Beloit, WisconsinAugust 1955

On the evening of August 12, 1955, people in and around Beloit, Wisconsin saw bright, star-like objects moving rapidly across the sky. The first report came from a Ground Observer Corps post (a civilian network that watched for aircraft). Over a five-hour period, observers saw four round objects about the size of a baseball held at arm's length. The objects varied in color from bright white to bright red and moved in straight lines from north to south or south to north, appearing and disappearing in the sky every two to three minutes. Each object was visible for only a second or two. One observer reported the objects sounded like an electric motor.

The Air Force investigated the sighting by interviewing four main witnesses. The Ground Observer Corps supervisor, who had three years of experience, eventually concluded that the objects were likely "falling stars" or meteorite activity. An astronomer from the Adler Planetarium in Chicago confirmed this opinion, noting that the Perseid meteor shower occurs every August and peaks on August 12. The shower's meteors travel along the path of the Milky Way, which matched what observers reported seeing.

The investigation also examined a related sighting two days earlier, on August 8, near Morengo, Illinois, about 80 miles south. In that case, one witness reported seeing four bright objects in the early morning hours, with one appearing much larger than the others. The investigating officer concluded that this sighting was probably caused by jet aircraft reflecting sunlight in high clouds at dawn, since F-86 fighter jets were known to be flying in the area at that time.

The full case file, consisting of 19 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.