonation. This item of information will permit quantitative estimates to be made of the total water of combustion
released in the explosion, as well as the heat release (for use in estimating
buoyant circulation generation). These points, if they can be cleared up, may
finally settle the question of whether the Flagstaff cloud can plausibly be
identified as an aftermath of the Thor detonation over the California coast.
In this next paragraph Dr. McDonald tells us of the
frustration they are having because of all the impersonation reports that are
coming in.
VI. Other observations. A wholly unanticipated
result of the now numerous appeals through press, radio, TV, and both
scientific and popular magazines for more photos of the Flagstaff cloud has
been the receipt of a very substantial number of reports (and a very few photos)
of other roughly similar cloud phenomena. At
first, these were confined to the
Southwest and to the time period following immediately after the Flagstaff cloud appearance. But
more recently, these reports have come in from other parts of the country,
including now some seventeen reports for a night-luminous ring cloud seen in
the central Atlantic seaboard area around 2100 EDT on May 23rd (possibly a Wallops Island tracer
experiment - queries will shortly be made concerning this hypothesis). In addition, perhaps a dozen of the inevitable crackpot letters have been
received as a result of Life's wide circulation; but there is little difficulty
in distinguishing these letters from the far more numerous, straightforward
letters reporting rather peculiar cloud sightings. Finally a few of
the recent letters are obviously reports of persons who have seen either solar
haloes, lunar coronae, or iridescent lenticular altocumulus clouds. The
legitimate reports are under study.
VII. Concluding comments. The
final objective of this study is to prepare a detailed scientific report for
publication. The immediate task ahead is the photogrammetry. The decision as to
how detailed a photogrammetric analysis to undertake on the 85 photos available
for the Flagstaff stratospheric cloud will be made only after information can
be obtained from the Pacific Missile Range. If it appears nearly certain that the cloud cannot be associated with
the Vandenberg detonation, then the unprecedented height and configuration of the
cloud will justify rather extensive photogrammetry. If it appears likely,
on the other hand, that it was some side-effect of that detonation, it is still
of considerable meteorological interest as a ready-made tracer experiment and
as a telltale clue too certain interesting characteristics of the atmosphere in
the little-known region of the stratopause, and hence will justify further
analysis - but not as much analysis as if it is not attributable to the
Thor-booster explosion.
In
either event, the many persons who have assisted in the study and who may be
wondering what is developing, should be informed that there will now be no further informal dittoed status reports of this
sort. When a published report or reprint becomes available, copies will be
sent to each person who has cooperated; but this may not occur now for a good
many months. Hence, I want again to say thank you for your generous help in the
study of this very interesting and unusual cloud.
It is very clear to me after researching this report that there were two
clouds that day on February 28th. Twins. The main cloud he speaks of I believe
to be the one God showed William Branham in a vision 4 months before it
occurred and then the second cloud, the twin which Satan sent via a missile
blown up to create chaos, uncertainty and unbelief.
Wednesday we
will continue with our study on the significance of this cloud. I have also
copied the Science magazine article below for any who would wish to study this
out further.
Let's bow our
heads in prayer.
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Science Magazine
19 April 1963 Vol. 140 No. 3564
Cover:
Ring-shaped cloud seen at sunset on 28 February
1963 in northern Arizona and areas of nearby states. The height, as estimated from
four photographs made in Tucson, Arizona, about 190 miles to the south of the
cloud (which appeared overhead near Flagstaff), is about 35 kilometers. This
photo was taken by Clarence E. Peterson of Bremerton, Washington, while he was
looking almost due north from near Camp Verde, Arizona. The unusual nature of
the cloud was evident to observers who noted its striking luminosity long after
the sun had set at ground level. It was at least 11 kilometers higher than the
upper limit of possible jet contrail formation, and was at least 5 kilometers
higher than previously reported nacreous clouds of the arctic type. Its true
nature is still unknown; more photos are being sought for triangulation
purposes. See page 292.
Stratospheric Cloud over Northern Arizona
Abstract. An unusual ring-shaped cloud was
widely observed over northern Arizona near sunset on 28 February 1963. From a
large number of observers’ reports it is known to have appeared overhead near
Flagstaff, Arizona. From initial computations based on four photos taken in
Tucson, 190 miles south of the cloud, its altitude was approximately 35
kilometers. The most distant observation reported was made 280 miles from the
cloud. The cloud remained sunlit for 28 minutes after local sunset. Iridescence
was noted by many observers. Tentatively, the cloud may be regarded as similar
to a nacreous cloud; but its unusually great height and unusually low altitude,
plus its remarkable shape, suggest that it was a cloud of previously unrecorded
type.
Near sunset, on 28 February 1963, a cloud of
unusual configuration and coloration was observed in widely scattered
localities in Arizona and some surrounding states. The cloud took the form of a
large oval ring (clear in the middle) with the long axis running north and south
(Fig. 1 and cover photograph, this issue). It remained brightly illuminated
well after the sun had set on high cirrus clouds to the west. From Tucson, 190
miles to the south, its angular elevation appeared to be about 6 degrees. A
rough computation of its height, based on sunset geometry, (1) made immediately
after the cloud entered the earth’s shadow, led me to appeal by press and radio
for confirmatory reports in order to establish the approximate location and to
secure descriptions from the largest possible number of other observers.
From approximately 150 reports, many
communicated by persons well aware that they had seen a type of cloud
unprecedented in years of skywatching, it was quickly established that the
cloud lay overhead in the vicinity of Flagstaff, Arizona, that it exhibited
iridescence of the sort associated with stratospheric nacreous clouds in the
arctic (2,3), and that its internal structure was very peculiar.
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To observers nearly underneath, the colors green
and blue were visible, and a pinkish cast was noted at times. A fibrous
texture, described by several independent observers as resembling a “wood
grain” appearance, was present over much of its northern extent, but its
southern end was denser and more cumuliform. Its overall shape was compared by
some (ranchers) to a horseshoe or a horse collar if it was viewed from south;
from the north it appeared as a closed loop with a long thin trail that could
be seen extending northward, from the oval, and several observers in that
sector compared its shape with that of a “hangman’s noose.” The cloud was seen
from distances as great as 280 miles (near Douglas, Arizona and Albuquerque,
New Mexico, respectively).
Many observers reported a second cloud off to
the northwest of the main cloud, with shape very much like that of the main
cloud, but only about a quarter as large. Correctness of these reports has been
established from some of the first photographs that have come in from northern
Arizona. The cloud was evidently moving generally south-eastward, though visual
reports are in some conflict on this point; this point can only be resolved
from further studies by triangulation.
By fortunate coincidence, the cloud appeared
within a few tens of miles of the U.S. Weather Bureau radiosonde station at
Winslow, Arizona, and a high-altitude sounding had been completed there only an
hour before the appearance of the cloud. A jet stream lay almost directly under
the cloud and over Flagstaff, and there were peak winds of 98 knots from the
northwest occurring over Winslow at an altitude of about 11 kilometers.
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