Augusta, MaineJuly 1955

Unidentified

Summary

On July 9, 1955, at Augusta, Maine, civilian and military witnesses reported one object for about one minute. It was seen on radar, air-visually, and from the ground. The time noted is 0100 GMT.

The object was roughly spherical with a greenish color and a long green trail estimated at nine to twelve miles. It lit up the sky like a ball of fire and moved from south to north at high altitude. Witnesses reported a loud humming sound. The trail became a vapor trail on hitting the atmosphere.

The Air Force concluded the object was probably a meteor. The comments note that although the sighting lasted long for a meteor, a meteor trail is a good radar reflector and the description fits that category. One ground controller believed the object was a meteorite but did not see it hit the ground.

Reported location

Augusta, Maine

Date of incident

July 1955

State / country

ME / US

Page count

5 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 23

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 5

View transcribed text

2
Bevan PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD | | |

I. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS

3 July 55 Augusta, Maine a Probebly Balloan

3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Q Possibly Balloon
| Local ef Ground- Visual & Ground-Radar { a Probobly. Alvcraf!
: 4 oM7_ 09/0100 Jul 55 i AirVisuol 0 Air-Intercapt Rodar | DO Possibly Aircraft
§ 3. PHOTOS . SOURCE "| Was AstronomicalMeteor

OVYes 0 Probably Astronomical
fA No civilian end milita O Possibly Astronomical

adm I SO iiss csi simian SOIT ORR BRU IER RRAORY iii

; 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION ’ NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE BRIT chi tii didi
0 Insufficient Dara for Evaluation
0 Unknown

aporox one minute one :

10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING : 11. COMMENTS

One spherical boject with a greenish hue Although the duration of sighting was |

and a trail nine to ten miles long, very long for the object to have been

trail was also green, was observed on radar, a meteorite, it 13 the conclusion that
air-visually and ground-visually. It appeared | the object was probably a meteor. It 13

to illuminate the sky as a ball of fire. A known that the trail of a meteorite is
| humming sound was noted. a good radar reflector and the descrip-
| tion of the object fits that category.
: ATIC FORM 329 (RXV 35 SEP 82)
E FTN PA gl UR A al a SB il 1 8h Lie i §

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28962671