Sighting of Unusual Phenomenon on Horizon Near Iranian/USSR Border

This Central Intelligence Agency Information Report details a sighting of an unusual aerial phenomenon reported by an airline pilot on June 17, 1966. At approximately 2142 hours local time, while flying near the Rudashur beacon in Iran, the pilot observed a brilliant white sphere on the horizon. The object appeared suddenly and was estimated to be three times the size of a full moon. The pilot noted that the sphere was rising and expanding over a duration of four to five minutes before its intensity diminished. The weather conditions were described as excellent with unlimited visibility. A second airliner at a lower altitude also observed the phenomenon, though it was not seen from the ground. The reporting pilot, who possessed over 20 years of flying experience, stated he had never seen anything similar. He noted that the object's visibility from the ground might have been obscured by a high mountain range north of the city. The report includes a theory provided to the pilot that the object may have been a 'false moon' or potentially gases emanating from a man-made explosion, which could have been illuminated by the sun from the back side.