Cheverly, MarylandJuly 1962

On the evening of July 6, 1962, an observer in Cheverly, Maryland saw a bright light moving across the night sky around 2305 (11:05 p.m.) Eastern Standard Time. The object appeared as a light much brighter than the brightest stars and seemed to change speed and brightness as it moved. The observer watched it travel in a generally straight path and reported that it disappeared by moving out of sight.

According to the case file, the object was over Baltimore at 90 degrees azimuth (roughly due east) at an elevation of 53 degrees above the horizon when first spotted from Cheverly. The file notes that at this position, the object would have been visible to the observer. Weather conditions at the time were clear and dry, with no clouds in the way. The brief comments section mentions that the light "dimmed and disappeared," and that possible atmospheric conditions could have created "an illusion of wavering."

The Air Force's investigation compared this sighting to known phenomena. The file indicates the case was evaluated as a "Cone Echo," which appears to be a technical designation, though the exact meaning is unclear in the OCR text. The evaluators noted that clear skies and good visibility ruled out certain atmospheric explanations.

The case file does not state a final conclusion about what the object was. The record card at the top of the file offers several possible conclusions (balloon, aircraft, astronomical phenomenon, or insufficient data), but none is clearly marked as the Air Force's determination. The full case file, comprising 10 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.