Charlotte, North CarolinaApril 1949

In April 1949, two observers at a rodeo in Charlotte, North Carolina reported seeing an unusual amber-colored object in the sky. The object appeared cylindrical in shape, remained stationary high in the air, and was visible for about ten minutes to an hour. It was bright enough to see clearly against the night sky. When news of the sighting spread, the Army's Counter Intelligence Corps launched an investigation.

The CIC spoke with numerous astronomy professors, observatory directors, and other expert observers in the region to see if anyone could identify the object or had observed anything unusual that night. None of the professional astronomers reported seeing it. The investigation also checked in with amateur astronomy clubs with similar results. No one in the scientific community had any explanation for what was observed.

More than a month after the initial sighting, on May 25, 1949, the two original observers returned to Memorial Stadium with a CIC agent to see if they could figure out what they had seen. With the stadium lights turned on, the group found that a Pyrex insulator (a component of the stadium lighting system) cast a strange reflection when illuminated. The reflection matched what the observers remembered seeing on the night of April 7. Both men confirmed that this insulator reflection was what they had observed as the unusual object.

The full case file, held by the National Archives, consists of 24 pages documenting the investigation, including signed witness statements, interview reports, and correspondence between military intelligence offices.