Then you won't mind providing your opinion on this case then...
White Sands: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Craft (April-May 1950)
(
http://www.nicap.org/ncp/ncp-brumac.htm)
Of course not. I'll try my best to summarize the text and provide some questions/comments.
Phenomena observed:
(generally) bright green lights moving (generally) horizontally through the night sky and then dropping downward slightly and going out. These became to be known as "green fireballs."
Initial data
Sighting catalogue compiled by Lt. Col. Rees of the 17th District Office of Special Investigations at Kirtland, AFB.
In 1949
Sandia Base (Albuquerque) - 17 sightings
Los Alamos area - 26 sightings
Vaughn area - none;
Holloman AFB/Alamogordo/White Sands area - 12
other areas - 20;
total - 75.
In 1950 (jan-march)
Sandia Base (Albuquerque) - 6 (all in February)
Los Alamos area - 7
Vaughn area 1
Holloman AFB/Alamogordo/White Sands area - 6
other areas - 6
total - 26.
Hypothesis:
Dr. Lincoln La Paz, a famous meteoricist (a scientist) who studies meteor and meteorites),
declared that they weren't normal meteors. He told the Air Force and the FBI that if these weren't special devices resulting from our own (United States) secret research, then they could be Russian and in any event were a potential threat to our "vital installations" (FBI terminology) where nuclear weapon research was carried out.
Research:
An observation program to scientifically record the fireballs.
Project director: Dr. Anthony Mirarchi, Chief of the Air Composition Branch at Geophysical Research Division (GRD) at the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory (AFCRL). (retired from AFCRL in October, 1950, so he did not write the final report.). Projects final report written by Dr. Louis Elterman.
On February 21 an observation post, set up at Holloman with a theodolite, telescope and camera. 24 hour watch from the first of April that would last for six months, with Land- Air personnel operating cinetheodolites (theodolites with movie cameras) and with Holloman AFB personnel manning spectrographic cameras and radio frequency receivers.
(phototheodolite are "essentially movie cameras with big telephoto lenses and accurate direction indicators". Source:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/09/23/rockets-flight-kept-in-sight/)
Results
- Sightings on april 27 and may 24, 1950
- as many as eight have been visible at one time
- photos taken on both occasions
- The Holloman AF Base Data Reduction Unit analyzed the 27 April pictures and made a report, it was determined that sightings were made on two different objects and triangulation could not be effected.
Data reduction report
Author: Wilbur L. Mitchell, Mathematician, Data Reduction Unit
Film from station P10 was read, resulting in azimuth and elevation angles being recorded on four objects.
The objects were at an altitude of approximately 150,000 ft.
The objects were over the Holloman range between the base and Tularosa Peak.
The objects were approximately 30 feet in diameter.
The objects were traveling at an undeterminable, yet high speed
Final report
Dr. Elterman, at the Atmospheric Physics Laboratory (APL) of the Geophysical Research Division (GRD) of the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory (AFCRL). According to Dr. Elterman’s report, Project Twinkle was a dismal failure: "no information was gained." He recommended it be discontinued. His recommendation was accepted.
A dismal failure or a cover up?
It seems like the person writing this article is questioning why the final report was so negative despite the fact that it contained interesting results. In the chapter "A dismal failure or a cover up?" it is questioned why an observation station was set up in Vaughn where no/few observations had been made previously and not in Los Alamos or White Sands.
This is a strange question to me because there is no mention of an observation post in Vaughn at all in the text. The data was collected from an observation post at Holloman where many observations had been made before the research program.
I would venture a guess that it was discontinued because the aquired data was unreliable. It is mentioned that "triangulation could not be effected" and that would affect accuracy of the analysis (height, speed etc.). I realize that that is just speculation and there is no way of knowing without having access to the complete final report. So. if you have it, please link it.
That's it for now.
