Project 10073 Record Card — 23 August 1962 Sighting, Baltimore, Maryland

On August 23, 1962, a civilian observer in Baltimore, Maryland, reported multiple sightings of an unidentified object. The observer, who utilized a Questar telescope, documented two distinct passes of the object, designated as A1/B1 and A2/B2. The first set of sightings occurred approximately 20 miles north of Baltimore, while the second set occurred 5 miles south of the initial location. The observer described the object as having three lights—one red and two white—arranged in a triangular pattern. The object was noted to have a retrograde motion, which the observer initially assumed to be a satellite. The duration of the observation was approximately 2.5 minutes per pass, covering a 50-degree arc. The observer noted that the object was visible to the naked eye but that the specific light configuration was only discernible through the telescope. The observer also reported that the object's appearance was similar to the ECHO satellite. The Air Force Technical Information Sheet and the Project 10073 Record Card indicate that the sightings were evaluated by ATIC. The official conclusion reached was that the speed and duration of the object were consistent with a high-flying jet aircraft, and there was no evidence to suggest it was anything else. An investigator's note on the resume of the sighting suggests that the possibility of it being a 'Russian practice rotunda' might be checked, though this does not appear to be the final determination. The observer was accompanied by two other adults and one teenager during the event, and they reported no sound associated with the object. The trajectory was noted to be off main airway patterns.