Project 10073 Record Card and Related Reports — Long Island, New York, December 1957

This document is a collection of reports and record cards compiled under Project 10073 regarding a series of sightings in the Long Island, New York area on December 5, 1957. Multiple witnesses reported observing a bright, elongated object in the night sky, characterized by a blue-white color, a luminous tail, and a swishing sound. The sightings occurred between 0058Z and 0100Z. Witnesses described the object as moving very fast, with some noting a trajectory from northwest to southeast or west to east, and others describing it as moving straight down toward the horizon. The duration of the sightings was consistently reported as very brief, typically lasting between two and five seconds. The reports were processed by various military units, including the 26th Air Division and the 85th Air Division, and forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and the Director of Intelligence at HQ USAF. The official evaluation across these reports consistently identifies the phenomenon as a meteor or shooting star. Investigators noted that the descriptions, including the duration and flight path, were characteristic of a meteorite. Regarding the reported 'swishing sound,' one investigator suggested it might have been attributed to the over-exertion of the observer, who was reportedly shoveling snow at the time of the sighting. Another note suggests the possibility of a partially inflated balloon, though the meteor conclusion remains the primary assessment. The document includes various teletype messages (MTL 057-12, OIN 12830, 12831, 12832, 12861) documenting the individual reports from different locations on Long Island, such as Islip, Syosset, Farmingdale, Rockway, and Long Beach. The reports were handled in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2, which governed the reporting of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOBs). Despite the varied descriptions—ranging from 'pencil-shaped' to 'delta-shaped' or 'basketball-sized'—the consensus among the military evaluators was that the sightings were astronomical in nature.