28984197.pdf

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD

|  1. DATE | 2. LOCATION | 12. CONCLUSIONS  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  18 Aug 59 | Terre Haute, Indiana | ☐ Was Balloon ☐ Probably Balloon ☐ Possibly Balloon  |
|  3. DATE-TIME GROUP | 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION | ☐ Was Aircraft ☐ Probably Aircraft ☐ Possibly Aircraft  |
|  Local 1310 GMT 18/1910Z Aug 59 | ☐ Ground-Visual ☐ Air-Visual ☐ Ground-Radar ☐ Air-Intercept Radar | ☐ Was Astronomical ☑ Probably Astronomical Meteor ☐ Possibly Astronomical  |
|  5. PHOTOS ☐ Yes ☐ No | 6. SOURCE Civilian | ☐ Other ☐ Insufficient Data for Evaluation ☐ Unknown  |
|  7. LENGTH OF OBSERVA…

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
3
To DTC for analysis and/or evolution & basis for reply!

IN REPLY REFER TO
Theoretical Division
8719 Colesville Road
Silver Spring, Maryland

March 9, 1961

Mr. [redacted]
Terre Haute, Indiana

Dear Mr. [redacted]

The object which you describe was apparently traveling at an angular velocity such that its apparent velocity was about 1 mile per hour for every foot of height. It would therefore reach an ordinary meteoric velocity of perhaps 120,000 miles per hour at a height of 120,000 feet or 24 miles, which is a reasonable height for a meteor…

March 14, 1961

Dear Sir:

I have been advised by an expert that an observation carried on in August 18, 1959 of a meteor like object may be worthwhile recording in some journal.

At 19h 10m G.C.T., on the above date, an object was sighted at the zeneth of its angular flight. The calculated apparent velocity was 120,000 miles per hour and a height of 120,000 feet. At the same time of the observation a noise was heard which would resemble frying. The object was shell like in shape and traveled directly over LAT. 39° 28' 00" and LONG. 87° 26' 00" South - East to North - West. No trail or impact …

SCIENCE
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE
1515 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON 5, D.C. • DUPONT 7-7171

22 March 1961

Mr.
[redacted]

Dear Mr.

Thank you for your letter of March 14 in
which you describe seeing an object of unknown
origin. As you know, there are a good many such
sightings each year, and you should write not to
us but to the United States Air Force, Section on
Unidentified Flying Objects, Washington 25, D.C.

I am accordingly returning your letter.

Sincerely,

[redacted]

Enclosure

Am sending the entire thing to you
do what you wish with it.

[redacted…

24 April 1961

Dear Mr. [redacted]

This is in reply to your recent letter concerning an observation you described which occurred August 18, 1959.

The Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center furnishes the following explanation following a study of the situation reported by you.

ATIC states that the information furnished was very limited; however, the Center agrees with the conclusion offered by NASA that the object observed was probably a bolide. Bolides are those very bright meteors which are seen or heard to explode. (Your writer has been fortunate enough to observe two bolides.)

It is AT…

meteors such as that reported by you ionize at approximately 85 Km (53 miles - 279,840 feet) and only the largest, slowest-moving fireballs have not burned away by 60 Km (37.5 miles - 198,000 feet). The meteor reported by you seems to fall into the bright fireball class and probably endured to a much lower altitude. The absence of a trail, which would have appeared as smoke in the daytime, is not unusual for slow meteors.

Since the sighting reported by you probably lasted a relatively long time, it is possible that the sound reached the witness shortly after the meteor disappeared from sight.…

18 AUG 59
DPR
12 APR 1961

AEROSPACE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE
OHIO

REPLY TO
ATTN OF: AFCIN-4E

SUBJECT: UFO Sighting

TO: SAFOI-3d (L/Col Tacker)

1. References:

a. Letter to Mr. [redacted] from NASA, dated 9 March 1961 explaining the probable cause of Mr. [redacted] sighting of an unidentified flying object on 18 August 1959.

b. Letter to Science, AAAS from Mr. [redacted] dated 14 March 1961 outlining general information concerning his sighting of an unidentified flying object on 18 August 1959.

c. Letter to Mr. [redacted] from …

Canada, Vol 7, page 145 (1913)). Slow meteors such as that observed by Mr. [redacted] onize at approximately 85 Km (53 miles, 279,840 feet) and only the largest, slowest moving fireballs have not burned away by 60 Km (37.5 miles, 198,000 feet). The meteor observed by Mr. [redacted] seems to fall into the bright fireball class and probably endured to a much lower altitude. The absence of a trail, which would have appeared as smoke in the day time, is not unusual for slow meteors.

5. Since Mr. [redacted] is sighting probably lasted a relatively long time, it is possible that the sound reached h…