Project 10073 Record Card — Israel, Cairo, Egypt, 26 September 1962

On 26 September 1962, at approximately 1600Z, a luminous object was observed traveling from the southeast to the north over the region of Port Said, Egypt, and Israel. The object, described as a fireball, left a persistent white smoke trail that remained visible for several minutes after the object's descent into the Mediterranean Sea. The event was widely observed by thousands of people across Israel, from Metulla to Eilat. Multiple reports were filed, including accounts from a science teacher in Israel and a consulate member in Port Said. The object was described as having a brilliant white light, changing to red and orange, and eventually a greenish-blue hue as it descended. Witnesses estimated the duration of the fall at three to five seconds. The trail, which initially appeared white, became distorted and persisted in the sky for over 30 minutes. Photographs of the smoke trail were taken by observers, including Nathan Sadan in Beersheba. Official military analysis by the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) of the United States Air Force concluded that the phenomenon was an astronomical meteor or a decaying artificial space object that was consumed before reaching the ground. The report explicitly notes that there was no evidence of an actual impact. The event was also discussed in the July 1963 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine, which featured a photograph of the smoke trail on its cover.