UFO sighted near Puerto Rico in 1959

Summary

In February 1959, an object was sighted approximately 60 miles east of Puerto Rico. It appeared as a round, reddish-orange object with a gaseous tail emitting steam. Three observers aboard a Dutch merchant vessel spotted it for several minutes. Two of them used binoculars, suggesting a detailed observation. The object was moving westward, made a gentle turn, and then resumed its original course before disappearing over the horizon. Despite the detailed descriptions, no sound was detected, which caused some confusion among the observers.

The official evaluation suggested it could be a missile, although no known launch schedules were available at the time. Weather conditions were favorable, with 20-mile visibility and partly cloudy skies. Despite the lack of conclusive evidence, the data collected indicated the object was within the typical altitude and direction range of a missile. The official report did not reach a definitive conclusion but noted that the object's characteristics were consistent with a missile launch.