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

appearance of the ohject that disturbed him. lie also stated that
the radar gunlock, which he had reported by radio during the chase,
Vias due to equipment malfunction, and t:hat the rad.a:l' gun:;ight continued
to malfunction on his \vay hack to the base. This equipment was never
subsequently checb:~d for malfunctioning (i" e., not before or during
the official AF investigation of the i neident).
The Bism:;.rck, N. Dak. sightings began whel' the \~isrnard filter
Center ,~as alerted to the "presence of lJfO's" hy Rapid City. At 2342
LST the sergeant on duty t.here and several volunteer obsc~'Vcrs went
out on the ro,;,f and shortly spotted four objects. The descriptions
of these Oh)ldS by the various ohservers were consistent with the
hypothesis that they were stars, althou~~h some apparellt Ji~crepandes
caused early AF investigators to deduce by 2Tude triangulations that
the si~hted obj ects mus t have been nearby. I t now appears that all
four objects were stars viewed through a temperature inversion layer.
"1118 observers stated that the objects rcscrnbl(~d staf',s, hut that their
apparent Illotion and color changes seemed t:1 rule out this possibility.
Dr. Hynek's summary of the probable natlL'C of the four Bismarck
objects is enlightening:
Object Itl, which V/;IS 10\\' on tlJ{l borizcm in tile west
and disaI'P,~arcd b'2tween midnight ano 0100 hr. was the star
Arcturus oh.~erveJ through a surface invcrslon. Arcturus
WfiS Iowan the horizon in tb,' west and set at approximately
1220 (LSr) at 289 0 dzirnuth.
Object f,2 --- was the stUI' Capella observed through 11
surface invcr~ion. At 0011 CS:' Capd Ll WitS at 40° azimuth
and 15" elevation .... [and] at 02{)O lSI' [it] \I'as ,Jt S:~O
azinmth alld 30° elevation, wIlle', agrees \\ith the positions
given by [the two wi tnesscs].
lJbjccts 113 ,lpd /lr) were, with a hj~h degree of prphnhility,
the planet .Tupi tel' tl.nd the star Bt'te Igcu'ic, ohserved thr:lllgh
199
appearance of the ohject that JisLUrbeJ him. lie also stated that
the radar gunl<)ck, which he had reported by radio during the chase,
I'ias due to equipment malfunction, and +hat thc radal' gUlI;;ight continued
to malfuncti.on on his lIIay hack to the hase, '1'Lis equipment was never
subst;quently check~d for malfunctioning (i.e., not before or during
the official AF invcstigati on of the i Heident) ,
The Bism:;.rck, N. Dak, sightings began wher; the l;isrnarck filter
Center was alerted to the "presence of IWO's" hy RariJ Ci:y. At 2342
LST the sergeant on duty there and several volunteer ohsC'Yycrs went
out on the ro,:,f and shortly spotted four objects. The descriptions
of these Oh)l~ts by the various ohservers were consistent with the
hypothesis that thcy were sta.r~, although :-;ome apparel1t <.liscrepancies
caused early AF investigators to deuuce by 2Tude triangUlations that
the siRhted objects must have ileen nearby, It now uppcars that all
four objects were stars viewed through a tcnlperature inversion layer.
'n18 observers stated that the objects resombled :;t<11"5, hut that their
apparent Illotion and color changes seeITJed t:-l rule out this possihility.
Or. Hynek's summary of the probnhle natu;'c of the fOUT Bismarck
objects is enli):htcning:
Object 111, which W:1S 10\\' on tl](: 1\0I'j2011 in tllc west
and disapp,~arcd b-.;twecn midnight and (llno hr. ,,'as the star
Arcturus oh.'crveJ through a surface i,nvcr~i 011. Arctnrus
W(lS low on the horizollin tb,' west and set at approxjl1latcly
1220 (LSr) at 289 0 azimuth.
Object f,2-- was the stUI' Capella ohserved tlirou~;h a
surface 1l1VerSl0n. lit 0011 CS: Capd 1;1 wa:-; at 110° azimuth
and 1:;" elevation .. , , [<lIH\; at 02()O l:ST [it) \,(lS ,it :',,)0
azinn.th alld }OO clevation, WhLL~I, ,Igroos v;i th the posi t ions
gjvcn by [the two WI tnesscsl,
lJbjccts 113 <IT'll II~ were, With a hi~h dl~gr()() of prc,\whility,
the planet ,111pi tel' l1,nd the stilr IIl'tc 19cu-;c, ohserved thr;lllgh
199