Documents / Report
This is the final report of the Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects, conducted by the University of Colorado under Air Force contract F44620-67-C-0035, with Edward U. Condon as scientific director and Daniel S. Gillmor as editor. It was submitted to the National Academy of Sciences on 15 November 1968 for review. The report includes field studies, photographic and radar analyses, case studies, historical chapters and appendices such as the Robertson Panel report and the Twining letter.
is no evidence that it was. The otlject was reported to bc moving
senerally from "cst to enst at 75 kl1nts. It was never sighted.
This sig~lting has been described as a mirage of Venus, although
the reported 7S knot speed and 270 0
direction of mntion is in contra-
diction to this hypothesis. '11112 general description of the object
as well as tI,e reported motion is suggestive of a weather balloon.
However, the peculiar reversals of direction, althou~h they could have
heen illusory, and parti cularly the loss 'l[ visual contact aTe at
odds with the balloon h:pothcsis.
The radiosonde pl'ofilE' for Spoknne, 1~)()O lSI, i~ shown in Flg.9
and is inconclusi ve. 'Inc tropopause, where the sharpest temperature
i11\'e1'sions are likely, is at ahout 30,SOO ft. above sea lev(-',l, too
high to haY(' prodo,'('d a mirage visible at 2G,OOO-27,OOi] ft.
'Ihe ': losc:!,cSS of thp timing bet\"een the radiosonde release at
l~)OO LST and the sighting at 1915 LST sugge~:ts that the F-C)4 crow
rna)' have s('on a lightfl\ pibal balloon. The descrij,tion given, in-
cluding tl10 t\\'O diml)'-1it "windOlvs," is typical of the description
of" pibal balloon b\' those not familial- with weather in~;trumentation.
SUc:h a balloon h'ould risE' to at least 17,000 ft.in 15 T;1in., and the
reporteJ motion, 270 0 at 7S kn(t~. is in excellent agreement with
the upper lI'inJs at the highest level plotted for the Spokane profile
2Sr o ~t bh knots at 18,000 ft.
l~)-X. 361-IL Kirtland AFB,Albll<luerqlle, N.~1., <1 Nov. 1957,2245-2305 LST.
Weather: scattered clouds with high overcast, visibility good, thunder-
51'0]'1'15 and rain showers in vicinity, light rain over airfield. Ohservers
in the L:AA (now FAA) control to\\,('1' sm~ un ullitlentificd durk ubject
v.ith a IIhi tl~ light undertl(.',lth) ahout thc "SIl.lJlC of un automohi Ie on
('Ill)," th:lt l'ro~~.;cJ thl' field ,It Hhout E;[)(J ft. anu circ]('d ;I'i if to
C0111e in for a landilli; on the I:-\V I'UJl\\'ay. This llnidcntified object
appeareu t(1 !'C'verse di1'('(:'1o" at 10'11 .tl1ituue, while (Jut of sight of
the ohSC'T\'cr~~ bell i n(\ some hu i 1d i IlI;S, Dill) '.' 1 i I1lhC',l sudden ly to ahollt
211
is no eviJencu that it W~lS. The aDject was reported to be moving
;cenerally from west to enst at 75 kr:nts. It was never sighted.
This sjg~lt~ng has been described as a mirage of VCl\\l!;, although
the reported 75 knot speed and 270· direction of mntion is in contra-
diction to this hypothesi". '111(, general description of the object
as well as the reported motion is suggestive of a weather balloon.
However, the l'e<.'u1 i ar reversa 15 of di rection, al thou"h they cou Id h :we
heen i.llusory, and part.i<.'ularly the Joss 'If visual ccr;tact are at
odds wi. th the ballool1 h'jJothl'" is.
The radiosondc profile for Spo)"nnC', I~)()O lSI', i~ shown ill hg.g
and is i !leone lusi ve. Thc tropopause, where the sha rpes t tempe ra tUTe
im'er~ions arc likely, i~ :It ahout :ill,SOO ft. ~.bove Sloa lew,l, too
high to haH' lH'ocill,'C'J it mirage visible at 2G,OOO-27,O()I) ft.
'Ihe ,:lose),ess of tl,,· timjng betl,een the radiosonde release at
1"1)1) l..ST and the sighting at lC)I~; LST sugge::ts that the F-C)4 crow
ma)' I'a\'(' S('l'n a lightEd pibal balloon. The dE'5Crlj,tjon given, in-
cluding th0 t),a dinll)'-lit "windows," is typical of the description
of ", pibal ballooll \1\' those not fami lia;- with weather instrumentation.
Such a halloon \,'oulJ rise to at least 17,O()() ft. ill]5 1;1in., and the
reported 'no;ic.!';, 270 0
at 75 km t5, i'i in excellcnt agnJement with
the LIpper \dEds at the highest level plotted for the ,Spokane profile
~sro ct 00 ~nots at lR,OOO ft.
1 ~) - X . 361-1l. Kirtland AFIl,Al\JlI<1Ucrqllc, N.M., rl Nov. 1957,2245-2305 LST.
\\'cati1C'r: ~cattcred clouds with high overcast, visibility good, thunder-
SIO],!'I, ClIHI rain silOl,eJ's ill vicinity, light rain over ::1irficld. Ohservers
in the C,\A (nOl' F,\i\) control tOI1('!' S<1'." un uniJpnti fi cd dark object
"itll <l \Illite light undertl':dtil) about the "sli:ljlC oj Ull automohile on
('nd," th:!t l·t"()~:,ed till' field <It ;!hollt lS()() rt. and c:irc]('d Wi if' to
(,ollie in for a landill!; on tlil' I~\V l'uTll'iay. This unideJltifiod oilje,'t
<lppCiln·d tel l'('verse dil'cl':'io" at lOIN itl1.itUJ\.', while out of sigl1t of
the ohsen'('n be1linri SOll1e buildings, ,1]1,1 ,.'liIl11)(',\ sw.lJcnly to ahol1t
211 Report, from the classic collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 1497 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.