Project 10073 Record Card — Mobile, Alabama, 26 October 1959

On October 26, 1959, at 2212Z, a civilian witness in Mobile, Alabama, reported observing an unidentified aerial object. The witness, identified as a local mortician, described the object as a large, round, silver entity with a whitish glow and a trailing tail approximately ten times the length of the object itself. The witness compared the appearance to a comet. The object was observed moving from the southwest to the northeast, appearing to fall in an arc before taking a sharp plunge toward the earth and disappearing almost instantly. The duration of the sighting was estimated at three seconds. The witness estimated the object was approximately three miles away and at an altitude of three to four miles. The report was filed in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2. Official conclusions reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center categorized the event as an astronomical meteor, noting that the description and speed were typical of such a phenomenon. The report further noted that no other witnesses could be located to corroborate the sighting, limiting the ability to conduct a more comprehensive analysis.