Westover AFB, MassachusettsJuly 1962

Unidentified

Summary

On July 12, 1962, at Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts, a military observer reported seeing a white object like a star that was star-sized. The object was observed in sequence with four flashes in a 10-degree arc at 170-degree azimuth, passing from 20 to 40 degrees elevation at 350 degrees azimuth. The object was not visible while not flashing. Four flashes were evenly spaced. Conditions included hazy broken clouds, moon and bright stars visible, 7,000 scattered high scattered. Visibility was 10 miles and haze. Less than 3/10 observer considered sighting like satellite booster in near polar orbit. No estimate on altitude. Not visible. The Air Force concluded the object was unidentified.

Reported location

Westover AFB, Massachusetts

Date of incident

July 1962

State / country

MA / US

Page count

3 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 46

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 3

View transcribed text

PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD

1. DATE | 2. LOCATION | 12. CONCLUSIONS
12 July 1962 | Westover AFB, Massachusetts | [X] Was Balloon
                 |                          | [ ] Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP | 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION | [ ] Possibly Balloon
Local | [X]Ground-Visual | [ ] Ground-Radar | [ ] Was Aircraft
13/0133Z | [ ] Air-Visual | [ ] Air-Intercept Radar | [ ] Probably Aircraft
GMT | | | [ ] Possibly Aircraft
5. PHOTOS | 6. SOURCE | [X] Was Astronomical Meteor
[ ] Yes | Military | [ ] Probably Astronomical
[X] No | | [ ] Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION | 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE | [ ] Other
4 seconds | one | 350 dgr | [ ] Insufficient Data for Evaluation
 | | | [ ] Unknown
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING | 11. COMMENTS
White obj like star and star sized, | Obj considered as a possible
observed in sequence of four flashes | meteor. WX conditions such that
in 10 dgr arc at 170 dgr passing | obj appeared only for periods
20 to 40 dgr elev at 350 dgr. Obj | through broken clouds. Dimness
not visible while not flashing. Disap- | attributed to smoke, haze &
peared in haze. Four flashes, evenly | atmospheric conditions present
spaced, WX hazy w broken clouds moon | at time. Arc of 100 dgr in 1 sec
& bright stars visible, 7,000 scattered | puts speed of obj inmeteor class
high scattered. Vis 10 mi smoke & haze. | if at alt assumed.
Less than 3/10. Observer considered |
sighting like satellite booster in near |
polar orbit. No estimate on alt. Not n/c. |

/ 3

Use ← → keys to navigate · scans hosted by the U.S. National Archives

Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28998158