Report of Unidentified Flying Object - 28 January 1953

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding an Unidentified Flying Object sighting that occurred on January 28, 1953, at approximately 2235 hours over Long Island, New York. The report compiles information from five separate observers, including a housewife who was an amateur astronomer and radio operator, and two USAF personnel, T/Sgt James C. Smith and S/Sgt James Brand, both of whom were working as base operations dispatchers at Mitchel Air Force Base. The observers described a bright, fireball-like object, often characterized as having a convex lens or egg shape with a tail, traveling from north to south. Descriptions of the color varied, with most reporting green or greenish hues, sometimes with a reddish tinge or an orange tail. Estimates of the object's speed and size varied significantly among the witnesses, with some suggesting speeds over 2000 miles per hour and sizes comparable to an automobile. The report includes detailed technical information sheets filled out by the witnesses, which provide specific observations regarding the object's appearance, flight path, and the weather conditions at the time. The investigation involved contacting the Hayden Planetarium and Dr. Charles P. Olivier, the Director of the Flower Astronomical Observatory and a member of the American Meteor Society. Dr. Olivier reviewed the reports and concluded that the object was a 'bright fireball,' which he described as a perfectly normal natural body. The official conclusion of the Air Force investigation, based on this expert consultation, was that the object was likely a meteor. The document includes various administrative markings, including declassification instructions and references to Air Force letter 200-5. It also highlights the difficulty in contacting observers and the subsequent delay in completing the report. The report serves as a formal record of the military's attempt to reconcile civilian and military sightings of an aerial phenomenon with known astronomical events.