Documents / FOIA release
This Central Intelligence Agency information report, distributed 11 February 1952, is a reinterrogation of an informant from an earlier report (SO-49149x). It describes three light phenomena seen almost every night from May to September 1947 from a camp at Pakhta Aral, about 50 km southwest of Tashkent, Uzbek SSR. Each began as a dark red ball of fire that climbed a long trajectory while changing color, with no smoke, noise or detonation noticed. A field comment says the trajectory estimates should be treated with reserve.
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THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION 1. During the period from May to September 1947 three light phenomena happening at intervals of about 15 minutes were seen almost every night between 9 and 10 p.m. local time. The phenomena were watched from the P.I camp in Pakhta Aral, about 50 km southwest of Tashkent (h1018'N/69015'E), Uzbek S.S.R., in an east-southasterly direction. 2. A darkred ball of fire was seen first; after about six seconds it reached the apex of a long-drawn out trajectory. During this time the ball had developed a trail of fire. Its color, which was bright red at the apex point, changed in color from pale green to white. Smoke trails, noises, or detonations were not noticed. 3. The distance of the trajectory from the point of observation was estimated at 60 to 80 km. The trajectory ran approximately from southwest to northeast; its length to the apex, which was from 5,000 to 12,000 meters high, was estimated at about 80 km. At the apex the ball of fire seemed about one-fifth the diameter of the full moon. * Field Comment. The measurements stated with respect to the trajectory must be received with reserve. It must be considered that neither the discharge nor the noise developed by the projectile were heard. For trajectory of phenomena, see annex. ** Washington Comment: This is a reinterrogation of the informant of SO-49149x. 1 Annex: One sketch showing trajectory. APPROVED FOR RELEASE DATE 6/20/78
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 4 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.