Rochester, New HampshireApril 1962

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the afternoon of April 28, 1962, a husband and wife driving a convertible with the top down near Rochester, New Hampshire saw five greenish-silver lights moving across the sky. The objects appeared round and traveled in a precise formation at tremendous speed. The witnesses described the arrangement as a perfect square with one light at each corner and a fifth object slightly to the left and higher than the top left corner. The lights seemed to descend steeply behind the trees, though the witnesses thought this might have been an illusion caused by their great distance from the objects. The entire sighting lasted only a few seconds. The time was approximately 6:40 p.m., during daylight with a clear, sunny sky and the sun still bright in the air.

The Air Force responded to the initial letter by asking the witnesses to complete detailed questionnaires. The husband reported that the objects' edges were fuzzy or blurred, and that they seemed to flow like fire from a welding torch. He emphasized that both he and his wife had good vision, that the day was bright and clear, and that they were reasonably intelligent observers not given to fantasy or hallucination. The wife's questionnaire responses were less detailed and, as OCR'd, are partially illegible.

The case was evaluated as "probably balloon." The Air Force's brief comments noted that particles of a meteor explosion could produce the appearance described, and that the sighting's elevation and duration were consistent with such an event. The case was considered a possible bolide observation (a very bright meteor entering the atmosphere).

The complete case file, as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below and comprises 21 pages.

Reported location

Rochester, New Hampshire

Date of incident

April 1962

State / country

NH / US

Page count

21 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 45

pr: DO re 13 CARs SACL le Ride LC Spoil GRR abe ts 4 Ae i STAY ' E PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD TE 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS { OYA i 7 2d oH HE J Vos Bolloon 28 Apy 62 Rochester, New Huapsiirae 0 Probably Balloon 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION y Asis ded Gobi pe : 0 Wos Aircraft pe Ra 20° Ground- Vi sual 0 Ground-Rodar Q Probably Aircraft p | § PN mem Ada i 0 Air Visual Q Air-Intarcept Rador DO Possibly Aircraft 3. PHOTOS §. SOURCE 0 Wos Astronomical ; OG Yes 0 Probably Astronomical, : “SNo Civilian 0° Possibly Astronomizak 5200 & Te ARISE ne i SE Ee SRE ERR Ce ge prea rr PPT J EE 3 7. LENGTH OF D35ERVYATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE 0 GE eT] RE RCS BSE ; 0 Insufficient Data for Evaivation ET aac, & 1 0 Unknown a i EE eX 13 Fo We = TT TT I VS | 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING. ©D Ts greonisi silver. 111, COMMENTS articies of meteor after ox- fz1ling in formation, observed fm moving aubo.] plesion could give thi ppearance, Speda bjts werz shiny, solid with edges fuzzy or and duration of signting ase consistand blurred. Seened to flow as a fire fam welding with elev. Sighting was during day 6:40 pom torch, Fell behind trees initial elev 45°, and sun was shill bright. Case considerdd i Seemed to be at great distance. as possible bolide observation. i | He H ATIC FORM 127 (REV 26 SEP 52) LJ = shea alba SEE .