Project 10073 Record Card: Multiple Sighting - Los Angeles, California

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and subsequent correspondence from Norton Air Force Base regarding a UFO sighting that occurred on July 31, 1960, in Los Angeles, California. Multiple witnesses, including civilians and a California Highway Patrolman, reported observing a round, cylindrical object with a flat top and a tear-drop shaped bottom. The object was described as green with a tail of red sparks, appearing to be the size of a half-dollar to a grapefruit at arm's length. The witnesses reported that the object moved very fast, traveling upwards to approximately 60 degrees before descending in an arc and disappearing over the horizon. The duration of the sighting was approximately three seconds. Following the report, personnel from Norton Air Force Base interviewed the witnesses and recorded their statements on audio tape. These tapes were transcribed and filed at Base Operations. The Air Technical Intelligence Center evaluated the sighting in conjunction with astronomers from the Griffith Observatory. The official conclusion reached by the investigators was that the object was a meteor. The report notes that the perceived 'rising' motion is a common optical effect for meteors, which can appear to descend as the distance from the observer increases. Colonel G. W. [illegible] of Norton Air Force Base recommended that the case be considered closed.