2130N 15803W (PACIFIC), December 1961December 1961

Insufficient Data

Summary

On December 30, 1961, a military witness reported an object in the Pacific. The sighting was made at about 1500 GMT and lasted about 40 minutes. The object was seen from the ground.

The object had the appearance of a bright star and was seen in the west. It appeared to move horizontally and vertically about 5 degrees. The witness stepped inside, and about 15 minutes later the object had dropped to about 20 degrees elevation. About 25 minutes after that it disappeared on the horizon. There were clouds in the sky but not near the object.

The Air Force record card lists this case as astronomical. The card states the object was probably the bright star Sirius, which has a magnitude of -1.6. The direction and elevation reported matched the star, and the disappearance time matched the star's setting time as seen from the witness's location. The card notes the report was probably aided by atmospheric refraction.

Reported location

2130N 15803W (PACIFIC), December 1961

Date of incident

December 1961

State / country

? / XX

Page count

3 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 44

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 3

View transcribed text

: -. + PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
3 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
4 50 61 2130N 8039 i AC F ) 0 Wos Balloon
30 De 213( 15003 P ric 0 Probably Bolloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION He. PERNT RIV
4 3 : a 0 Was Aircraft
3 EC A AR AR RE Pe A Wr ig X03 Ground-Visual 0 Ground-Rador O Probably Aircraft
1 GMT__301500Z 0 AirVisuol 0 Air-Intercept Radar 0 Possibly Aircraft
i 5. PHOTOS 8. SOURCE OX Was Astronemicol —/ ILS
3 0O Yes 1 Probebly Astronomical y
1 XB No Military OU Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE |r SRE [4 RE A eS MESA
;: 0D Insufficient Dota for Evaluation
E 40 mi 0 Unknown
1 40 min 1
| 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTINGCb jt with appearance of |[11. COMMENTS (3: sighted was probably
: bright star in W. Objt appeared to move hori- bright star Sirius, magnitude -1.6.
E zontally and vertically about 5°. Dropped to Direction and elevation reported for
i about 20° elev in 15 min and 25 min later objt and that of star are same at time of
1 disappeared on hcrizon, |<sentine, Time reported for disappearance
4 t 15 coincident with setting time for star
i be viewed fm location of witness. Sirius
: | is brightest star (apparent) in cur heaveps
{2nd was misidentified by this witness, Mik-
; ~ |identification was probably heir=d zlong | |
: | by distortions due to atmospheric refraction
| and an active imagination,
: ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP $2)
: #
. AJ

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28995936