Project 10073 Record: Sighting of Fireball (Meteor) - Illinois, Ohio

This document collection details a sighting of a fireball (meteor) that occurred on March 14, 1969. The primary report, filed under Project 10073, describes a civilian observation of a white object with an orange tail, visible for 2 to 3 seconds. A subsequent memorandum for the record, dated April 16, 1969, and reported by Major John Burt, provides further context, noting the location as approximately 3 miles north of Gibson City, Illinois, on Route 47. The observer, who was traveling north, reported the sighting to the east. The memorandum notes that the observer inquired if they had witnessed satellite decay, and that a Lieutenant Marano confirmed he had also seen the object from near Zanesville, Ohio, identifying it as a fireball. The file includes two 'Flight Crew Member Report Forms' for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Re-Entry and Recovery Program, which further document the event as a 'fireball' or 'satellite re-entry'. One report includes a detailed personal account from an observer who noted that the object appeared to fall vertically, had fuzzy edges, and subtended approximately 5 degrees of arc before burning out. The official conclusion across all documents is that the phenomenon was a meteor.