Project 10073 Record Card: Unidentified Object Photographed on Moon, 29 May 58 by Henry J. Nicklin, at Trenton, N.J.

This document details the investigation into a photograph taken by a civilian in Trenton, New Jersey, on 29 May 1958, which appeared to show an unidentified white speck on the moon. The investigation was initiated following a report from the U.S. Army Industrial Security Office after the photographer, an unemployed individual with experience as a free-lance photographer, attempted to submit the image to LIFE Magazine. The photographer used a 35mm Soligar camera with a 40-inch Sky-scope lens to capture the image during a series of exposures between 2330 and 2400 hours. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) conducted a thorough review of the negative and the photograph. They concluded that the white speck was not an unidentified object but rather a common photographic defect caused by the crystallization of grains in the photographic emulsion during the development process. This finding was corroborated by a professional astronomer from the Harvard Observatory, who had examined over 25,000 photographic plates and identified similar defects. Furthermore, official observatories monitoring the moon at the time of the alleged sighting reported no unusual activity. The investigation also noted that the photographer had no prior experience in astronomical photography and that the image was his first attempt in the field. The report concludes that the speck is a technical flaw, and the case was closed by the Office of Special Investigations. The original 35mm negative and two enlargements were processed as part of the official record, while other enclosures were withdrawn for entry into official UFO case files.