Northwestern U.S., May 1962May 1962

Insufficient Data

Summary

On May 28, 1962, a bright multicolored object streaked across the sky over the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. The object was green, orange, and white and moved from north to south. Many people saw it. Some observers estimated it was about 200 feet long, shaped like a ball, and had a long tail or trail behind it. The tail appeared to be burning, and pieces seemed to be falling from the object.

The sighting caused a stir across the region. A U.S. Customs official named John Lium said the object passed overhead at about 400 feet but made no sound. In Vancouver, British Columbia, the object was bright enough to interrupt a baseball game at Capilano Stadium for about three minutes. Downtown traffic slowed as motorists looked up. Police received so many calls that a dispatcher mistakenly radioed headquarters that an airliner was burning in the sky. Newspapers, radio stations, and police switchboards were flooded with excited inquiries.

The Air Force recorded the sighting and noted that the object possessed characteristics consistent with a fireball meteor, a type of very bright meteorite. The file also mentions that re-entries of artificial satellites would produce a similar display, but the Air Force stated that no satellite re-entry occurred on that date. Dr. R. M. Tepettre from the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory reported that the object was a meteor. The Air Force's conclusion was that the sighting was probably a balloon, though the case file also lists meteor as a possible explanation.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, 7 pages.

Reported location

Northwestern U.S., May 1962

Date of incident

May 1962

State / country

? / XX

Page count

7 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 45

8 3 PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD ; 3 1. DATE ° 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS : Neyrthwesternll.S 8 May 1062 frie cid aed i 2 Was Dolloon 1 = ocouthvestern Canads 0 Probobly Bolloon 2 ee a a ro ae ee Abia i i 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION M) ERNSIRY en “a eal 2 ies ie vs 3 0 Woes Alzroit i Loca re i me 0 Grovnd-Visual 0 Ground-Rodar E Probobly Altres 3 WR ARE TAY 2 SY RON SR 2 Aix Visual 3 Als-intarcent Hodor O Possibly Airerof 3 5. PHOTOS . SOLACE €} Was Astronomizal 0 Yes 0 Probably Astronomicul E 2 Ne Civilian 0 Possibly Astronomical 1 7. LENGTH DF DB3SERVATION 0. NUMBER CF DAJECTS | 9. COURSE 8 Ohta BRR ll ens 0 insufliclent Dota far Evaluation 1 ; 0 Unknown a | 4 10, BRIEX SUMMARY OF SICHTING 11. COMMENTS E An extremely bright object, colored green, is object possesses the character- 3 orange znd white streaked across tle sky fm’ istics outlined for that class of meteor 3 N to S. It was sighted by large numbers of known as a fireball. Re-entries of ] people. Object was large. ome viewers artificial satellites would produce 3 estimating it at 200' long, was sheped the same general type display, but A likes ag ball and had a long tail or trail. no re-entry occurred on this date £ Tail appeared to be burning and pieces Dr. R. M. Tepettre, Dominion Astro- 3 falling “rom the object. Physical observatory reported the i object to be a meteor, ] ATIC FORM 329 (RPV 25 SEP 52) |