Project Blue Book Case File
Camden, AlabamaAugust 1956
Summary
On August 1, 1956, witnesses in Camden, Alabama observed a bright object in the night sky that seemed to hover and float in the air. The object appeared at approximately 38 degrees elevation and displayed unusual behavior, including what observers described as sparks or glittering light. The sighting lasted between 30 and 47 minutes during the dawn hours.
The U.S. Air Force investigated the incident and examined several possible explanations. The case file notes that an intelligence officer at Eglin Air Force Base had launched a weather balloon around the time of the sighting. However, according to the weather officer at Eglin, that balloon could not have been over the Camden area. The file also mentions that the bright object might have been a spotlight from a nearby location reflecting on clouds.
The object faded into the background as daylight grew brighter. The Air Force concluded that the sighting was most likely a balloon, though the file does not provide detailed reasoning for this conclusion or rule out other possibilities with certainty.
The full case file, comprising 10 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.
Reported location
Camden, Alabama
Date of incident
August 1956
State / country
AL / US
Page count
10 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 25