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Project Hessdalen (Hessdalen Lights)

Hessdalen is a small valley in the central part of Norway. At the end of 1981 through 1984, residents of the Valley became concerned and alarmed about strange, unexplained lights that appeared at many locations throughout the Valley. Hundreds of lights were observed. At the peak of activity there were about 20 reports a week. As no official institute with governmental support in Norway seemed to be interested in these strange lights, five individual researchers began their own research project in 1983: Project Hessdalen. A field investigation was carried out between 21.January and 26.February 1984. Fifty-three light observations were made during the field investigation. Lights are still being observed in the Hessdalen Valley, but their frequency has decreased to about 20 observations a year. An automatic measurement station was put up in Hessdalen in August 1998.

key articles, documents & resources

Hessdalen - Description of the phenomena

Project Hessdalen

There can be a big difference in how the Hessdalen phenomena look like. The difference is so big that there might be different kind of phenomena we are facing. These differencies can be seen both in the pictures and in the description from the observers. The phenomena can be organised in different types, based on how it looks like, the movement and how it behaves.

Hessdalen - Pictures of the phenomena

Project Hessdalen

Some pictures of the phenomena and from the fieldwork.

Italian Committee for Project Hessdalen

Many key, technical articles and documents related to Project Hessdalen and the Hessdalen Phenomenon.

Project Hessdalen

Erling P. Strand (Østfold University College), Project Hessdalen

Excellent overview article on Project Hessdalen, by project leader Erling P. Strand. "Project Hessdalen acquired its name from the small valley of Hessdalen. In December 1981 did the inhabitants start to see strange unknown lights in Hessdalen. It was a high observation rate until the summer of 1984. In one week there could be as many as 20 observations. Project Hessdalen came into being on 3rd June 1983 when people from UFO-Norway, UFO-Sweden and Foreningen for Psykobiophysic came together to discuss what to do with the activity in Hessdalen."

Project Hessdalen - Offical Website

Project Hessdalen was established in the summer of 1983. A field investigation was carried out between 21.January and 26.February 1984. Fifty-three light observations were made during the field investigation. This is the official website of Project Hessdalen, with reports, articles, photographs and other resources.

Project Hessdalen (PDF) PDF Document

Erling P. Strand, Project Hessdalen

Strange unknown light phenomena started to show up in Hessdalen December 1981. There could be up to 20 observations a week. This period lasted until late 1984. Today there are in the order of 20 observations a year. Project Hessdalen ran a field investigation in 1984 and 1985, and are now running Hessdalen Automatic Measurement Station (AMS). Many pictures and instrumentation readings have been obtained. PDF version of this overview article, with images and photos.

Project Hessdalen 1984 - Final Technical Report

MSc.EE. Erling Strand, Project Hessdalen

The report first gives an introduction to the project. Telling about the history of the lights and the running of the project. Then it lists all the instruments, and the arguments for using these instruments. Then it presents the results. All the details about the measured data are in the appendix. The fourth chapter discusses what we learned during the project part 1, and what we should have done differently. At last, there is a conclusion.

The Hessdalen Mystery Lights

Philip Mantle

It was the LITS (‘light-in-the-sky’) in Hessdalen that attracted the attention of UFO researchers from Norway and Sweden in the early l980’s, and since then many others from around the world. The Hessdalen LITS were the first to be subjected to scientific scrutiny using a whole host of hi-tech equipment. Hessdalen really was the scene of "Science vs. The UFO". R

other articles & documents

A Long-Term Scientific Survey of the Hessdalen Phenomenon

Massimo Teodorani, Journal of Scientific Exploration, 1 June 2004, vol. 18, no. 2

"The balls of light which appear in the Hessdalen valley in Norway are exemplary of anomalous atmospheric luminous phenomena that occur frequently at some locations on Earth. The apparent correlation of luminous phenomena with magnetic perturbations, radio emission, and radar tracks, found by Norwegian researchers, led some Italian physicists and engineers of the EMBLA Project to reanalyze the Norwegian data." Abstract of the article available online, full article available for purchase and download.

EMBLA 2002: An Optical and Ground Survey in Hessdalen (PDF) PDF Document

Massimo Teodorani, Ph.D. and Gloria Nobili

A two-weeks scientific expedition to Hessdalen, aimed at investigating on field mysterious atmospheric light-phenomena, was carried out in August 2002 by the physics section of an italian team of scientists.

Hessdalen - Nordic UFO Mystery

Emma Ojanen, Cropo Circle Research, Enigma Issue 17

For years we have been talking about Roswell, Area 51 and other Big World mysteries related to UFOs without realising that we have our own enigma in Northern Europe ˜ in a place where everyone can freely travel and, which is openly shown on the Internet. Hessdalen lights have been seen ever since the 1940's and now it is, as we know, the only place in the world, where UFO phenomenon is monitored by a camera around the clock.

Hessdalen - Valley Of Enigmatic Lights

Science Frontiers, No. 155, Sep-Oct, 2004

Science Frontiers first mentioned the Hessdalen Phenomenon in 1995. (SF#98) Nearly a decade has passed, and many more visual and instrumental data have been amassed by Norwegian and Italian researchers. R

Hessdalen Lights

Flavio Gori

Peder Skogaas, a 65 Hessdalen inhabitant, tell me that in the beginning persons reporting those lights decided to remain silent with people outside the valley to not appear to be lunatic.  R

Hessdalen Lights

Udayavani (Karnataka, India regional newspaper)

Hessdalen is a valley in central Norway. It lies southeast of Trondheim and about 30 kilometres northwest of the town of Roros. The whole valley stretches 12 kilometres in length and has only around 200 inhabitants. The valley is special for one very unusual thing - strange and mysterious nocturnal lights. R

Hessdalen Lights

Brendan Kilmartin, posted on The Supernatural World

In December l981, unknown lights suddenly started to appear in the skies above Hessdalen. As no official institute with governmental support in Norway seemed to be interested in these strange lights, five individual researchers began their own research project: Project Hessdalen. R

Italian conference to study Hessdalen

Jonathan Tisdall, Aftenposten (Norway)

The small Italian town of Cecina is establishing ties with the Norwegian village of Hessdalen. Hessdalen is world-renowned for its inexplicable light phenomena. A flurry of sightings in the early 1980's was skeptically received, but Hessdalen is now the focus of serious researchers who are willing to risk the taint of the unknown. R

Norwegian UFO Guide Has Seen Hessdalen Phenomena 58 Times!

Udresfeavifen / Norway | Arne R. Dahl - Apr 29.02 (reprinted on FarShores)

Bjarne Lillevold was one of the first to discover the strange light phenomena in his hometown. Today the Hessdalen Phenomena are known around the world.  R

Project Embla (PDF) PDF Document

Bjørn Gitle Hauge, International Conference on Engineering Education, August 6 – 10, 2001 Oslo, Norway

The Embla project was born in 1998 as a joint research program between Istituto di Radioastronomia, Bologna, Italy and Østfold College, Norway. This project is carried out by scientists and engineering students from Italy and Norway. The goal of project Embla is to study the electromagnetic behavior of the unexplained luminous phenomena occurring in the atmosphere in a remote Norwegian valley, Hessdalen.

Project Hessdalen - Automatic Measurement Station (AMS)

Project Hessdalen

A brief description of the Project Hessdalen station, with information on the cameras and other sensors that are part of the Automatic Measurement Station.

Project Hessdalen in journals

Project Hessdalen

Articles on Hessdalen in scientific journals and other magazines.

Project Hessdalen Researchers To Step Up UFO Hunt

Aftenposten - Norway / Rense.com, 6/30/01

Researchers studying mysterious light phenomena in Hessdalen will now add radar and three new cameras in order to document the distance and speed of the regularly observed UFOs.  R

Sturrock Panel Report, "Physical Evidence Related to UFO Reports": Project Hessdalen

Peter A. Sturrock

Section on Project Hessdalen from the Sturrock Panel Conference Report, "Physical Evidence Related to UFO Reports". R

The Hessdalen luminous phenomenon: a data analysis

Massimo Teodorani, Ph.D and Erling P. Strand, M.Sc.E.E.

In the period 21 January - 26 February 1984, a group of researchers from "Project Hessdalen", was investigating a luminous phenomenon that was occurring with strong recurrence in the area of Hessdalen in Norway. Various instruments were used in order to monitor the phenomenon. In the present work, an attempt has been done to try to explain such a phenomenon, based on the data achieved during the investigation period.

The Hessdalen phenomena - Theories

Project Hessdalen

It is difficult to find one theory that covers all the different observations that has been done, and which is based on the common knowlegde that exist "today" of our nature and our universe. If we split the observations in different fields, and say that they have nothing to do with each other, it might be possible to discuss possible explanations on some of these fields.

The Physical Study of Atmospheric Luminous Anomalies and the SETV Hypothesis

Massimo Teodorani, Ph.D., 3rd World Symposium on Space Exploration and Life in Cosmos (2002)

The work-hypothesis named SETV predicts that exogenous vehicles and/or probes may have reached the Solar System too, including Earth. The possible presence of probes of possible extraterrestrial origin on our planet may be ascertained by using a network of sensing stations which are placed in critical areas. One of them is the norwegian area of Hessdalen, where the two scientific explorative missions of “Project EMBLA” have carried out measurements which demonstrate the existence of all the anomalies of the luminous phenomenon which is present there.  R

websites & organizations

Hessdalen - Pictures of the phenomena

Project Hessdalen

Some pictures of the phenomena and from the fieldwork.

Hessdalen - Short films

Project Hessdalen

Downloadable movies of the phenomena.

International Earthlight Alliance: Hessdalen Gallery

International Earthlight Alliance (IEA)

Hessdalen is a 15 km long valley located 120 km south of Trondheim city, in the middle of Norway. There was a three year long outbreak of earthlight sightings there, starting in December of 1981 . Many pictures were taken during that period.

Italian Committee for Project Hessdalen

Many key, technical articles and documents related to Project Hessdalen and the Hessdalen Phenomenon.

Observations done in the Hessdalen area

Project Hessdalen

Reports of observations done in recent years, 1996-2004.

Project Hessdalen - Articles and Reports

Project Hessdalen

Technical and general reports and articles on the Hessdalen Project.

Project Hessdalen - History

Project Hessdalen

Project Hessdalen - Offical Website

Project Hessdalen was established in the summer of 1983. A field investigation was carried out between 21.January and 26.February 1984. Fifty-three light observations were made during the field investigation. This is the official website of Project Hessdalen, with reports, articles, photographs and other resources.

The Triangle Project

The Triangle Project is a private non-profit project researching the light phenomena in Hessdalen, Norway. The phenomena can be observed either high up in the sky or close to the ground, in some cases on the ground. Project Hessdalen was the first attempt to investigate systematically into these phenomena. The Triangle Project is proud to announce that we are conducting our investigations in close cooperation with Project Hessdalen.