1:15 and 1:20 p.m. Observatory Manager of Public Relations Harley C. Marshall drove away from Observatory when he saw a perfect "V of V's" formation of about 16-18 silver [round?] objects without tails or wings overhead traveling at high speed to the NW and emitting a sound like jets but not quite the same which noticeably lagged behind visual location of objects in the sky by about 35°-40°. Marshall stopped car and observed objects disappear [behind?] cloud cover that extended from horizon to about 45° elevation. [Marshall returned to Observatory] and phoned Asst. Superintendent-Electrical B. B. Traxler on duty who at about 1:20 p.m. saw one dark unidentified object traveling to the SW while checking the cosmic-ray Geiger counter recording equipment and saw that the needle had jumped off scale for several secs. For the next 10 days another 21 incidents of off-scale cosmic-ray detector incidents occurred at scattered times fitting a periodic 1.5-hour time schedule, a phenomenon not seen before or after, and unexplainable by equipment failure or radio interference from aircraft. Several Navy aircraft of differing prop and jet types were flown near Palomar Observatory using radio, radio altimeter and radars on Oct.

21 and Nov. 2 in an unsuccessful effort to trigger the Geiger counter. (Sparks; Jan Aldrich; McDonald list)