1960 UFO Sighting in the Cook Islands

Summary

In September 1960, multiple observers in the Cook Islands of the South Pacific reported a bright object lasting about 4 seconds. The object was moving at high speed with a tail of red and blue lights, with an estimated trajectory from north to south. A witness on a yacht reported a similar phenomenon falling vertically almost directly south. The duration, speed, and description aligned with the characteristics of a meteor. Although no photos were taken, the report suggested it could have been a meteor or a rocket burning up in the atmosphere. The source of the illumination was placed between Raratonga and Mauke, closer to the latter.