Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Correspondence regarding observed light phenomena, 7 August 1946
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AI-Generated Summary
A 1946 letter from the Stockholm Observatory to the Swedish Defense Staff identifying a series of light phenomena reports from July 9, 1946, as a single fireball event. The object was observed traveling north along the coast and exploding at high altitude near Örnsköldsvik.
This document is a letter dated August 7, 1946, from the Stockholm Observatory to the Air Defense Department of the Swedish Defense Staff. The letter serves as a response to a request for analysis regarding light phenomena observed in the sky between April 25 and July 26, 1946. The author focuses specifically on a series of observations made on July 9, 1946, between 14:00 and 15:00. By plotting these observations on an enclosed map of Sweden, the author concludes that the reports likely describe a single celestial body—a very bright meteor, or 'fireball'—that traveled in a northerly direction outside the Swedish east coast. Many observers reported that the object exploded in the air. The author expresses regret that the observations did not include the direction or elevation angle to the point of the explosion, which would have allowed for a more precise determination of its location and altitude. However, based on the available material, the author estimates that the fireball detonated at a significant altitude, likely several miles high, in the vicinity of Örnsköldsvik. The report notes that a 'bang' was heard in that area, and the author adds a technical observation that when detonating fireballs occur, the sound is typically perceived several minutes after the visual explosion.
Av de iakttagna fenomenen synes mig särskilt de många observationerna den 9 juli mellan kl 14 och 15 kunna sättas i samband med en mycket ljusstark meteor, en s.k. eldkula.
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Official Assessment
The phenomena observed on July 9 between 14:00 and 15:00 are likely a very bright meteor, a so-called fireball.
The author concludes that the observations across the country likely refer to a single celestial body, a fireball, which moved north along the east coast and exploded at a significant altitude near Örnsköldsvik.