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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. 5 …Some photographic activity occurred on 27 April and 24 May, but simultaneous sightings by both cameras…
  • p. 7 …Instrumental observations - photographic, triangulation, and spectroscopic were considered essential. Dr. L. La Paz of the Department…
  • p. 9 …sky; that Fred Whipple in his work photographing meteors at Las Cruces, never detected a strange…
  • p. 10 …Land-Air has agreed to report and if possible photograph any abnormal sightings made during their…
  • p. 11 …It was arranged further that at such time when the study is completed all photographic and…
  • p. 13 …Whipple made a careful study of meteor photographs taken in New Mexico on 35 nights when…
  • p. 23 …capable of performing the required investigation (by photographic and spectroscopic means) provided that necessary funds, personnel…
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These data then would be used to demonstrate the need for initiating a study of the phenomena. On 21 February 1950, an observation outlook post was set up at Holloman Air Force Base manned by two personnel. Observations with theodolight, telescope and camera were undertaken between the hours of sunrise and sunset.

On 5 March 1950 a conference was held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base which included Holloman Air Force Base and GRD personnel. Action was taken to initiate a three point program which was confirmed by ABC in the form of a letter directive on 16 March 1950, subject "Light Phenomena".

a. Askania instrument triangulation by Land-Air Inc.

b. Observations with Mitchell camera using spectrum grating by Holloman Air Force Base personnel.

c. Electromagnetic frequency measurements using Signal Corps Engineering Laboratory equipment.

Under contract to GRD, Land-Air Inc. was required to maintain constant watch at two Askania stations for a six-month period. Since an abnormal number of reports had been received from Vaughn, New Mexico, it was decided to install the instrumentation at Vaughn.

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.