Bright meteors over Pennsylvania in 1963

Summary

In December 1963, an observer in Pennsylvania reported a very bright meteor around 3:40 PM on December 7th. The report, initially requested as part of an investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena, was quickly classified as a common astronomical event. The University of Pennsylvania and the American Meteor Society collaborated with air authorities to obtain more details, but no additional records about the phenomenon were found. Despite the lack of images or more precise data, researchers considered the event unrelated to unidentified flying objects.

The case was reviewed by several institutions, including the Air Force, which confirmed they had no further information on the meteor. However, it was mentioned that other observers had reported a similar phenomenon in Phoenix, Arizona, suggesting it might have been part of a meteor shower. Although the exact trajectories of these meteors could not be calculated, the scientific interest in the event was sufficient to warrant a more detailed investigation.