Incident Report: Lunar Observation, Mobile, Alabama, October-November 1959

This document consists of correspondence and a sighting report regarding an unidentified object observed orbiting the moon between October 8 and November 9, 1959. The primary witness, an amateur astronomer from Mobile, Alabama, reported observing an object that appeared to orbit the moon every six minutes. The witness claimed the object was as large as the crater Copernicus, approximately 60 miles in diameter. According to the witness, the object traveled from west to east and was observed over a period of 33 days. On November 9, 1959, the witness reported that the object either significantly increased its speed or was pursued by another object, appearing as a double image before disappearing. The witness had previously contacted the Smithsonian Institute, which reportedly estimated the object's speed at 70,000 mph based on an assumed altitude, a figure the witness found difficult to reconcile with their own observations. In 1965, the witness submitted a formal report to the Air Force, including 3x5 cards detailing the sightings. The Foreign Technology Division (FTD) of the Air Force Systems Command evaluated the report and concluded that no such object had been documented in scientific literature regarding the moon. The FTD suggested that the Smithsonian's speed estimate was a theoretical calculation based on altitude assumptions and that the observed phenomena were likely natural objects or debris, such as birds, leaves, or other objects crossing the telescope's path. The correspondence includes a formal response from Colonel Eric de Jonckheere of the FTD to the witness, confirming that the report had been forwarded to Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the astronomical consultant for Project Blue Book, and that the witness's materials were being returned.