PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS Wo S.lloon L----------- O..un4-VIwal D Gr.undR.der a Aa.-va .. .a a AI R.t D Wo Alrcr_,t 0 P rolaaW 1 Alrcr.ft D PoaiWr Aircraft J:t< Wo Aatronol col l\1 e t ld 0 t 0 ProlloWr Arenolcal 0 PoaiW, Aat.onolcol 7. LINGTH OP OIS!RVATION L NUMIIR Ofl OIJECTS 9. COURSI 011 SIGHTING 11. COMMINTS 0 lnaufficlent Oato for Evaluation D U .. nown ~t:llet t Stati0r-.. T!,i3 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY MEMORANDU~l NAVAL MESSAGE . UNCLASSIFIED NAVY DEPARTMENT CAC:TIO.... ft[LIASlO IY FM HALLETT STA TO CCINAVSUPPFOR ANTARCTIC~ READDRESSED ROUTINE 091821Z FM COMNAVSUPPFOR ANTARCTICA INFO CNO . . . CINCLANTFLT IN~O DET ALIA ANTARCTIC SUPP~CTY CCIIANTARCTIC SUPPACTY U N C. L A s. . UNUSUAL .PHEN CIIEN ~ REPORT .. 1. INTENSE BRIGHT LIGHT OBSERVED AT 071115Z 2. FIRST OBSERVER ON ROOF OF MET BUILDING AND STATED THAT HE THOUGHT A FLARE HAD BEEN FIRE~ IN CA~P AS LIGHT WAS SO INTENSE THE Ll"GHT wAS AS LARGE AS A "'-'ASKETBALL" ,_S THE OBJECT PASSED OVER TH STATION TwO S~ALLER LIGHTS WERE NOTED WHICH APPEARID TO. BE TO T~E.REAR A~D UN EAC~ SIDE. T:1E3E SMALLEft LIGHTS WERE OF LESSEW INTENSITY. BEHIND ~AS A WHITE VAPOR TRAIL . j~ AT THIS TI~E SEVERAL OTHER PERSONS OBSERVED THE OBJECTS INCLUDING THE 'SCIENTifiC .LEA!)~ AND OINC . . 4o TRAVELED FRQ, TH WEST -SOUTH -WEST TO EAST-NORTH-EAST 5o THE THREE LIGHTS ~AINTAINEu THERE SAME RELATIVE POSITION TO EACH OTHER WITH THE VAPOR TRAIL CLEARLY VISIBLE.IN THE CLEAR 6 .. AT APPROX 1:-tATELt 7 TO 10 DEGR~ES ELEV~TlON THERE .WAS A BRILLIANT fLASH OF LI"GHT., FOLLOWING THIS THE LIGHTS WERE STILL -VISIBLE AND DISAPPEARED AT THE HORIZON . 7. IN K ES THAT THE LIGHTS ARr RECORDED ON THE SKY CAMERA ~ FIL" WILL BE DEVELOPED ASAP . 72 7.6 94 IP NAVAIDE JCS CSA USAF CIA NIC COuAHD ~M.; FLAtit'lOl BFR . CONTltO\. NO. 55516iJH/DC/ UNCLASSIFIED On 7 July at 07/11152 an intense light was observed at Hallett Station, Antarctic, 'rhis light was first observed from the roof of a building und the observer stated that he thou~ t th"' t a flare had been fired in camp, as the light was. so bright. He stated that the ligtlt waa as large ati a basketball and \men it passed over the station it was noted that there were two smaller lights anrearing to the rear ani the sides of the main light. These s maller lights were of lesser intensity. A vapor trail followed the object. These liE'Jlts nli:dntained. the same ~ relative position throughout the siltlt ing ani al.ong with tre vapor trail were clearly visible in the night sky described as clear. These lights travelled from VfS'.'i to EN~ =nat ai:l :<tvnxtaruc~ID1t1[:arccrwft:l:c.:T:lte.: -xnrrr1)( .aosurr)."f.:r.Qi-r~ 4tr de~rces c:)oY~ :he hori~:o11 ~crx:txxt:'(FtKTli!'iRi~ i#A6 XA ~ .~--:.J.li ~'")~ '1 --..11 . cocld h:;.vc-:)Ccur~3d i.J. t:~a.s fl.rec... :\s stat ed the usual cn:.:.r 2.ct3r.:.stics of a reent r y sighting \-rere not reported in the message. Color, a.:"ld explosion rules out aircraft. Travel from to an w1determined point over the horizon rules out flares. Locale and general aescription of the object rules out mis Jile observations. _.::..ppar ent s peed and description rules out l:fX u:, Other tha."l the remote possiblit~i of 62."' 3eta 2 r~entrJ ther e is only one logical expaanation for this sighting on the lL~ted data presented. 1he rather obvious sighting of a firebaE class o!. neteor. ~he brilliance of the object.) the straight flat trajectory, dis3.p eara.nce over t r.e horizon, trail etc e m all be accounted for ~J tnis e~-:pla.l'la.tion. 3efore positive identification c ould be ;:tade several additional .facts \vO'J l d have :.0 ~ ascertained. Nest imPortant 1.-rould be the duratiol"'_ of the sic?;ht:lng . r . s:..9:'1tir1g of a meteor of this type s hould last a t most .30 seconds with the most probuble duratio~ close to 7-10 seco~ds, and an exceptionally f a s t meteor trav~l.:i..'1g t.n.is distance ana enber:i.ng the atnosuhere a gainst the e arth s rotation should still last 4-~ seconds. The object of t~is sighting is tenatively explained as a neteor. For a more positive identifica.tionof the object the following 1rould hn-e to be knovm. Duration of si~1,ing. \vas flight smooth and constant, speeding up or slowing down other than the noted explosion. Color? Estimated. speed or distance travelled, esti.rnated altitude, possible sound associated with object? Have observers ever witnessed a fireball? How was 7-10 degree elevation determined? Uid ooject cross tre zenith or go to B or 1f of station on passage from \iS~'i to Ei~E? How \-ras duration of si~ting deteii"ined. i:-lhat were the estimates of the other witnesses on duration. Haw much of the flight did each '\dtness observe. Also what happened to the film that. w:?..s to be processed? :iere other antarctic locations checked for meteor o cserv:.tion this time and date'?(deather \'laS reported as clear) It 1o ecncluc'lcd th:lt a tirel:DU cu:cl tha trnU it Ciblo tor tba OFO Giehtod tram Detacl~:lt Alpb.=. 3. On 7 ~ 19G2 at ll15Z an 1nten:;e lJ.c;bt \.~s ob::;Q;.reci :!'".rc-~ I!.."lllc~t =:ltio:l. T'Aio 11,:ht wa tirct obscrv~d fl-o: tho root at n bttildu~, a~-1 t~o cb3er1rcr stated th:lt he taou~ht at t.lrct it w:.n a f'lc.r~. rQ~o:..:;f!cl th.~t tho l.lcltt \nlCI ftd lnrc:-, no b4cl:ot.1J:l.ll a.n<l vht:n 1t l'='~cc:4 r:tcr the atatio:l he noticed tva seller l1~b~s B!lr~o.rJ.r.c to t:1o rc:u. t.~l t~lO Bii!tt ot the Cin obJect. T'aa tn~llcr 11~'-ltc. \iC:'O ot le::cc-r i:tc :!.t:,r and. they c1ntaincx1 the en= rolntive pos1t1on t~u.:;.":.out tho a1G:~1n::. obJect lett a clcnrly visible tx'a11. Tho licht3 \:ere tn,-cl:!:ll tran ~lZW to ERE. At 10 abOYe the eacterA horizon tho obJect:J t:;1V~ eft a brill :laat f]aDh M 41sa.:p:pca.re4 ORr the horizon. Tho obJect c~':tcd. b7 t~se vitmeos(!a vas prob~bl.J a bolide. Dolides po:Joess tho W.":~ charo.c:ter1ot1cs a:a t1rc'bllla and :l.D addition are ~a....-4 to rAke Xloi::e, usunlly a vhiatl!Dg, rumbl ittG or aeries ot ex:plo::1om or 1JJ heard or seen to oxplcdo. 1'.bare 1a the very remotD poss1b111t;r that this w.a tl:o rc-c~rJ ~tho u.s. satellite Alp!la-Beta I. This co.tollit~ c.acaycd b.~t-.-~o:l llOOZ rnd 2300Z em 7 ~ 1962. Dec:a1 dur~ rcvol~1on n';.-:':Jcr 23 c d l:3.VC! resulted 1D a diop]Ay 31011ar to th::s.t e c~ib~d b~' tha !!:~ll c-t~ Gtc.tion vitncose::. It \.'":!S co:1aluded toot thia obJec-t ~';ls p:-o':::.:~l.y a bolide bec:a.uoe: (l) :!cvol\:..'t1on nu=~;(:r 234 t.:~ t:1c-: c~li~st ec-.~ .:.tea tor the de~ at the c~tcllite e.nd it z-:o't:t~,cy e.oc:a~l~d. l~cr to tile: l!e:l:l ar t~a eo::puted t:l-::.:a ~"".li..~a; (2) ':'~ r-:th c.r th:J tQllite l::"J.l.d 1'-~ve ~ell ~rQ ~C!!i the f..,/ to t~:e 1m as Vi " ~j, ;C-lv, Z,.'"'.llctt ~t:.ticn, 1:t it d!d not loae it~ or~it:J.l chl!is:lctcri~t1c:J t~.~ to ra- c:i:~c=-~.:J ar..! (3) Tho~ the .nt~!::c~ ~rcr11d~d only Q l:i;:uted. c1cs- Cl'i:::tic::l ot t o~jcct they si,htcc1, the ch'1.ra.cter1otica .r.-... c n:nch closer Ccl~::~l, USAF ~-e::.-~-;y -:cr Science a..,d cc:::,orJ!nts 'rD-E/Lt Col Fr1aD4 Un1dcDt~1e4 J'~ ObJct sts)!te4 1D the Anto,retio SJ\FOI-3b (l.bJar \-:ash 25 DC 1. On 7 JUne 1962 at OlOSZ witnesses at B:lllett station, 72-20 S Md 170-00 E observed aD obJect vh1ch they 4esc:r1bed as brighter tmn a f'ir~t :r:'lgnitude star. 'rb1s object was sighted on a true bco.rins arrprox1mntilJs 250 f'rom Hallett stat10D. The elC'V'O.tion was reported to be a.p:prox1rnate~ 30 ond the obJect was observed tor mre thnn five J:lj nutes. This a1r,bt1113 probab~ rcaulted tram the m1s1detttific:lt1on Qj the pl anct JUpiter due to dictort1on or tmt boey by inconsistencies in the atmosi>bere. Tho reported aztrruth of the obJoct and th3.t ot the pl:mct a.t the ttmo or the sieht~ are very nearly the ~ru:1e. !~:Ala vit- ne~ccs rc:9orted the obJect co-.ted slowly in a Gouth~r.ly d.iraction uhich is the s~-a as the o.ppnront t.=>t1on of JU:?1tcr when viCT.md :fl-om P.-:1llctt St~tion at th1G t1"'.e and date. At the tL.~ or the! r:;i:--)ltin~ JUpiter vas tl:~ bri~cst a.ctronomictll. object, -2.0 JC:nJ.tudc, 't;h1ch could be seen fl-0::1 r~llctt Zt3tion. JUpiter's elc~tion nt tho tii_-:~ of tha t:ighting u:-s lc~3 t!-:.~n five dce;rccs, fo.r t'rc::1 t~o th1r1ty dc:_;r.:!~O rt:':portcd by t:c vit~s=cs. It is the i.l'D O.!,)inion thnt tho vitn2.::;~o.> c~t:1ote or tl:~ elC"ntio.~ vn.s in error ror they indic::ltad tbt tl:c o".Jj cct. :p:ls!:ed b~hin:l a l"':Otu:t~in peak c.nd 0:1 fc.r na can be dctc-ain.~d tt~ n carc:;t OCU.~t~i:l pe;.kn h.;.ve eJ.O"ro.tiO:l.'l of leas. tr .. ':lU ~iVS dci;i""CC.3 -;;hen T.lCO.Sured f'l.o~ r>J 1 ott Sto.tion. It ia probo.ble th.o.t o. stron3 inve:..:-cion ~ran l? :Zlt 1n the a:ca at the t1:e of the si(',hting and th::.t ni.rne;e effects o~i3tcd vith this condition ccntributed to the aiehtinz. 2. On 22 J\me 1962 at 0303 Z en objt!ct l~ving a sr,ol~ or vn:90r tro.U w.~:J ob ... ,:cd freta Dets.chr~nt Al!>~a, Anta.rcticia.. 'Ihe object vas ~ported to 'be b:-~cr tlmn a first Jr::.c;nitudt! star, mute in color ana to ho.ve x:o-.;cd. ~ a be~ ot 340 to 345 o.t on elevntion o~ 1. Tho d:.1r:~.tion of this s1r;.7t1ng \r"SS a~oxirnntely tvo seco~3. Thio object 'Wa3 :pro'bab:cy a :~r"'J brieht :rr:cteor knC".m as a fireball. Fireballs nrc a ~e class o-: r.::r or, brishtcr tMl\ -3.0 m.enitude, U5\Ul.lJy multicolored, often l c =.vin.J n very evident trail and are ~ reln.tively lo::l3 run~tion. The t:. .. ~u~ lCI"t by those meteors appear as ~o!:e d'lll~ day1i~ht bcur:1 a.nd t:urinz c!ru~:nc33 djspl.ay alll-ey colora. Trails left by f1rcba1ls have c n ~ed to stuey winds in the U~J?cr ati~uph~ra, ti:rty tl1l e zo .. by such C"in~nt astrcmamcra aa Dr. Fred J.'hipple ~ o.nd Ilr. ~lnrlc!J P. Oliver, 'University ot Pennaylwn1n. Since these trails ray persist for hal.t' an hour or more, it 1a uot unusual ~or theA to be distorted b7 these villds