Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Project 10073 Record Card — Lynn, Mass. 17 Jan 1962
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AI-Generated Summary
A 14-year-old witness reported an elliptical light in the sky over Lynn, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1962. The Air Force concluded the object was likely a weather balloon, though the report was ultimately classified as insufficient data and marked as unreliable.
This document is a Project 10073 record card detailing a UFO sighting reported by a 14-year-old male in Lynn, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1962. The witness observed an elliptical object described as a light with the sharpness of a star, which moved from the Northwest to an overhead position over the course of one hour, two minutes, and 50 seconds. The witness reported the sighting on the same day. The official evaluation by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the object was likely a weather balloon, noting that the bright, near-full moon would have made such an object easily visible. However, the report explicitly states that there was insufficient information to definitively confirm the cause, and the final classification is listed as 'insufficient data for evaluation.' A handwritten note on the record card further characterizes the report as 'unreliable.' The file also contains correspondence between the witness and the Educational Services Branch of NASA, where the witness requested forms for reporting unidentified flying objects, which were subsequently forwarded to the Department of the Air Force.
The object observed by this witness was probably a wx balloon. This was a bright night due to the moon approaching full and it would have been rather easy to spot a balloon.
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Official Assessment
The object observed by this witness was probably a wx balloon. This was a bright night due to the moon approaching full and it would have been rather easy to spot a balloon. The length of the brightness tends to substantiate this as the probable cause. Sufficient information to definitely state the cause of this sighting is not available. Therefore, it is classed as insufficient information, but probably a balloon.
The sighting is attributed to a weather balloon, though the report notes that insufficient information exists to definitively confirm this.
Witnesses
Key Persons
- Everett E. CollinAssistant Chief, Educational Services Branch