Project 10073 Record Card — Madison, Tennessee, 16 November 1962

On November 16, 1962, at approximately 8:20 P.M. local time, a civilian witness in Madison, Tennessee, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witness, who identified themselves as an amateur star gazer and amateur meteorologist, reported seeing an object resembling a huge star with a magnitude of -8. The object was visible for approximately 17 seconds, moving from north to south. The witness noted that the object appeared to break into two smaller objects of about third magnitude after eight seconds, creating an impression of an explosion. The witness described the object as yellowish-white, reflecting light like a mirror, and estimated its position at 12 degrees above the horizon. The witness explicitly stated that the object did not appear to be self-luminous and did not believe it was an aircraft. The sky was reported as mostly covered by heavy stratus clouds, with the object appearing below the cloud level. The official evaluation concluded that the speed and characteristics of the object were consistent with a bolide, or a bright meteor, and classified the event as a probable meteor sighting, noting that the witness should be aware of such characteristics.