Glen Ridge, New JerseyMarch 1956

On the evening of March 9, 1956, a family in Glen Ridge, New Jersey reported seeing an unusual object in the sky. A woman in the household, described by the Air Force as someone deeply interested in flying saucers, spotted a white light with a bluish tinge while looking through binoculars at approximately 1930 (7:30 p.m.). She estimated the object to be roughly the size of a pea when magnified through the lenses.

The family observed the object for nearly one hour, with different household members watching at different times. According to their reports, it appeared stationary or drifting very slowly in a westerly direction, positioned between 270 and 280 degrees azimuth (roughly west-southwest). The brightness seemed to fluctuate, growing larger and brighter at times. Two circling aircraft were in the area at the same time, flying at lower altitudes. When those planes disappeared from view, the object appeared to become larger and brighter.

An Air Force special agent interviewed the family and collected details about the sighting. The family used Universal-brand binoculars with 8 by 50 magnification to view the phenomenon. Weather conditions that evening were clear with no clouds, light winds around 10 miles per hour, and good ground visibility. The file notes that between 30 and 45 people in the area may have seen the object, though the exact number could not be confirmed.

The Air Force evaluated the sighting as probably Venus. The case file notes that the prime witness had read extensively about flying saucers and held strong beliefs about them, which the reporting officer flagged as relevant context for interpreting the observation.

The full case file, consisting of 18 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.