Project 10073 Record Card and Correspondence — Wilmington, Delaware, August 1961

This document contains a collection of records, correspondence, and completed questionnaires regarding a UFO sighting reported by two young witnesses in Wilmington, Delaware, on August 25, 1961. The primary witness, a 13-year-old boy, observed a bright, starlike object in the west-northwest sky using a six-inch reflecting telescope. He described the object as a white, partly transparent globe with a red dot and an orange crescent. According to the report, the object appeared to explode into pieces, which then faded away over approximately ten minutes. The witnesses also reported seeing smoke. The sighting occurred during the evening of a lunar eclipse. The witnesses attempted to photograph the object, but failed due to insufficient light. Following the incident, the witnesses submitted reports to the Air Force, seeking an explanation. The Foreign Technology Division (FTD) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base evaluated the report and concluded that the object was a radiosonde weather balloon. The FTD noted that the 'smoke' was likely condensation formed during the balloon's burst, and the 'crescent' and 'red light' were consistent with the reflection of the sun and the anti-collision lights typically found on such balloons. The correspondence includes a letter from the primary witness in 1963, inquiring about the status of his report for a school project, to which Major C. R. Hart responded, confirming the evaluation and providing additional information. The file includes the original Project 10073 record card, the completed U.S. Air Force Technical Information Sheets, and internal military memos requesting further information from the witnesses.