NATIONAL ARCHIVES MICROFILM PUBLICATIONS PROJECT BLUE BOOK Project (Administrative) Files Boxes 3(pt.) and 4 Microfilm Publication T1206 THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON: 1976 responsibility Department investigation uiilentified identified unidentified Procedures conducting Regulation objectives scientific information technology contribute scientific accomplishing objectives, investigation nearest,the responsibility investigating forwarding information Wright-Patterson investigation identification explanatien,a scientifically necessary, scientific facilities identification explanation. clated*with investigation, evaluation scientific dissemination information concerning sightings; evaluations, statistics. accomplished fqrmation. unidentified unfamiliar observers, astronomers, professional housewives, Frequently balloons, searchlights, navigation anticollision condensation astronomical mistakenly unidentified evaluations identified, insufficient unidentified, Identified reports are those for which sufficient specific information has been accumulated and evaluated to permit a positive identification or explanation of the object. Reports categorized as Insufficient Data are those for which one or more elements of informa- tion essential for evaluation are missing. Some examples are the omission of the duration of the sighting, date, time, location, position in the sky, weather conditions, and the manner of appearance or disappearance. if an element 18 missing and there is an indication that the sighting may be of a Security, scientific, technical, or public interest value, the Project Blue Book Office conducts an additional investigation and every attempt is made to oblain the information necessary for identifi- cation. However, in some instances, essential information cannot be obfained, and no further action can be taken, The third andby far the smallest group of evaluations is categorized as Unidentified. A sight- ing is considered unidentified when a report apparently contains all pertinent data necessary to suggest a valid hypothesis concerning the cause or explanation of the report but the description of the object or its motion cannot be correlated with any known object or phenomena, TYPES OF UFO IDENTIFICATIONS AND EVALUATIONS * Thre are various types of UFO sightings. Most common are reports of astronomical sight! which include bright stare, planeta, comets, fireballs, metoora, auroral stredmera~ and otiee cele, tial bodies. When observed through haze, light fog, moving clouds, or other obscurations or unusual conditions, planets,-including unidentified objects. Stellar mirages are also a source of reports. Satellites are another. major source of UFO reports. An increase in satellites reported as UFOs ha8 come about because of two factors, The first is the increase of interest on the part of the public} the second is the increasing number of satellites in the skies, Positive knowledge of the location of all satellites at all times enables rapid identification of satellite sightings. Keeping track of man-made objects in orbit about the earth is the responsibility of the North American Air DefenseCommand Space Detection and Tracking System. This sophisticated electronic system gathers complex space traffic data instantly from tracking stations all over the world, Other space surveillance activities include the use of ballistic tracking and large telescopic cam- eras. ECHO schedules are prepared by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center at Greenbelt, Maryland, and schedules of the South/North equator crossings are prepared by the Smithsonian Institution. at Cambridge, Massachusetts. From the data prodiived by these agencies, satellites mistakenly reported as UFOs can be quickly identified. Some of these are visible to the naked eye, Aircraft account for- another maor source of UFO reports, particularly during adverse weather conditions. When observed at high altitudes and at some distance, aircraft can have appearances rang- ing from disc to rocket shapes due tothe reflection of the sun on their bright surfaces. Vapor or con- densation trails from jet aircraft will sometimes appear to glow fiery red or orange when reflecting sunlight. Afterburners from jet aircraft areoften reportedas UFOs since they can be seen from great distances when the aircraft cannot be seen. The Project Blue Book Office has direct contact with all elements of the Air Force and the Fed- eral Aviation Agency civil air control centers. All aerial refueling operations and special training immediately. commercial evaluation mistakenly of some reports, Balloons continue to be reported as UFOs. Several thousand balloons are released each day from miliiary and civilian airports, weather stations, and research activities. There are several types of balloons - weather balloons, rawinsondes, radiosondes, and the large research balloons which have diameters up to 300 feet, At night, balloons carry running lights which cause an unusual appearance when observed. Reflection of the sun onballoons at dawn and sunset sometimes produce strange ef- fects. This usually occurs when theballoon, because of its alttudes, is exposed to the sun. Large bal- loons can move at speeds of over 100 miles per hour when moving in high altitude jet windstreams. These balloons sometimes appear to be flattened on top. At other times, they appear to be Saucer~ shaped and to have lights mounted inside the bag itself due to the suns rays reflecting through the material of the balloon. The Balloon Control Center at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, main- tains a plot on all Military Upper Air Research Balloons. Another category of UFO evaluations labeled Other includes missiles, reflections, mirages, searchlights, birds, kites, spurious radar indications, hoaxes, fireworks, and flares. Aircraft, satellites, balloons, and the like should NOT be reported since they do not fall within the definition of an unidentified flying object. + CONCLUSIONS conclusions unidentified investigated, indication discovered categorized unidentified technological developments principles scientific knowledge; indicating unidentified extraterrestrial investigate services-of scientists technicians investigate Committee, Congressional unnecessary. possibility discovered intra-space extraterrestrial invitation extraterrestrial INFORMATION WASHINGTON, unidentified submitting discussion information pertaining unclassified ET ie a ee a NON AVAILABILITY OF MATERIALS distribution management procedures forwarding appropriate 1, Air Force Regulation 200-2 photographs, Identified Photographs evaluation conjunction determined misinterpreta- conventional possesses, Non-military publications publisher, SUGGESTED READING MATERIAL meteorites, constellations telescopes, computation astronomy, astronomy. SKY & TELESCOPE, by Sky Publishing Corporation, Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Mass. 02138. Monthly Magazine, 60 cents per copy. " WEATHER ELEMENTS, by BLAIR, published Prentice Hall. Has an excellent chapter on often mi phenomena, PLANETS, STARS, AND SPACE, by CHAMBERLAIN, JOSEPH M, & NICHOLSON, THOMAS D. An iMlustrated, non-technical explanation of the earth, planets, stars, and the universe. Prepared in co- operation with the American Museum of Natural History. JUNIOR SCIENCE BOOK OF STARS, by CROSBY, PHOEBE. An easy-to-read, exciting story of what scientists know about the stars, planets, the moon, and the MILKY WAY. CHALLENGE OF THE UNIVERSE, by HYNEK, J. ALLEN & ANDERSON, NORMAN, Discusses the ature of the universe; astronomy and cosmology, published by Scholastic Press. introduction interesting illustrated Includes references Allen radiation observation THE WORLD OF FLYING SAUCERS, by MENZEL & BOYD. A scientific examination of the classic UFO reports. THE MOON, METEORITES, AND COMETS, Dtd 1963, by MIDDLEHURST & KUIPER, Continuous analy- sis of Soviet moon photos. Chapter on Siberian meteorite and photos or comets computation of vari- ous comet orbital photos. THE NATURE OF LIGHT AND COLOR IN THE OPEN AIR, by MINNAERT, Dover Publications, This is an excellent paperback written in understandable lay language. 2 METEORS, by OLIVIER. Standard text by foremost authority on meteors. PHOTOGRAPHIC ANATOMY OF A PHENOMENON, by VALLE, JACQUES. FIRST MAN TO THE MOON, by VON BRAUN, WERNHER, TOTAL UFO (OBJECT) SIGHTINGS (Compiled 17 Jan 68) YEAR SIGHTINGS UNIDENTIFIED SOURCE 122 Case Files 188 Case Files 186 Blue Book, page 108 210 Case Files 169 Case Files 1,501 Blue Book, page 108 509 Case Files 487 Case Files 545, Case Files 670 Case Files 1,008 Case Files 627 Case Files 390 Case Files 557 Case Files 591 Case Files am Case Files 390 Case Files 562 Case Files 886 Case Files ASTRONOMICAL Stars and Planets OTwER cases Nosses, Mallseinations, STATISTICAL Aero een tances Boca -tenebesantt eb aeneacweaet Heeseascceseds Westesbuesd devacenceneeuss te nneenwowe Feveonancansmet STATISTICS FOR 1865 (Comptied 18 Jan 1986) ASTRONOMICAL, UNIDENTIFIED Hoetasass [8 ASTRONOMICAL CASES aro and Planets a as, (@) Solar Image (Q) Moon (c) Sun) Reflected Moonlight, Parelin, Moon () eft OTMER CATEGORY FIREBALL REPORT information information A very brilliant meteor or fireball is re- questions, which are asked on behalf of the Amerian Me- teor Society in order that permanent records of contributor report is fairly complete will be mentioned, if information computation sotentific reasonable efforts'should importance, diretions. correction answering.) disappear? answering.) answering.) constellations explosion?