Cincinnati, OhioOctober 1956

On October 14, 1956, an astronomer in Cincinnati, Ohio submitted three photographs and five negatives to the Air Force. He said he had taken them while photographing the moon through a telescope. One of the photographs contained an unusual ovoid shape with light around it that he could not easily explain.

The photographer was a local amateur astronomer and General Electric employee with a stated interest in lunar studies. He had no memory of seeing any bright lights in the sky that night, and he insisted the photograph was not faked. The person who forwarded the images to the Air Force, the director of a civilian UFO research group, believed the photographer was credible and did not seek publicity.

On the same day that these photographs were submitted, three separate daytime UFO sightings were reported by unrelated witnesses in the greater Cincinnati area. One witness saw a bright object about a quarter the size of the full moon while driving in Covington, Kentucky. Another couple, traveling east between Ripley and New Richmond, Ohio, observed a reddish orange object that made a sharp upward turn and disappeared. A third group in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, reported a gun metal gray, stationary object about the size of a nickel at arm's length.

Air Force analysts examining the telescope photographs concluded that the light in the controversial image was coming from an outside source shining into the telescope tube itself, captured on film when the camera was positioned at an angle at the eyepiece. The investigators noted that the dark area around the ovoid shape did not match the appearance of the night sky photographed elsewhere on the plate. They were unable to determine whether the source was unaware of this effect or had submitted the images knowingly.

The case remained open throughout 1956 and into early 1957 as various government agencies reviewed the materials. The file indicates the photographs were eventually shared with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts for additional analysis. A delayed response from the Air Force, sent in January 1957, confirmed that the material had been examined and copies retained in the case file.

The full case file consists of 21 pages as held by the National Archives.