Project 10073 Record Card — New Paltz, N.Y. — 18 November 1963

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and a teletype message regarding a UFO sighting reported on 18 November 1963, near New Paltz, New York. Four civilian witnesses, including laborers and a truck driver, observed a white, smoke-like streak in the sky that shattered into 300 to 400 bright red particles. The witnesses described the particles as being the size of a baseball at arm's length and noted that they traveled in a 'V' formation. The observation lasted approximately five minutes. The witnesses reported a dull, faint sound of an explosion when the object shattered. They estimated the altitude to be above 50,000 feet and noted that the speed was too fast for an aircraft. The report includes detailed weather data for the area, noting clear skies with no wind. The official conclusion reached by the staff intelligence officer at Headquarters 26th NORAD/CONAD Region was that the sighting was a meteor. This conclusion was based on the reported altitude, the color of the object, the explosion, and the shattering effect. The document also contains extraneous pages from an astronomy publication, 'Sky and Telescope,' which provide context on the Leonid meteor shower occurring around the same time, though the official evaluation specifically addresses the 18 November incident.