PROJECT BLUE BOOK

MILITARY
1. DATE 2 LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
31 Jan 62 34N 176W o Was Balloon
00 Probably Balloon
4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Possibly Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP
Local_ Ground-Visual Ground-Rodar 0 Was Alicraft
Q Probably Aireraft
GMT 01/0638z Feb 62 AirVisuol Air-Intercept Rodar 0 Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS 6. SOURCE Was Astronomical
aYes 0 Probably Astronomical
Military 0 Possibly Astronomicol
XNo Satellite.
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION B. NUMBER OF OBJECTS 9. COURSE Other_
ioo DO Insufficient Data for Evaluation Insufficient Data aluation
Not given one one E Unknown
1O. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING |11. 11. COMMENTS COMMENTS
Possible sighting of satellite, size of pinheadAt Possible sighting of satellite, size of pinheadAt 0638z Echo was at 45N, 174W. With only 45°N, 174W. With only
round. 42° above horizon heading W-E. Speed above horizc heading W-E. Speed one time time given it given it is possible that is possible that object.
unknown. was Echo, however wasI Echo, however the easterly heading is
linconsistant with this analysis. Evaluaticn this analysis. Evaluaticn
lof object is as a satellite. Echo not
ruled out; however, easterly heading is ruled out; however, easterly heading is
more indieative of satellite with incli- more indieative of satellite with incli-
nation of nearer 30. nation of nearer 30.
ATIC FORM 26 BEP 52)

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE −
( STAFF MESSAGE BRANCH
UNCLASSIFIED MESSAGE
INCO
Page l of 2
SMB A140 AF IN: 2 23461 (1 Feb 62) F/cwm
CZCHPA113ZCBJB207 INFO : CIN-14, ARMY-2, CMC-7,
JCS-45, OSD-15,I NSA-7,
00 RJEZHQ CIA-11, O0P-2, QOP-CP-1,
DIA-2, SAFS-3 3 (110)
DE RBHPHC 044
0 010817Z
FM COMHAWSEAFRON oy
TO RJHPKW/COMD HAWAIRDEFDIV WHEELER AFB
INFO RFEMTE/CANAIRDEF ST GUBERT, MONTREAL CANADA
RCWNC/CAN FLAGPAC, ESQUIMALT, BRITISH COLUMBIA RCWNC/CAN FLAGPAC, ESQUIMALT, BRITISH COLUMBIA
RBWPPG/COMWESTSEAFRON
RBHPB/CINCPACFLT
RJWFALB/CINCNORAD ENT AFB, COLO
RJEZHQ/COFSUSAF AASH DC
RBEPW/CNO
RBEPW/SECNAV
RUHPFS/CINCUSARPAC 4
RBHPA/CINCPAC
RJHPKMP/PACAF
RJHPKMD/PACAF BASECOM, HICKAM AFB
NAVY

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE -
( STAFF MESSAGE BRANCH
UNCLASSIFIED MESSAGE
INCOMING
0 010739Z
FM COMBARPAC AF IN : 23461 (1 Feb 62) Page 2 of 2
TO COMHAWSEAFRON
BT
UNCLAS.
CIRVIS REPORT. N43213.
A. VISUAL SIGHTING POSSIBLE SATTELITE SIZE HEAD OF PIN,
ROUND. 34N 176W 010638Z. 42 DEGREES ABOVE HORIZON
TRAVELING WEST TRAVELING EAST SPEED UNKNOWN PEED UNKNOWN
BT BT
01/0740Z 01/0740Z
al
.
~

soon after sunset. goes below the horizon
long before the times for which the accom- band through which the sun, moon and the sky, and may remain long enough after
panying maps are drawn. planets seem to move around the sky. sunset to be seen in the west. After the
These show the skies as they look at Toward the northeast these evenings s lies conjunction they are west of the sun, and
10:00 p.m., your own kind of standard time, the familiar figure of the great dipper, like- may appear in the east before sunrise.
on New Year's Day; an hour earlier in the wise with the handle directed downwards.
middle of the month, and two hours earlier Above are the two stars called the pointers. See Mercury East of the Sun
at the end. Following their line t to the left leads to
Over in the southeast you can see the Polaris, the pole star, which is a always seen On Jan. 20 Mercury will be farthest east
brightest of all the stars that appear in the to the north. The dipper is actually part of of the sun, and it may be seen then, very
nighttime sky: Sirius, the dog star, in Canis Ursa Major, the great bear, while the pole low in the southwest, after sundown as dusk
Major, the great dog. Sirius is several times star is in Ursa Minor, the lesser bear. gathers. However, it will not be easy to find.
as bright as a any other star visible from High in the northwest is Perseus, in It will be in a similar position May 13, when
most of the U.S. (except, of course, for the which there is a famous variable star, Algol. it should be easier to see, and again on
sun), but two stars seen from points farther Every few days it drops from second to Sept. 10. Around March 3 it will be west
south are more nearly equal to it. south are more r nearly equal to it. third magnitude, as a faint star passes in of the sun and visible with difficulty in the of the sun and visible with difficulty in the
Above Sirius, a and a little to the right, front of the brighter member of the pair front of the brighter member of the pair morning sky. It will be similarly situated,
stands Orion, generally considered as the stands Orion, generally considered as the and partially eclipses it. though not as favorably, on July 1, and though not as favorably, on July I, and
finest constellation in the sky. It is one finest constellation in the sky. It is one The reason that none of the naked-eye The reason that none of the naked-eye Oct. 21, which will be the most favorable
of two that contains more than one star of planets-Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter or planets-Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter or elongation to observe.
the first magnitude or brighter. The other Saturn-is easily visible in January is that Venus will be behind the sun Jan. 27
is a southern group, Centaurus; like Orion, they are all nearly in the same direction they are ail nearly in the same direction and after that will move toward the east
it has two. as the sun. Thus, they rise about sunrise as the sun. Thus, they rise about sunrise of that orb. During the spring it will begin
and set about sunset and are in the sky to shine brilliantly in the southwestern eve. to shine brilliantly in the southwestern eve-
Rigel Is Dimmed Rigel Is Dimmed during the daylight hours. when the glare ning sky. On Sept. 3 it will be farthest east
One of the brighter stars in Orion, the One of the brighter stars in Orion. the
lower, is Rigel. its light somewhat dimmed leal
because of absorption by the atnosphere. AURIGA GEMINI
Betelgeuse, higher and somewhat red in JANUARY PERSEUS
color, is the other. Between them you will 1942 CAMELUPARDALIS LYNX
see what is p perhaps the most characteristic ANOROMECA EANCER
feature of Orion-the row of three stars CASSIOPEIA
that form the belt of this warrior. That is CEPHEUS Polaris URSA
the way he was pictured on the old star PEGASUS URSA "POUNTERS"
maps, which showed the figures around the LACERTA MINOR MAJOR LEO
stars. MINOR
They depicted Orion with an upraised CYGNUS DRACO LEO
club, defending himself from a charging Deneb o MAJOR
bull. This animal represented in the sky
by the next-door constellation of Taurus, WEST Jace North EASTA
a little higher than Orion and farther right. PERS+EUS
In it is the red star Aldebaran, which is one
of the bull's eyes. Lastor Pleiades ARIES
Canis Major was supposed to be one of JANUARY Aldebaran dgHyades
Orion's two dogs; the other is Canis Minor 1962 GEMINI OR.ION TRURUS
-the lesser dog-above the large one and CER CANIS Bacel-
to the left. In it is another first magnitude MINOR PIS
CAN Procyan o CES
star, called Procyon. Still higher is Gemini, CE TUS PEGASUS
the twins, with Castor and Pollux. How- MONOCERDS hirius ERIDANUS
ever, only Pollux is bright enough to rate HY DRA CANIS CEPUS
as first magnitude; Castor is second magni- MAJOR
tude.
Extending upwards from Taurus is Aur- PUPPIS COLUMBA
riga, the charioteer. with still another first Lace South
magnitude star, called Capella. It appears EAST WEST>
on the map of the northern skies. 7 SYMBOLS STARS IN RDER OF BRIGHTNESS

of t. sun, remaining in the sky for the
longest time after sunset. On Oct. 8 it will
be at greatest brilliance, with magnitude
minus 4.3, which is about 15 times as bright
as Sirius. Then it will quickly disappear,
reaching inferior conjunction Nov. 12, but
it will quickly reappear in the morning sky,
as bright t as it was before the conjunction.
Mars, Jupiter and Saturn move in orbits
larger than the earth's, so they can never
come toi inferior conjunction. They are most
conspicuous at opposition, when they are
in the opposite direction from the sun.
Mars was out beyond i the sun, in conjunc-
tion with it, on Dec. 14. Now it is gradually
coming into view in the morning sky, but
not until spring will it be at all prominent.
By the end of the year it will be conspicu-
ous in the evening, with opposition on
Feb. 4, 1963.
Jupiter is now out beyond the sun, with
conjunction Feb. 8. By late spring it will
move into the evening sky, opposition arriv-
ing Aug. 3l. Saturn will be at conjunction
on Jan. 22, with opposition July 31.
Thus, by next fall we will have a fine
display of planets, with Venus, Mars, Jupiter
and Saturn all visible.
The new year will also bring two eclipses
of the sun. The first, on Feb. 4 and 5, is
total. Along a belt crossing total. Along a belt crossing the Pacific the Pacific
Ocean, from New Guinea to a point about Ocean, from New Guinea to a point about
a thousand miles west of Lower California, thousand miles west of Lower California.
the sun will be completely the sun will be completely y covered by the covered by the
moon for as long as moon for as long as four minutes. Over a minutes. Over a +
larger area, larger area, i including the the west coast of
North America, a partial eclipse will be seen.
On July 31 On July 31 there will there will be an annular be an annular
eclipse. That is, the moon will come in front
of the sun but will not cover it. A ring
of the solar surface appears around the dark
disc of the moon. This effect will be visible
along a path from Brazil, crossing the South along a path from Brazil, crossing the South
Atlantic, then traversing Africa and Mada-
gascar. All of Africa, most of South Amer.
ica and Florida and Georgia in the U.S., ica and Florida and Georgia in the US
will see a partial eclipse.
Celestial Time Table for January
January EST
2 7:04 p.m. Algol at minimum
6 7:36 a.m. New moon
7 8:00 a.m. Moon passes Mercury and
Saturn
8 3:00 a.m. Moon passes Jupiter
9:00 a.m. Moon nearest; distance
225,400 miles
13 12:02 3.m. Moon first quarter
14 6:21 a.m. Algol at minimum
17 3:11 a.m. Algol at minimum ~
20 1:17 p.m. Full moon
7:00 p.m. Mercury farthest east of sun
midnight Algol at minimum
22 1:00 p.m. Saturn in conjunction with
sun
8:50 p.m. Algol at minimum
24 S:00 a.m. Moon farthest; distance
252,1001 miles
25 5:39 p.m. Algol at minimum
27 5:00 a.m. Venus at superior conjunction
with sun
28 6:37 p.m. Moon in last quarter
Subtract one hour for CST, two hours for
MST, and three hours for PST.