Dobbins AFB, GeorgiaFebruary 1955

On February 9, 1955, an Eastern Air Lines pilot named Captain S.W. spotted an unusual object in the sky northwest of Atlanta, Georgia, near Dobbins Air Force Base. He watched it from his backyard using binoculars, an 8-power pair he kept for studying the night sky as a ham radio enthusiast. The object appeared round and transparent or silver in color, about the size of a basketball held at arm's length. It hung motionless in the sky without any sound.

The captain observed the object for roughly two hours. During that time, approximately two-thirds of its main body suddenly disintegrated, releasing what looked like visible gas, smoke, or liquid. The remaining portion kept its spherical shape but changed color, displaying a definite red hue on its upper half and an emerald green with a twinkling red light on the lower half. Then the remainder accelerated to high speed and vanished toward the northeast.

The sighting took place on a clear day with ideal weather. Multiple witnesses at Atlanta Airport also saw the object, though the file does not name them. The captain reported the sighting roughly ten hours after it occurred, which investigators noted seemed like a long delay but decided not to hold against him given his professional standing. The investigators considered the possibility of a weather balloon but noted that a trained airline pilot should be able to identify one. The file indicates the Air Force believed the sighting was probably connected to a project called "Moby Dick," though details about that project are not explained in the available portion of the case file.

The full case file, as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below across 8 pages.