Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting in Norway, 24 July 1957

This document details the investigation of a UFO sighting reported by Mrs. William Felton Barrett, an American tourist who captured a photograph while on a cruise in Norwegian waters on July 24, 1957. Mrs. Barrett reported that she did not see any unusual object at the time the photograph was taken, but upon developing the film, a large, white, doughnut-shaped object with a beam of light emanating from the bottom appeared in the image. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) initiated an investigation into the photograph, requesting additional details from the witness, including the type of camera used and the direction of the shot. Correspondence between the Air Force, the witness, and the Eastman Kodak Company suggests that the image was not a result of an emulsion defect or a processing error. Experts at Kodak and within the Air Force concluded that the object was an optical artifact, likely caused by the sun's rays passing through an imperfection in the camera lens or glass. One theory suggested that a reflection from a diamond ring worn by the photographer might have caused the annular image when the sun was at a specific angle. The case was eventually closed with the conclusion that the object was not a physical craft but an optical phenomenon. The file includes various internal Air Force memos, correspondence with the witness, and a letter from the Eastman Kodak Company confirming their analysis of the transparency.