Report of Fireball Sighting — 28 January 1953

This document collection details a sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on January 28, 1953, at 2255 EST. The primary report originated from a pilot flying at 5,000 feet on a 32-degree heading. The pilot described the object as a large, green light resembling a comet, which exhibited a constant looping arc before disappearing by 'dying out.' The report explicitly notes the absence of any trail, exhaust, or sound associated with the object. The sighting was corroborated by another pilot in the area who acknowledged the object's position via radio. The incident was investigated by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). Following the report, Major Robert C. Brown of the USAF corresponded with Dr. C. P. Olivier, the Director of the Flower Observatory at the University of Pennsylvania, to share the pilot's observations. The official conclusion reached by the military authorities was that the object was a meteor. The documentation includes a standard sighting report form, a teletype message summarizing the incident, a postcard report from the Flower Observatory, and the formal letter of acknowledgment from the Air Technical Intelligence Center to Dr. Olivier. The documents are marked as unclassified and include instructions for periodic downgrading and eventual declassification.