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Project Twinkle Final Report (scan)

NICAP · 29 pages · text by OCR

This declassified U.S. Air Force file contains the final report of Project Twinkle, dated 27 November 1951 and written by Louis Elterman of the Geophysics Research Division, together with related correspondence. The project was set up to investigate the green fireballs and other light phenomena around Holloman AFB and Vaughn, New Mexico, and it was run with Askania cameras. The report calls its findings essentially negative and recommends no further funding. In March 1952 the Directorate of Intelligence declined to declassify it.

  • p. 3 …keep in connection with one of our meteor studies a sharp eye on anything unusual along…
  • p. 9 …Even during the meteor shower of 11-12 August 1951, no alarming reports were received. However…
  • p. 12 …Many of the sightings are attributable to natural phenomena such as flight of birds, planets, meteors…
  • p. 13 …Whipple made a careful study of meteor photographs taken in New Mexico on 35 nights when…
  • p. 14 …Whipple will have completed the installation of two 18-inch Schmidt cameras for meteor studies. The…
  • p. 15 …Investigators believed this to be a meteor. - Report from four Los Alamos personnel of very bright…
Director of Research and Development Headquarters USAF Washington 25, D.C.

1. Reference is made to:

a. Headquarters USAF (AFJRS-4) letter, dated 14 September 1949, subject: "Light Phenomena." (See Inclosure No. 1).

b. Cambridge Research Laboratories lettors, dated 7 November 1949, subject: "Report of Conference on 'Green Fireballs" (Project Grudge)." (See Inclosure No. 2).

2. A report of the conference held at Los Almos on the subject of phenomena observed in the New Mexico area is forwarded as inclusion No. 2. Inasmuch as the phenomena appears to be atmospheric in nature it is recommended that the investigation continue under the Air Force Geophysical Research Program. In order to establish such a project it is requested that Research and Development Board approval be accomplished and that necessary funds be provided.

FOR THE COMMANDING GENERAL:

1 - See par 1 a abv

2 - See par 1b abv

DOWNGRADED AT 3 YEAR INTERVAI

DECLASSIFIED AFTER 12 YEARS.

DOQ DIR 6200.10

Copy of basic Letter

C. SECRET

About this file

Report, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. The text was read from the page images by an OCR model; expect the odd misread word. 29 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.