Project 10073 Record Card and Intelligence Report IR-1-62

On January 25, 1962, at approximately 2125 local time, five members of the Miami Astronomical Association observed four objects moving from the South to the North over Miami, Florida. The witnesses, all young men with an interest in astronomy, described the objects as initially appearing as a hazy line that separated into four diffuse, reddish-orange, disc-shaped objects. The objects traveled in a straight line before forming a diamond-shaped pattern. The observation lasted approximately 20 seconds. One witness, Michael Harrison, captured a ten-minute time exposure photograph of the sky during the event. The Air Force conducted an investigation, interviewing all five witnesses and checking with local military units, including the 482nd Fighter Intercept Squadron and the 644th Radar Squadron, both of which reported no activity. The investigation concluded that the objects were likely a misidentification of aircraft lights associated with a Ground to Air Triangulation Survey being conducted by the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey and RCA, or possibly meteoric fragments. The photograph was analyzed by the 19th Bomb Wing Photo Lab, which identified the marks on the film as dust, scratches, and star tracks. The negative and prints were eventually returned to the observers in 1963 following a formal request to Dr. Allen J. Hynek.