Project Blue Book Case File
Lincoln, New HampshireSeptember 1961
Summary
In September 1961, residents of Lincoln, New Hampshire observed an unusual light in the night sky that puzzled them for about thirty minutes. The sighting occurred around midnight and was reported to the U.S. Air Force.
Witnesses described the object as resembling a V shape with red lights at the tips. The light appeared to extend from the main body, and its shape seemed to change as the object maneuvered. At times it appeared to take on different orientations as it moved abruptly across the sky before disappearing. The object was visible for an extended period, with some reports placing the duration at around one hour.
The Air Force investigated the case, which involved officials from Pease Air Force Base. The investigation noted some inconsistencies in the reports and a lack of directional data (azimuth information) that would have helped pinpoint the object's location more precisely. Weather analysis revealed a strong inversion layer (a warm air layer that traps cooler air below it) in the area at the time of the sighting.
The Air Force concluded that the object was most likely Jupiter. The planet had been positioned in the southwest at about twenty degrees above the horizon and would have set around the time the object disappeared from view. The file notes that without better positional data, the object could not be definitively evaluated as Jupiter, but the atmospheric conditions and the planet's location were consistent with what the witnesses reported.
The case was classified as unexplained insufficient data for evaluation. No evidence was found to indicate the object was anything other than a natural phenomenon. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 57 pages.
Reported location
Lincoln, New Hampshire
Date of incident
September 1961
State / country
NH / US
Page count
57 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 43