PROJECT BLUE BOOK

et eee —

|

MILITARY AIR
1. DATE

25 Sep 60

PROJECT 10073 RECORD

CARD

mee

-_— - - ——

2 LOCATION

S of Midway Islands

ee

3. DATE-TIME GROUP

4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION

Local 0D Ground- Vi sual 0 Ground-Roder
GMT 26/0700Z XY Air Vi wel OD Alr-intercept Rodor
5. PHOTOS a. SOURCE
O Yes
: {Ne Military
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE
4 min one

12. CONCLUSIONS

oose aoa sao ooo

Was Bolloon
Probobly Balloon
Pessibly Bolioon

Was Ai:croft
Probably Aireroft
Possibly Aircroft

Wos Astronomicol
Probobly Astronomicol
Possibly Astronomicol

Other
Insufficient Dote for Evaluation
Unknown

10, BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING

Round or oval object, six inches in diameter,
continually changing red, green and white. The
light from the object was very bright. Object
climbed from water level, sped past the tail.
Object passed from view behind a cloud bank.

Tl. COMMENTS

Object was probably atmospheric
refraction of the star Arcturus.

ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 52)

Refractian Ac us

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION ‘

| JOINT MESSAGEFORM -(( INUATION SHEET et. ee

FROM:
ATIC, W-P AFB

APPROX DURATION OF EACH SEPARATE SIGHTING OF THE OBJ? HOW DID THE

WITNESSES DETERMINE THAT EACH SUBSEQUENT SIGHTING WAS THE SAME
| OBJECT?

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PARAPUR? 3S SO, N PHYSICAL
& CATEGORY B BENCH ETON 3 BY DATE-TIME GROUP

ALL INTERNAL R
ce-I+ 492

PRIOR TO DECLASSIFICA ‘TLON

7 iT RIG. OR REFERS TO CLASSIFICATION
PRECEDENCE TYPE M6G (Check) a al ° ibe 38302 eS ehennien
ACTION ROUT [NE BOOK MULTI | SINGLE Ai CIN- 30
nro Jar | Abin ie —

ROM: SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
a
ATIC, W-P AFB , ,
- en, ee eee $s \ FE
COFS USAF WASH DC ps | (or ch , ASS i |
Auth P |
Tta- Datdy G MAY 4959
MMMM 20M: AFCIN -LE2x s DAR 2051, faa @
YOUR MSG AFCIN-88302 AND ATTC MSG AFCIN-JjE2x IC-),168). IT IS
THES ATIC CONCLUSION THAT THE OBJ WITNESSED BY THE CREW OF A MILITARY
ATRCRAFT AT O700Z ON 26 SEP 60, WAS PROBABLY ATMOSPHERIC REFRACTION
OF THE STAR ARCTURUS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT POSITION 21-52N, 178-25W. : =
REFRACTION IS THE BENDING OF LIGHT AS IT ENTERS OR LEAVES A DENSER = |
OR LESS DENSE MEDIUM. IMAGES ( LIGHT ) SEEN UNDER THESE CONDITIONS
WILL SEEM TO TWINKLE, CHANGE BOTH COLOR AND INTENSITY, CHANGE SHAPE
AND SIZE, AS WELL AS TO DANCE AROUND AND APPEAR TO RUSH TOWARD AND
AWAY FROM THE OBSERVER. A SECONDARY EFFECT IS THAT OF DISPERSION,
LIGHT OF DIFFERENT WAVE LENGTHS (COLOR) BENDS AT DIFFERENT ANGLES,
‘
THEREFORE THE OBJECTS ALL APPEAR MULTI-COLORED. WHEN THE SUN,
MOON OR STARS ARE LOW ON THE HORIZON THE LIGHT RAYS ARE BENT BY THE 4 |
DATE "| TIME
ATMOSPHERE INTO A CURVED PATH WHICH RENDERS THESE OBJECTS VISIBLE 12 1423
MONTH ee
Bo rapes) oct | 1960
| SYMBOL = SIGNATURE
7) a“ 4 f) Rie - —
ash caged | Z. f a ee a hme’ SPA |
WI TYPEo NR Re. Be Samus. Vi efguired) 1 E [Weep (og stamped) NAME AND TITLE
i| Major~Robert’ J. Friend Ww 1k kio~wP v |
El Puons 49216 bas 1 [ets 2 |e PHILIP G. EVANS
[sseonrs TY CLAG6SIFI & Sdlonel, USAF
| | 7 Deouty for Science and Comoonents AY
DD FORM 1 73 REPLACES DO rene 173, 1 OCT 49, WHICH WILL BE UBEO UNTIL EXHAUSTED '
1 MAY 6S

\ |
JOINT MESSAGEFORM - C( INUATION SHEET SECURITY CLASSIFICATION s

FROM: a? ie nade dete aie
ATIC WP AFB WINGY ANS ele

WHEN THEY ARE IN REALITY ABOUT ONE-HALF DEGRSE BELOW THE HORIZON.

THE INCREASING DENSITY OF THE LOWER AIR CAUSES THE RAYS TO BEND. Jf &

THE STAR ARCTURUS WAS AT AN AZIMUTH WHICH CORRESPONDS TO THAT

REPORTED BY THE WITNESSES AND WOULD APPEAR ON OR JUST BELOW THE

VW

HORIZON-AT THEIR LATITUDE AT THE HOUR OF THE SIGHTING, THE
MAGNITUDE OF ARCTURUS IS 0.2, ONLY FIVE STARS; BETELGEUX, CANOPUS,

SIRIUS, RIGEL KENTAURUS AND VEGA ARE BRIGHTER. THE MOTIONS

ATTRISUTED TO THE OBJ ARE PROBABLY DUE TO APPARENT MOTIONS RE&SULT-

ING FROM INCONSISTENCIES IN THE ATMOSPHERES AND RELATIVE MOTION

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RESULTING FROM AIRCRAFT MOVEMENT. IT WOULD NOT BE UNUSUAL FOR

SHINAUAAAU IWNUALNI T1V
I—NOLLGAUONY # ANODALVD

NOLLVOMMISSVINAdG OL NOMNd
OL UOld LddOXT GUNINOUU LON USVUHdIVUVd

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EXPERIENCED OBSERVERS TO BE FOOLED BY THIS PHENOMENA. STMILAR ests
<
Pp
EXPERIENCES HAVE EVEN FOOLED QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL ASTRONOMERS 55
a
| FOR A LIMITED TIME. a
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SYMBOL Tiege gi "T PAGE | Ne OF | SECQURITY CLASSIFICATION SS INITIALS
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1960 SEP 27 03 29 FELSPuoMEy ar
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ZCSQB802ZCQYAO043 |
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O 2702262 ZEX
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FM COMDR PACAFBASECOM HICKAM AFB HAWAII -—~ he ine
TO RJWFAL/CMDR AIR DEFENSE COMMAND ENT AFB COLORADO ~/

RJHPKA/CMDR HAWAIIAN AIR DEFENSE DIVISION WHEELER AFB HAWAII

RJEDSQ/CMDR AIR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER WPAFB OHIO a

RJEZHQ/HQ USAF WASH DC
RJEZHQ/SEC OF THE AIR FORCE WASH DC

BT
UNC LAS E F T O FROM BDI 212. HQ USAF FOR AFCIN.e SEC OF AF FOR SAFIS.

REFERENCE AFR 200-2, PARA 15. SUBJECT: UFOB REPORT. UFOB WAS
SPOTTED 26/0700Z. REPORTED AS FOLLOWS Als OBJECT WAS ROUND OR OVAL
5 CONTINUALLY CHANGING RED, GREEN AND WHITE. ONE COLOR WOULD LAST
FROM THREE TO FOUR SECONDS BEFORE MIXING INTO NEXT COLOR. THE

LIGHT FROM THE OBJECT WAS VERY BRIGHT. 4. ONLY ONE OBJECT SIGHTED
SEVERAL TIMES. 56 N/A 6. NONE 7. NO TAIL DESCERNIBLE 8. NO SOUND
HEARD BY THE CREW. 9. NONEs Bl. OBJECT WAS VERY BRIGHT. FIRST

SiGHTE ¥ THE LEFT SCANNER, THEM THE RIGHT SCANNER, NAVIGATOR,

tome trian

PAGE TWO RJHPKM 167F

PILOT AND AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, IN THAT ORDER. 2e OBJECT CLIMBED FROM

WATER | LEVEL AT EIGHT O'CLOCK POSITION. SPED PAST THE TAIL TO THE

FIVE O'CLOCK POSITION. MISSION AIRCRAFT IN A TURN TO THE LEFT. |
OBJECT LOST FROM VIEW. NEXT SIGHTING, MISSION ACFT OUT OF TURN
LEVEL AT FIFTEEN THOUSAND FEET CSE TWO ONE ZERO DEGREES, OBJECT
SIGHTED AT SIXTH/ DEGREES REL BEARING FORTY DEGREES HIGH MOVING
ACROSS MISSION ACFT NOSE TO A REL BEARING OF THREE THREE ZERO
DEGREES LOW. OBJECT PASSED FROiM VIEW BEHIND A CLOUD BANK, TOPS,

TEN THOUSAND. De 26/07112-2152N/17325W. OBSERVED FOR A TOTAL

OF FOUR MINUTES (2) NIGHT. an yr FLe
BT iy NCLAS ui 4

27/0241Z SEP RJHPKM

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JIRTICY 26 LIVED yw
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FM HO-USAF . v7
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TO RJEDSQ/ATIC A
INFO RJHPKM/PACAF 7
BT
SEE From arcin 33322.
REQUEST AN ANALYSIS BE ACCOMPLISHED AS TO ANY ASSOCIATION OR
CORRELATION WHICH CAN BE DEDUCED FROM ALL UFOB REPORTS WHICH
HAVE BEEN SIGHTED NEAR THE SIBIR CLASS VESSELS OR NORTHWARD
FROM HAWAII OVER THE PAST 19 DAYS. IT IS REQUESTED A REPLY
BE ACCOMPLISHED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WITH PACAF ALSO ADDED AS
ADDRESSEE.
BT
25/ 23442 SEP RJEZHQ Vette MEIEL
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Font #

PASE TWO RJHPKM 71IC

SCATTERED CUMULUS, TOP

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‘> | WHEN FIRST SEEN THE OBJ WAS FIVE DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON AND

> | ae "BELOW RESERVED FOR COMMUNICATION CENTER

SECURITY CLAG6SIFIC
JOINT MESSAGEFORM eae)

TYPE MSG (Check)

PRECEDENCE

ACTION ROUTING

ACCOUNTING | ORIG. OR REFERS TO CLASSIFICATION
SYMBOL OF REFERENCE

AF AFCIN-38302 SECRET

INFO. * ROUTING

ATIC, WeP AFB
COFS USAF WASH DO KLIS TtH HP
INFO: PACAF HICKAM AFB HAWAIT RTH PEM

/SECRET/FROM: AFCIN=lE2x LC LEG

FOR AFCIN. REF YOUR MSG AFCIN 88302, ONLY TWO SIGHTINGS OF UNIDENTI

FIED FLYING OBJECTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO ATIC FROM THE HAWAILAN
AREA IN THE PAST 10 DAYS. ON 18 SEP 60, AT 1015Z AND POSITION
35-20N, 176-18W, AN ELLIPTICAL SHAPED OBJ THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL

WAS SIGHTED, THE O8J LEFT A TRAIL AND WAS BRIGHT ORANGE IN COLOR.

FOLLOWED A HORIZONTAL TRAJECTORY ON A COURSE OF APPROX 100 DEGREES.
THE OBJ was APPROX FIVE DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON WHEN IT DISAP-~

PEARED. THES OBJ WAS IN SIGHT FR 20 TO 30 SECONDS. WITNESSES
REPORTED THAT THE SPEED OF THE CBJ APPEARED SLOWER THAN THE AVERAGE

-| METEOR. THIS SIGHTING WAS REPORTED BY THE CREW OF A NAVY AIRCRAFT.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

-
DATE TIME

ATIC ANALYZED THIS SIGHTDVG AS PROBABLY DUS TO THE CSSERVATICN OF 423 §(1300

~

MONTH ‘EAR

A MSTEOR OF THE "FTRESALL” CLASS. THE DESCRIPTION BY THE WITNESSES | Se

| 1960

SYMBOL bIGNATURE f

N-L.52x a

Pal fi . Dip an Cm ae

YPED (or tfemped) NAME AND sisi ©
f?
ae /
/PYILIP G. SVANS

j _etwe ‘*

TYPEO NA

Major i
| PuON ST 59215 7 —— 1 Nae 3 ;

—_—--- —
| SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

~—
X
AMUPMMmMA

Colonel, USA?
i- Deputy for Science and Components

—-pe
D FORM 1 73 REPLACES DD FORM 173, 1 OCT 49. WHICH WILL BE USEO UNTIL EXHAUSTED
MAY 65

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SECURITY CLASSIFICATIC

 JO'NT MESSAGEFORM - CL...INUATION SHEET

_————e.

ATIC, WP AFB

— <2 meee &

FITS THAT OF THE CHARACTERISTIC FIREBALL, EVEN TO THE RELATIVELY
SLOW VELOCITY. FIREBALLS ARE CHARACTERISTICALLY SLOWER THAN THE
ORDINARY METEOR AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE OF THOSE SEEN IN THS
EARLY EVENING, THE TIME THIS SIGHTING OCCURRED.

ON 26 SEP 60, AT 0700Z AND POSITION 21-52N, 178-25W, AN UFO WAS
OBSERVED BY THE CREW OF A MILITARY AIRCRAFT. THE OBJ WAS RPTD AS

ROUND OR OVAL IN SHAPE, SIX INCHES IN DIAMETER AT ARM'S LENGTH AND

CONTINUALLY CHANGING-FROM RED TO GREEN TO WHITE AND REPEATING THE
CYCLE. EACH COLORSWOULD PERSIST FOR THREE TO FOUR SECONDS BEFORE
CHANGING TO THE NEXT. THE LIGHT FROM THE OBJ WAS RPTD TO BE VERY

BRIGHT. ONLY ONE OBJ WAS RPID, BUT IT WAS OSSERVED SEVERAL TIMcS.

ee oe

THE O8J LEFT NO TAIL OR TRAIL AND MADE NO SOUND WHICH COULD BE

DETECTED BY THE WITNESSES. WHEN THE OBJ WAS FIRST SIGHTED THE

MISSION AIRCRAFT WAS IN A LEFT TURN, THE OBJ APPEARED TO CLIMB
FROM WATER LEVEL AT THE EIGHT O'CLOCK POSITION, SP&D PAST THE

TAIL OF THE RPTG AIRCRAFT TO THE FIVE O'CLOCK POSITION WHERE IT WAS

asi I me wee
~

OST FROM VIEW. WHEN NEXT THE O8J WAS SEEN THE MISSION AIRCRAFT
_WAS LEVEL AT 15,000' ON A COURSE OF 210 DEGREES. THE OBJ WAS

SIGHTED AT SIXTY DEGREES RELATIVE BEARING AT LO DEGREES ELEVATION

AND MOVENG ACROSS THE NOSE TO A RELATIVS BEARING OF 330 DEGREES
LOW. THE OBJ DISAPPEARED BEHIND A CLOUD BANK WITH TOPS AT 10,000',.
THE OBJ WAS OBSERVED FOR A TOTAL OF FOUR MINUTES. THIS RPT ARRIVED
AT ATIC ON 27 SEP 60, AND HAS NOT AS YeT BEEN ANALYZED DUE TO THE

ASSENCE OF SSSENTTIAL DFO witCd HAS SutN ReQUESTED F2 PACAY,

| VIEW OF THE INFO WHICH IS AVAILASLE, THIS O5J COULD POSSISLY HAVE

INITIALS

_. 4

¥ = DD, Sey 173-1] , | an .- ~ YU. S-SOweenwenT PaIeTING OFFICE: 1959—e92236

: ' 3 SECURITY CLASSIFICATION |

_‘—

a =

ATIC, W-P AFB
BEEN A USSR MISSILE OR A STAR NEAR THE HORIZON WITH MOTION OF

a

| THE MISSION AIRCRAFT GIVING IT AN APPARENT MOTION. IF THIS OBJ

| WAS A MISSILE, AND THE RPID INFO OF ITS FLIGHT PATH TRUS, If WAS
| PROBABLY FIRED FROM SOME SURFACE VESSEL. A LONG RANGE MISSILE
WOULD HAVE HAD-A PATH WHICH APPEARED MUCH STRAIGHTER AND IT WOULD

HAVE APPEARED TO CRIELMAES B5-a ek ABOVE THE HORIZON. HQ USAF
WILL BE PROVIDED WITH THE COMPLETE ATIC ANALYSIS IMMEDIATELY UPON

——_ ee + eer oe

ITS COMPLETION.

Te oe Oe tee ot ee

—— 9 @ «

+.
| "Al ic : i
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| res | Tummy 4 POO
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yMaOL Tat ke 2 DAGe] TR GF] OBCURITY CLASSIFICATION | INITIALS
=. pe | PAE | . ¥

: AP CIN S2x 3 <a . ee |
ef. DD, may 3 17-3 UA 3, SOrEENMERT PRET NS orriens 1vhe—enasS 4

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JOINT MESSAGEFORM

SECURITY CLASBSIFIC

UNCLASS IF TED

Ne KR 7 = gor.

Tak

_

_ —

SPACE BELOW RESERVED FOR COMMUNICATION CENTER

>/,7

Pw. si?
bold

INFO

‘a PRECEDENCE 1560 SEP p=

MUL

“ee v= ACCOUNTING
1 : SYMBOL
SINGLE

ORIG. OR REFERS

BOI 212

To CLASSIFICATION

OF REFERENCE

UNCLAS

—wc)M-
.

ATIC, WP AFB

HICKAM AFB, WE #AWAILT psy Prem

/UNCLAS/PROM: AFCIN-hE2x GP-27/5—-C

PACAFBASECOM, REF YOUR MSG BOI 212, DID 27 SEP 60, REQ THE FOLLOWING

Cc?

INFO CONCERNING THE SIGHTING OF AN UNIDENTIFIED O8J ON 25 SEP 60.

DID THE G8J APPEAR THE SAME SIZE AT ALL TIMES? IF NOT,

CHANGE.

DID THE OBJ START AS A POINT SOURCE?

WERS

EXPLAIN THE

[HE REPORTED

COLORS A CONTINUOUS ASSOCIATION OR ONLY MOMENTARY? DID THE CREW

MEMBERS VIEW THE OBJ OUT OF WINDOW AT THEIR STATIONS, OR FROM OTHER

POSITIONS?
TRACK DURING THE SIGHTING.

REQ A TRACE, WITH INDICATED HEADINGS, OF THE AIRCRAFT
WHAT WAS THE BEARING OF THE OBJECT WHEN

FIRST SEEN? HOW FAR AWAY DID THE O8J APPEAR TO BE FROM THE A IRCRAPT

poo.

WHEN FIRST SEEN, AT MID-FLIGHT, AND WHEN LAST SEEN?

RE=-CHECK THE

APPARENT SIZE OF THE OBJ; SIX INCHES AT ARM'S LENGTH REPRESENTS

A 1000' OBJ AT APPROX ONE STATUTE MILE DISTANCE,

WERE ANY PICTURES

MADE OF THE OBJ? IF PICTURES WERE MADE, REQ COPIES BE FWD TO ATIC.

ROQ THE WEATHER INFO FOR THS DATS CF THE

SIGHTING.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

}

DATE | TIME

28 (1213

rep a - ; = | MONTH Yaa
wiAl WAS THE 1960

| SEP
i

.
ht

| @yMaou | BIGHATPRE |
AFCIN=lB2x Sf | f) >
/ ws —
Wi TyYPEo NAME, ANG TIT Meee re, i required) , . 8 | “YYPED (or, becca aawe AND TITLE ae
‘| Major Hobert J ¥riena ~~ “ {E Zo :
1 jor 2 en tr E : \
El rHone 69215 |race ) leeeaee 2 |s f 4TLIP G. EVANS '
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION ae to JQLomel, JSar
| . a! i De . ,' f 5 “S
UNCI IFIED | Jeouty for Scianes and’ Camponents

DD

FORM
1 MAY

e173

REPLACES DD FORM 173, t OCT 493, WHICH WILL GE

UGED UNTIL EXHAUSTED