Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (the Condon Report, complete, three volumes)

period 1952 through 1955. In fourteen there was an associated sighting
reported of an liFO. 111e "angel hair" is descrihed as a fibrol.ls material
which fa1l5 in large quantities, but is unstahlc nnd disintegrates an'!
vani~.;hes soon after falling. It has also heen clcscrihcu as filaments
rl"semb ling SpiUl"f wehs, floating down to earth. hang i ng from te lephollc
\'I'ires and tree hranches and forming candy-flos:;-l ike streamers. These
itreamers, which sometimes are reported to cover arcCos as large as (1.:5
sq. mi., also are reported to vanish on touch, burn like ~ellophane when
ignited. and sublime and disappear while under observation. A somE;what
similar evanescent residue, described as a luminous haze or a misty,
smoke-like deposit, was reported in three cases discussed by the Lorenzcn~
(1967), and "angel hair" cases are also desCrIbed by Michel (1958), who
suggested that the material he collected and preserved at low temper,lture
foJ' crystal structure study by X-ray diffraction, ;ln11 (1%4) has
stated that many deposits of " angr'l's hajr" ha\'(~ been n·,thing but cob-
webs spun by ballooning sriders. On at lenst one occasion, he wrote,
small spiders have actually been found in the materb 1. J n other cases,
the composition or origin of the "angel's hairl! is uncertain. During the
course of thi s study, O'1e sample of dry whi te powder was ~,l1bmi tted to
the project for analysi~. It had been collected from beneath the C<lVCS
of a house over which ":,Jlgel hair" 'lias reported to have settled, leaving
a sticky deposit, (Project files 1406P, l074T), Since the major cationic
component of this pOWtk'.' was titanium, i't loJas concluded that the powder
was the residue of a l.:ommonly tlsed house paint containing a t1 tnnilln1
oxide pigment. Few recent UFO rcrort~ h~ve involved material of the
"angel hair" type.
A second type of material often is asstllT1ccI, because of the c i r-
cum:=;tanC'l'S of lt~ nppeal'ul1ce, to have heen dumped by l/FO~. The mltcrinl
is common ly referred to as "space gras~," [Inu has ilPPCfJycd uncxpc.:tcd 1,'
132
period 1952 through 1955. In fourteen there was an as-.ociated sighting
reported of un UFO. 111e "angeI hair" is descrihed as a fihrolls material
\,hich falls in large qll1ntitie:;, hut is unstahle and dIsintegrates an,l
vani ~ihes soon after fall ing. It ha.; a Iso heen descrihed as fi laments
resembling spider webs, floating down to earth, han~l.il1g from telep,'1011c
\'I'ires and tree branches anti forming candy-flos:'1-1 i.ke streamers. These
;treamers, which sometimes are reported to cover arcCos as large as (l.;S
sq. mi., also are reported to vanish on touch, burn like ~ellophane when
ignited, and sublime and disappear while under observation. A somt:what
similar evanescent residue, described as 8 luminous haze or a misty,
smoke-like deposit, was repJrted in three cases di~cus~cd by the Lorenzcn~
(1967). and "angel hail''' cases are also doser.! bed by Michel (1958), who
sllgges ted that the ma tcri 11 1 he collected and preserved at low temper;1 tllre
for crystal structure :'1tudy by X-ray cii ffraction, ;1011 (1%4) has
stated that many deposits of "anR('l'g ha:ir" have been n·)thing but cob-
web~ spun by ballooning spiders, On at lcnst one occa~ion, he wrote,
small spiders have actually been found in the material. In ot.her cases,
the composition or origi.n of the "angel's hair" is llnc!'rtain. (luring the
course of thi s study J O'1C sample of dry whi te powder was ~,tJbmitted to
t he pro jec t for ana lys i,. It had been collected from benea th the eaves
of (-I house over which ":,Jlgel hair" 'lias reported to have sett leu, leaving
a sticky deposlt, (Project files 1406P, l074T), Since the major cationic
component of thi~ pOI~dt.".' was titanium, it I"as concludl'd that the powder
was the residue of a commonly \lsed house paint containing a titnniuni
oxide pigment. Few recent UFO rcrort~ h~vc involved material of the
"angel hai r" type.
A second type of material often is asslimed. bccatl."e of the c i r-
l~um:,nanC'('s of its nppe:n'ullce J to hnve heen dumped by !'FO~. The m ltlcri n I
is commonly referred to as "5pac.(' grass," Bnl! has "ppe-ared t.mC'xpc,;tcdlv
132