Bright meteor over Kabul in 1963

Summary

In August 1963, an observer in Kabul, Afghanistan, reported an unusual celestial event. It was an extremely bright meteor that moved from west to east, leaving an incandescent trail spanning 50 degrees of arc in the sky. Its magnitude was three times greater than any previously observed meteor, and its burning trail was exceptionally long. Although initially considered the possibility of an unnatural object, such as a balloon or a spacecraft, it was eventually concluded to be an astronomical meteor.

The sighting was recorded by a military source, and no photographs were taken. Later verification confirmed there were no satellite decays on that date, supporting the interpretation that it was a natural phenomenon. Despite its unusual appearance, the case was resolved as a normal meteor observation. This document, classified under Project 10073, is an example of how unidentified object sightings were recorded at the time.