Beavertown, OhioAugust 1956

Insufficient Data

Summary

On the night of August 4, 1956, a resident of Beavertown, Ohio reported seeing a very bright object directly overhead at 9:45 p.m. The object appeared to be about the size of a pea or pinhead when viewed with the naked eye. The witness observed it for one hour and thirty minutes and later examined it through binoculars, which allowed for a closer look.

The Air Force investigators quickly checked astronomical data for the location and time of the sighting. They found that the bright star Vega was positioned directly overhead in Beavertown at the moment the witness reported seeing the object. The observer later confirmed that they could identify Vega as what they had seen. Additionally, investigators reviewed balloon tracking data and wind patterns for the area, which ruled out any balloon in that location at that time.

Based on this analysis, the Air Force concluded that the sighting was most likely the star Vega. No other explanation is documented in the case file.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives across 11 pages.

Reported location

Beavertown, Ohio

Date of incident

August 1956

State / country

OH / US

Page count

11 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 25

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 11

View transcribed text

vi 1g PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD :
1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS / &
> : 1 Was Balloon
4 August 1956 Beavertown, Ohio Q Probably Balloon
3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION 0 Possibly Balloen
2145 i 3 Vas Aircraft
Local - RXSround- Visual O Ground-Radar a Probably Aircraft
GNRaLD2AR Ts 0 AirVisval O Air-intercept Radar OQ Possibly Aircrafr
5. PHOTOS . SOURCE XX Was Astronomical VEZA
O Yes : g 0 Probably Astronomical
XXNo Civilian (phoned to ATIC) |B Possibly Astronomical
7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE (5 OBE os
(w] {aniieieny Dota for Evaluation
g O Unknown
1 hr 30 min one none
10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING : [1). COMMENTS
Very bright pin-to-pea size objisct, | Check with astro diagram and
Directly overhead, Later observed | data for that location and
with glasses, | time discloses bright star
i Vega directly overhead (as
reported) at time of sighting,
Balloon tracks and winds aloft
| for local area disclose not
{ balloon. Star Vega later verifi
by observer, :
ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP §2) g A
7 .
:

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28966646