Atlanta, GeorgiaAugust 1952

On August 24, 1952, around 9:32 p.m. (2132 EST), a resident of Atlanta, Georgia reported seeing an unusual object in the northwestern part of the city. The observer described it as elliptical in shape with a fire-like color and white lights that resembled sparks. The object made no sound and simply hovered low in the sky, remaining visible for approximately forty-nine minutes. The observer watched through a bedroom window, and two other people in the same building saw a similar object and agreed with the description.

A second sighting occurred on Sunday, August 24, 1952 (the OCR indicates this may be the same date or shortly after). Another observer reported seeing a comparable object at approximately 9:34 p.m. (2134 EST). The witness reported the incident to authorities.

The Air Force investigated the sighting and gathered weather data from the time of the observation. Winds aloft data was collected, showing wind speeds and directions at various altitudes. The National Weather Service in Atlanta had released a lighted weather balloon (a small unmanned aircraft used to measure atmospheric conditions) at 9:27 p.m. (2127 EST), just five minutes before the first sighting was reported. The investigators noted that the wind direction and the balloon's expected track from Atlanta coincided with the object's location, and the sighting occurred only about fifty minutes after the balloon was released.

After reviewing the evidence, the Air Force concluded the object was probably a balloon. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, consisting of 8 pages.