Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Project 10073 Record Card and Naval Message regarding Unidentified Celestial Phenomena
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AI-Generated Summary
A naval sighting of an 'unusual celestial phenomenon' on June 13, 1962, was investigated by ATIC and officially identified as the star Fomalhaut. The report highlights the challenges of identifying astronomical bodies at sea.
On June 13, 1962, the USS MATHEWS reported an unusual celestial phenomenon at coordinates 08.8N 105.5E. The object was observed for over five hours, beginning at 1700Z. Witnesses described the object as a pear-shaped, white, glowing entity that appeared significantly larger than any planet or first-magnitude star. The object reportedly gained altitude rapidly and appeared to be superimposed over a line of four or five smaller lights. During the observation, the object's luminescence dimmed momentarily before returning to its original intensity, and it eventually decreased in size and brightness. The report explicitly states that there was no effect on radar or radio reception. The sighting was subsequently evaluated by ATIC under Project 10073. The official conclusion reached was that the object was the star Fomalhaut. The investigators noted that the object's movement was consistent with an astronomical body and that the positional data matched that of Fomalhaut. The report expresses skepticism regarding the initial misidentification by the naval unit, attributing the appearance of the object to atmospheric distortion.
It is difficult to understand how this 1st mag star was misidentified by the naval unit rpting it as a UFO.
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Official Assessment
Was Astronomical Fomalhaut. Distortion due to atmospheric conditions.
The object was identified as the star Fomalhaut. The report notes that the naval unit misidentified the star as a UFO, and that the positional data coincided with the star's location.