A bright sighting near the equator in 1962

Summary

In February 1962, an officer aboard a Hawaiian commercial ship reported a bright object observed through a sextant. The sighting occurred near the equator, at 9°14'N and 90°32'W. The officer observed the object for three minutes, noting changes in its angular position. It was first seen at 59° elevation and 160° azimuth, and three minutes later at 34° elevation and 148° azimuth. The observation took place in the early hours of February 27, and the report was classified as "Echo I," suggesting it was a known object, though not explicitly identified.

The report, part of a military project, was reviewed by several agencies, including the CIA and the U.S. Army. Despite the lack of photographs, the object was considered consistent with an "Echo I," a term used at the time to describe unidentified but potentially known objects. Although no definitive conclusion was reached, the case was archived without further investigation. This type of report reflects the concern of the era regarding sky objects that could not be easily identified.