Meteor sighted over the Atlantic in 1961

Summary

In October 1961, an observer in flight reported an object accompanied by a very bright flash moving at high speed toward the horizon. The object appeared about 45 degrees above the horizon at the 9 o'clock position, disappearing later at the 11 o'clock direction. A minute and a half later, a much fainter object with a pale yellow hue followed the same path. The pilot considered it a meteor due to its trajectory and extreme brightness, though other possibilities were not ruled out. Weather conditions were ideal: dark sky, no significant clouds, and unlimited visibility. The observation lasted just one second, with a luminous streak persisting for a tenth of a second.

The official evaluation classified the case as a meteor, noting that some meteors can be extremely bright. Despite the brief observation and lack of photographs, the report concluded there were no signs of an unidentified object. The message was distributed to multiple military and intelligence agencies, including the army, navy, and CIA, as part of the routine analysis of aerial sightings. The case was archived without further action, but remains an interesting example of how observers tried to understand celestial phenomena during a time of great interest in the unknown.