Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Project 10073 Record Card — Silver Springs, Maryland, 21 November 1957
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AI-Generated Summary
A civilian in Silver Springs, Maryland, reported a brief, bright blue-white flash in the sky on 21 November 1957. USAF intelligence concluded the event was likely a meteor or a sun reflection off an aircraft.
This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype communications regarding a sighting reported on 21 November 1957 in Silver Springs, Maryland. A civilian witness reported observing a single, blue-white object that appeared as a flash, described as being larger than a falling star. The object was visible for approximately two seconds and followed a straight, swift flight path. The witness, a 31-year-old employee of a telephone company, observed the event while the sky to the north was clear, though clouds were present in the west. The sun was low on the horizon at the time of the sighting. Official conclusions from the USAF intelligence officer suggest the phenomenon was most likely a natural occurrence, specifically a meteor. However, the report also includes a handwritten note suggesting that the sighting could have been a reflection of the sun off an aircraft fuselage, a phenomenon noted in other similar reports. The documentation includes technical details such as the time of the incident (1226Z), the observer's location (3902N 773W), and the negative results for radar or other physical evidence. The report concludes with a concurrence that the event was likely a natural phenomenon.
It is a well known fact, and after a review of countless similar reports that this early morning sun rays shining off an acft fuselage will appear as a bright (or a series of bright) flashes.
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Official Assessment
Most probably natural phenomena; indicate probability of meteor.
The object was identified as a likely meteor based on its appearance, duration, and flight path. An intelligence officer noted that early morning sun rays shining off an aircraft fuselage could also appear as a series of bright flashes.