Case file · Non-fiction & research literature
Michel, 'Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery'
French writer Aimé Michel's analysis of the 1954 French wave, claiming sightings fell along straight lines ('orthoteny').
1958 CE · 48.86, 2.35 · status: disputed
The account
Michel argued that sightings on single days aligned geometrically, suggesting systematic flight paths. It was an early attempt at quantitative ufology and influenced the young Vallée.
The sceptical view
Statistical analysis showed that random points produce similar alignments, and orthoteny was abandoned.
Connections in the atlas
- Vernon 'mother ship' sighting
- Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery
- The French UFO wave of 1954