PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD — 27 Feb 61 Sighting Near Guam

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated naval message regarding an aerial sighting that occurred on February 27, 1961, near Guam. The sighting was reported by LTJG R.E. Stewart, a co-pilot of a VCP-61 A3D-2P aircraft flying at 16,000 feet. The witness, noted as reliable, observed a spherical object with a magnitude comparable to the planet Venus. The object appeared white, then turned reddish, and left a trail estimated at 30 times the diameter of the object itself. The observation lasted approximately two seconds. The object was initially sighted at 300 degrees azimuth and 40 degrees elevation, moving to 305 degrees azimuth and 20 degrees elevation before it appeared to burn out. The weather conditions were reported as clear with light and variable winds. The report was prepared by the AIO (Air Intelligence Officer). The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency, ATIC, was that the sighting was likely an astronomical event, specifically a meteor, noting that while the duration was too short for a typical satellite reentry, the physical characteristics observed were consistent with a meteor. The document was originally classified as unclassified and the classification was later cancelled on May 2, 1969.