Project 10073 Record Card — Gaithersburg, Maryland, 26 September 1961

On September 26, 1961, at 1912 EDT, a civilian witness in Gaithersburg, Maryland, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witness described the object as a solid, white and orange, oval-shaped light, resembling a comet without a tail. The object was observed for approximately 30 seconds to two minutes. The witness estimated the object's size to be about three times that of Jupiter and noted its speed as 1.5 to 2 times the speed of the Echo satellite. The object was seen moving toward the southwest and descending. The witness reported no sound associated with the object. Weather conditions were clear and dry. The witness reported the sighting to a NASA duty officer, an FTD duty officer, and a local newspaper. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was likely a jet aircraft, noting that the bright white light on the bottom of a jet aircraft, combined with its movement to the southwest, resulted in an apparent decrease in altitude to the witness. The report states there was no evidence to suggest the object was anything other than an aircraft.