PROJECT 10073 RECORD - Salinas, California - 15 May 54

This document is a Project 10073 record detailing a sighting that occurred on May 15, 1954, near Salinas, California. The report documents an observation made by three military personnel, including Lt. Col. Thompson, Major Anderson, and Lt. Bacon, who witnessed a bright green, meteor-like object with a greenish tail. The object was observed for approximately five seconds as it descended from east to west before exploding and disappearing. The report explicitly notes that there was no sound associated with the event. The official conclusion reached by the project was that the object was an astronomical phenomenon, specifically a fireball meteor. This conclusion was supported by public reports, including a mention of a newscast by Lowell Thomas on May 17, 1954. The document also includes supplementary pages containing general information about the American Meteoritics Society and their methods for tracking and identifying meteors, as well as references to other fireball sightings in the United States during that period, such as those assigned AMS numbers 2336, 2346, 2331, and 2330. The report confirms that no physical evidence or photographs were obtained from the incident.