Chanute AFB, IllinoisMarch 1962

Unidentified

Summary

On March 19, 1962, several witnesses at Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois, reported one object in the west-northwest sky. The object was orange and about one fifth the size of the moon, appearing round and at times cigar-shaped. It seemed to move toward or away from the witnesses, disappeared vertically, then reappeared about 2 minutes later moving to the southwest. It was first seen at about 15 degrees elevation and later at about 75 degrees. The total sighting lasted several minutes. The Air Force noted the planet Venus was setting in that direction at the reported time and was very bright. The record card concluded the witnesses saw Venus, with its orange color and apparent motion caused by atmospheric refraction, and that an aircraft seen in the area was a separate passing plane.

Reported location

Chanute AFB, Illinois

Date of incident

March 1962

State / country

IL / US

Page count

5 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 45

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 5

View transcribed text

: ’ ’
PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
19 Mar 62 | Chanute AFB, Illinois 2 po Rec) a
: 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION BREE ni Bt od id
: Local —a==2 ¥ Ground-Vi sual 0 Ground-Radar 5 id
; 7 Cs PERE TA0s  R D AirVisuol O Air-Intsrcept Rodar 0 Possibly Aircraft
fr 5. PHOTOS CoB Sc eke B Was Astronomical
0 Yes | Mit th ary a Probably Astronomical
| oO No L itary O Possibly Astronomical
| 8 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE SER
| 0 Insufficient Dota for Evaluation
3 10 nin | one | varied 0 Unknown
1 10. BRIEF SLWMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS SER tn fi
Round object aprox 1/5 size of moon sighted to [Venus was in a direction coincident with
WNW by saveral witnasses. Jtject was orange in be reported for the object. The Planet
4 color and appeared to be noving either toward [was just setting and was of -3.k magnitudes.
j or away Irom witnesses. Cbject disappeared Witnesses probably chserved Venus and
| vertically, then reappeared after 2 min moving misidentified it and associated motion
& toward SW. When first sightad, it had elevation|with it due to effects of atmospheric
| 3 of aprox 15°, when it reappeared had elevation |[refraction. Orange color was also an
| 3 of aprox 75°. effect of refraction. Just as Venus set,
| 3 . it gave impression of moving vertically
upward. The B-47 reported in area was
4 probably passing soon after ani witnesses
; thought it was the same object.
3 ATIC FORM 229 (REV 25 SEP 52)
a
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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28996484