Eagle Grove, IowaFebruary 1954

On the evening of February 28, 1954, a police officer in Webster City, Iowa, saw what he described as a red star in the northwestern sky. When he stopped to look, the object began to move. Over the following weeks, he reported seeing the same object roughly fifteen to seventeen times, starting in December 1953. Each sighting occurred in the northwestern sky beyond Webster City, except for one occasion when it appeared to the northeast. Only three of these sightings were reported to the Air Force.

The object appeared as a bright point of light that flashed and changed colors, shifting from white through red, blue, yellow, and green. The observer estimated it ranged in size from that of a silver dollar to a grapefruit held at arm's length. It seemed to move slowly and in no particular pattern, though the officer noted circular motion and a gradual drift toward the horizon before disappearing. Each observation lasted between fifteen to thirty minutes. The weather was consistently clear with excellent visibility during these sightings.

On February 28, the object was seen simultaneously from two different locations: Webster City and Eagle Grove. The observers maintained contact by telephone during the sighting. A second officer, stationed five miles south of Eagle Grove on Highway 60, watched as the object moved in a northwest direction, at times appeared to stand still, and at other times moved straight up and down or side to side. He noted it pulsated and changed brightness. Again, the object disappeared over the horizon to the northwest.

Air Force investigators interviewed multiple witnesses, all of whom were law enforcement officers. Their accounts agreed on the object's size, color, speed, sound (or lack thereof), type of movement, and direction. Investigators checked with Iowa State College in Ames and Drake University in Des Moines to determine whether any balloons or experiments might account for the sightings. An astronomer at Drake University suggested the object might have been the planet Jupiter, which would have been visible at that time. Radar checks from nearby Air Force sites reported no aircraft or other flying objects. Weather data showed clear skies, good visibility, and wind conditions consistent with the observers' reports. The Air Force concluded that the cause of the sightings was unknown. The full case file of 35 pages is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.