Report of Unidentified Flying Object — Canberra, Australia, May 3, 1964

On May 3, 1964, at approximately 0605 local time, a resident of a tourist camp on Black Mountain, near Canberra, Australia, observed two unidentified luminous objects in the sky. The witness, who was accompanied by his wife and a friend, reported that the primary object was a large, soft white light, brighter and larger than the planet Venus, which moved in a wobbly, erratic manner from the west-southwest to the east-northeast. The witness noted that the object moved 'like a drunk' and appeared more like a light inside a frosted globe than a point-source star. After observing the object for about three minutes, the witness noticed a second, smaller object with a 'pinkish-orange' glow that appeared stationary to the west of the first object. The larger object then suddenly accelerated in a straight line for approximately four seconds, colliding with the smaller object. The witness described the impact as causing both objects to bounce, with no explosion or change in light intensity. Following the collision, the larger object moved off in a north-northeasterly direction, no longer wobbling, before disappearing into clouds. The smaller object remained, appeared to sputter, and then vanished. The witness was interviewed by the Scientific Attache of the American Embassy, Dr. Paul Siple, and two NASA representatives, Meredith Glenn and Hugh Fletcher. The investigation included checks with the Meteorology Department and the Canberra airport, both of which reported no relevant activity, such as balloon releases or aircraft, at the time of the sighting. While the official record card suggests the objects were possibly a satellite and a star, the embassy report notes that the investigators concluded the objects were not known earthmade craft and they had no definitive explanation for the phenomenon. The incident was subsequently documented in an official State Department airgram and later referenced in UFO research publications.