UFO Sighting, Puerto Rico, Mr H. I. Morrow

This document collection details a UFO sighting report filed by Mr. H. I. Morrow regarding an incident on June 1, 1960, in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Mr. Morrow and his wife observed a round, stationary object in the sky while sunbathing at the Hotel Ponce Intercontinental. They reported that the object was at a very high altitude, appeared to be spinning, and was positioned slightly west of the sun, requiring them to shield their eyes to view it. The witnesses followed the object for approximately 45 minutes before losing sight of it. Mr. Morrow initially contacted the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on June 6, 1960, to inquire about the object. NASA responded on June 10, 1960, stating they had not conducted any experiments in the area and forwarded the inquiry to the Department of Defense. The Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) subsequently evaluated the report under Project 10073. The official Air Force conclusion, communicated by Lt. Col. Lawrence J. Tacker and Maj. Friend, identified the object as the planet Venus. The report noted that Venus was 7 degrees removed from the sun in a westward direction with a magnitude of -3.4 on that date. The investigators explained that the perceived spinning was likely an optical effect caused by prolonged staring at an undetailed object near the bright sun, and that the object was lost to sight because the witnesses did not allow their eyes sufficient rest. The correspondence concludes with the Air Force providing this explanation to Mr. Morrow on June 24, 1960.