Project 10073 Record Card — Old Bridge, New Jersey, 27 August 1958

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and associated correspondence regarding a UFO sighting reported by civilians in Old Bridge, New Jersey, on August 27, 1958. The witnesses reported observing a very bright object near the northeastern horizon for approximately three hours. They described the object as exhibiting erratic side-to-side movement over short distances, disappearing and reappearing in the same location, and occasionally moving in a complete circle. The witnesses contacted the Technical Intelligence Branch at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to inquire about the nature of the object. The Air Force investigation, conducted by Colonel H. K. Gildert and Major Lawrence J. Tacker, concluded that the sighting was likely an astronomical phenomenon. The official assessment suggested that the observers were viewing either the planet Mars or the star Alpheratz, both of which were positioned in the northeastern sky at the time of the report. The investigators attributed the perceived erratic movement and the object's behavior to unusual atmospheric conditions, specifically noting that industrial haze or exhaust fumes, combined with temperature inversions, can cause celestial bodies to appear to move or behave in an unconventional manner. The final correspondence from Major Tacker to the witnesses formally acknowledged their report and provided this astronomical explanation as the likely cause of their observation.