Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — West Babylon, New York, July 1960

This document contains a series of reports and correspondence regarding a UFO sighting in West Babylon, New York, between July 16 and July 20, 1960. The initial report was submitted by a civilian witness who observed a small, bright object in the sky while checking his television antenna. The witness, using 7x50 binoculars and a 60-power telescope, described the object as having a rotating, pendulum-like appearance and being followed by approximately 15 pieces of debris. The object was observed for four consecutive nights, consistently disappearing when it reached a position directly overhead. The witness initially speculated that the object was a balloon, noting it appeared smaller than a previously observed balloon that was reportedly 450 miles out in space. The report was forwarded through military channels, including the Air Proving Ground Center at Eglin Air Force Base and the 2500th Air Base Wing at Mitchel Air Force Base, to the Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) for investigation. A subsequent investigation conducted on September 7, 1960, involved interviews with the primary witness, his brother, and two nephews. The investigators confirmed the details of the sighting, noting that the weather was clear during the period. The final conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was a weather balloon. This determination was based on the proximity of the U.S. Weather Bureau Station at New York International Airport, located approximately 45 miles west of the sighting location, and the physical description provided by the witnesses, which the military deemed consistent with a weather balloon and its associated equipment.