Vicinity of Sterling, AlaskaDecember 1960

Insufficient Data

Summary

On December 18, 1960, civilians near Sterling, Alaska, reported an object at 0310 (3:10 a.m.) local. A husband and wife described a star shaped object that pulsated red, green, and white, about the size of the planet Mars. It appeared and disappeared 60 degrees to the southeast (135 degrees true). It seemed to move side to side, up and down, and in a slow circle, returning to its original position, with the same movement repeated 10 to 15 minutes later. The sighting lasted about 45 minutes until clouds obscured the object to the southeast. The sky was clear with good visibility until then. The Air Force listed the case as the star Arcturus. The card noted the apparent movement was probably due to the crisp cold atmosphere, and the bright star Arcturus was in the reported area.

Reported location

Vicinity of Sterling, Alaska

Date of incident

December 1960

State / country

AK / US

Page count

5 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 41

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 5

View transcribed text

PW iy PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD |
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS poe.
42 rdnd £ Qbpnwld A ; O Wos Balloon
| 18 Dec 60 Vicinity of Sterling, Alaska OD Probobly Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION ». TAVEWY wm
0310 : ’ 0 Was Aircraft

| Local B Ground-Visval 0 Ground-Rodar 0 Probably Aircroft

GMT 18/13102 0 Air-Visval O Air-Intercept Radar 0 Possibly Aireraft

S. PHOTOS . SOURCE a Was Astronomical ais

0 Yes ; R 1 Probably Astronomical ACCTUINS
B Ne Civilian ODO Possibly Astronomical
| 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE CEE TR Or :
(w] erg Dota for Evaluation
0 nknown
4S min one varied :

10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING 11. COMMENTS

“tar shaped, pulsating red, green and vhite, Object was visible for 45 nin, then it
| size of Mars, Appearsd and disappeared 60° SE |was obscured by clouds. The only movement
s (135°T). Pulsating movement side to side, up noticed was an apparent up and down, side
and down and slow circle, returning to original|to side movement, which was probably due
rosition. Same movement 10-15 min later. Clouds|to the crisp cold atmosphere. The bright |
| shliterated object to SE. star Arcturus was in the vicinity reporte:
for the cbjeet, and was probably the ob-
~ Ject cbserved.
ATIC FORM 229 (REV 26 SEP $2)

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28990643