Sighting, Elk Grove Village, Ill. February 8, 1965

This document consists of correspondence from J. Allen Hynek of the Dearborn Observatory to Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr. at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, regarding a UFO sighting in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, on February 8, 1965. The witness, Mrs. Patrick Crowley, reported seeing a glowing oval object while driving home. She described the object as two inter-connecting ovals of light that swayed back and forth, positioned over a neighbor's house. Hynek, who was present during the filming of an NBC documentary about the incident, interviewed the witness and observed the production process. He notes that the witness was self-possessed but excitable. After investigating the circumstances and consulting the nautical almanac, Hynek concluded that the sighting was an astronomical event—specifically, the setting moon. He suggests that atmospheric refraction and thin cirrus clouds likely distorted the moon's appearance, leading the witness to perceive it as an unidentified object. The document also includes Hynek's commentary on the involvement of NICAP members in the documentary production and his frustration regarding the lack of official reporting for other cases, such as an incident involving the Elmwood Park police.