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Donald Menzel

American astronomer at Harvard University known as a prominent public sceptic of UFOs, who was posthumously revealed to have held a clandestine top-secret security clearance and associations with US intelligence and military agencies.

Harvard University · Astronomer; professor

Donald Menzel was an American astronomer at Harvard University, publicly known during his lifetime as one of the leading sceptics of UFO reports, and posthumously revealed to have held a clandestine security clearance and undisclosed ties to US intelligence and military agencies.

Benjamin Simon said Menzel described weather balloons and other aerial phenomena that, under certain weather conditions, can resemble UFOs.¹ Before the Second World War, Menzel worked with Vannevar Bush on the differential analyzer, an early analog computer.² In 1950 testimony given on Menzel’s behalf during loyalty hearings, Bush stated he had first known Menzel in 1934 or 1935, when Menzel was an assistant or associate professor of astronomy at Harvard interested in applying the analyzer to astrophysical problems.³⁴

Menzel’s public scepticism was expressed in his 1953 book Flying Saucers, in which he explained a major sighting as an atmospheric lensing effect.⁵ He applied this reasoning to the 1949 Charles B. Moore balloon and unidentified object sighting April 24, claiming the observers had seen a mirage of the balloon moving downward and to one side of it.⁶ Bruce Maccabee said Menzel made critical errors comparing his lensing theory with the data reported by observers of that sighting.⁷ Whitley Strieber found that Menzel’s description of the event in Flying Saucers did not match the official report,⁸ and Menzel did not mention the sighting angles reported by Charles B. Moore anywhere in the book.⁹ In 1966, Menzel poured benzine over a tankful of acetone during a televised documentary to demonstrate optical properties, in an attempt to convince the audience that UFOs were nothing but mirages.¹⁰

Menzel was also known for leading public attacks on Immanuel Velikovsky,¹¹ and for mentoring Carl Sagan at Harvard.¹² When Menzel’s name appeared as a founding member of Majestic 12 (MJ-12), alongside Bush, in the memo mailed to Jaime Shandera,¹³ debunkers initially cited his presence as evidence the documents were forgeries, given his record as a public UFO debunker who had written three books on the subject.¹⁴ Stanton Friedman later went through Menzel’s papers while researching the MJ-12 documents and found he had led an elaborate double life,¹⁵ including references to his participation in top-secret weapons programmes and intelligence committees.¹⁶

It emerged only after Menzel’s death that he had a clandestine association with the National Security Agency (NSA), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the United States Navy (USN), holding a top-secret-ultra security clearance.¹⁷ He never disclosed this relationship, even to Harvard.¹⁸ Friedman said Menzel’s undisclosed ties amounted to those of a deep-cover disinformation agent tasked with shutting down Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) stories.¹⁹

References (19)

Menzel described weather balloons and other aerial phenomena that can resemble UFOs under certain conditions
“Menzel of Harvard has described many aerial phenomena, weather balloons and thoughts that under certain weather conditions can look like UFOs.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill's Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:29:40.8-00:29:51.4
Bush and Menzel worked together on the differential analyzer before the Second World War
“Shortly before the war, Bush was also working closely with Dr. Donald Menzel, an astronomer at Harvard University, on the development of a "differential analyzer"—the world's first (modern) analog computer.”
Dark Mission ch12:68352-68549
Bush's 1950 loyalty-hearing testimony on first knowing Menzel in 1934 or 1935 at MIT
“I first knew DHM [Menzel] of Cambridge, MA, in either 1934 or 1935 when I was engaged in designing and building a machine known as a differential analyzer at MIT, where I was then VP and Dean of Engineering.”
Dark Mission ch12:68768-68963
Menzel was then an assistant or associate professor of astronomy at Harvard, interested in applying the analyzer to astrophysical problems
“Dr. M., who was then an assistant or associate professor in the astronomy department of Harvard University, was much interested in the possibility of applying the differential analyzer to the solution of certain astronomical and astrophysical problems.”
Dark Mission ch12:68976-69219
In Flying Saucers (1953), Menzel explained a major sighting as an atmospheric lensing effect
“the distinguished Harvard astronomer Dr. Donald Menzel, in his 1953 book *Flying Saucers*, explained that a major sighting, carried out by professional observers with good equipment, was "an atmospheric lensing effect."”
Communion ch14:27953-28165
Menzel claimed the observers saw a mirage of the balloon moving downward and to one side of it
“He claimed that what the observers saw was a mirage of the balloon, appearing at first above the balloon and moving straight downward until it was below and to one side of the balloon.”
Communion ch14:29330-29506
Bruce Maccabee said Menzel made critical errors comparing his lensing theory with observers' data from the April 24, 1949 sighting
“According to navy physicist Dr. Bruce Maccabee, critical errors were made by Dr. Menzel in comparing his own tensing theory with the data reported observers.”
Communion ch14:28174-28322
Whitley Strieber found Menzel's account of the sighting in Flying Saucers did not match the official report
“I found that Dr. Menzel's description of the sighting in *Flying Saucers* is not the same as in the report.”
Communion ch14:29222-29322
Menzel did not mention the sighting angles reported by Charles B. Moore anywhere in Flying Saucers
“Nowhere in his book did Dr. Menzel mention the actual sighting angles reported by Mr. Moore.”
Communion ch14:30185-30271
Menzel poured benzine over acetone on a televised documentary to demonstrate mirage effects and argue UFOs were mirages
“it showed astronomer Donald Menzel pouring some benzine over a tankful of acetone to demonstrate optical properties that were common knowledge since the eighteenth century. He was trying to convince the audience that UFO’s were nothing but mirages.”
THE INVISIBLE COLLEGE: What a Group of Scientists Has Discovered About UFO Influences on the Human Race ch10:10809-11049
Menzel led public attacks on Immanuel Velikovsky
“was the point man for the attacks on Immanuel Velikovsky, a psychologist who had written a popular book arguing for a catastrophic model of the solar system's origin”
Dark Mission ch12:71103-71262
Menzel served as Carl Sagan's mentor at Harvard
“Menzel, who served as Dr. Carl Sagan's mentor at Harvard, was essentially the Carl Sagan of his day”
Dark Mission ch12:71270-71366
Bush and Menzel were both listed as founding members of MJ-12 in the memo mailed to Jaime Shandera
“included both Bush and Menzel as founding members”
Dark Mission ch12:70848-70890
Debunkers initially used Menzel's presence on the MJ-12 list as evidence the documents were forgeries, given his record as a public UFO debunker
“At first, debunkers used the presence of Menzel on the list as "proof" the documents were forgeries, since Menzel had been a frequent UFO debunker publicly (having written three books on the subject)”
Dark Mission ch12:70899-71090
Stanton Friedman went through Menzel's papers and found he had led an elaborate double life
“long-time UFO researcher (and nuclear physicist) Stanton Friedman went painstakingly through Menzel's papers as part of his research for a book on the MJ 12 documents, and discovered that Menzel had led an elaborate double life”
Dark Mission ch12:71453-71676
Friedman found references to Menzel's participation in top-secret weapons programmes and intelligence committees
“Friedman found numerous references to Menzel's participation in a variety of intelligence projects and committees, including some top-secret weapons programs that would have made him an ideal candidate for MJ 12.”
Dark Mission ch12:71682-71891
It emerged after his death that Menzel had a clandestine association with the NSA, CIA, and US Navy, holding a top-secret-ultra clearance
“It was only revealed after his death that Harvard astronomer and self-described 'UFO sceptic' Donald Menzel had a clandestine association with the US National Security Agency, CIA and Navy (holding a top-secret-ultra clearance).”
In Plain Sight ch7:22632-22849 View the source record →
Menzel never disclosed this relationship, even to his own university
“It was a secret relationship he never disclosed, even to his university.”
In Plain Sight ch7:22861-22922 View the source record →
Friedman accused Menzel of being a deep-cover disinformation agent tasked with shutting down UAP stories
“Researcher Stanton Friedman has accused Menzel of being a deep-cover disinformation agent tasked to shut down UAP stories.”
In Plain Sight ch7:22934-23048 View the source record →

Donald Menzel

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