Project Blue Book Case File
Eatonton, GeorgiaJuly 1961
Summary
On July 16, 1961, at approximately 2100 hours (9 p.m.), an observer in Eatonton, Georgia reported seeing a bright light in the night sky. The light appeared roughly like Venus to the naked eye and caught the observer's attention as it moved across the sky. The object disappeared to the east-northeast, behind trees to the north-east. According to the case file, the motion of the object was described as showing sudden accelerations and short pauses at times, though it generally proceeded on a steady course.
The Air Force investigation found that the object's characteristics were consistent with Echo 1, an artificial satellite that was in the area at the time the sighting was reported. Investigators checked the satellite's known trajectory and determined that Echo 1 was moving to the northeast when it passed over Eatonton. The elevation and azimuth (compass direction) data provided by the witness, while described as rather vague in the file, aligned with the satellite's position and path. Motion distortion and the brightness of the satellite as seen from Earth's surface could account for the observer's description of sudden changes in speed or brightness. The Air Force concluded that the object sighted was probably Echo 1, a passive communications satellite.
The complete case file, consisting of 14 pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.
Reported location
Eatonton, Georgia
Date of incident
July 1961
State / country
GA / US
Page count
14 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 43