E Coast US, September 1961September 1961

On September 13, 1961, Navy personnel and civilians along the U.S. East Coast reported seeing a strange and spectacular light show in the sky.

The most detailed account came from the USS Randolph, a Navy ship sailing off the coast. At around 0939 GMT (9:39 a.m.), officers and crew witnessed a small, elongated orange light low on the horizon. About 45 seconds later, a round, silvery light appeared higher in the sky, resembling a tiny moon. This light grew rapidly larger and brighter over 5 to 7 seconds, eventually reaching an apparent size of 6 to 8 times that of a full moon. Then it burst outward in a dazzling explosion of bright orange light, expanding to roughly 75 to 95 times the size of the full moon over another 7 seconds. The object faded and vanished completely, though traces of orange color lingered for about a minute before disappearing entirely.

Two other sightings were reported from locations ashore and at sea around the same time. Observers described the phenomena differently, some seeing it in twilight or near sunrise or sunset, but all noted the distinctive sequence of a bright expanding light followed by an explosion-like burst and a gradual fade. One civilian witness reported a pungent odor in the air afterward, similar to smoldering charcoal. Notably, all observers reported no sound from the event.

The U.S. Air Force concluded that the sightings were caused by a NASA experimental rocket launched from Wallops Island, Virginia. The rocket released sodium material at an altitude higher than 100 miles, and the chemical vapor became visible as it reflected light from the sun. This explained why the phenomena appeared so unusual: sunlight striking the released sodium at extreme altitude created the bright colors and expansion effect visible across a wide area, including the Atlantic Ocean and regions as far inland as the Midwest.

The full case file, as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below in 20 pages.