Greenville, S. Carolina, May 1952May 1952

On the night of May 13, 1952, at 2233 (10:33 p.m.) EST, four amateur astronomers gathered on the campus of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, were preparing to leave after an evening of observing when they spotted something unusual in the sky. They saw four oval-shaped objects flying in a tight diamond formation nearly directly overhead. The objects were described as glowing brownish orange or reddish yellow in color, about the size of a half-dollar held at arm's length. The witnesses agreed that the objects appeared to wobble or oscillate slightly as they flew, tipping first to one side and then the other, on a heading of roughly 330 degrees (northwest). The objects passed silently over the campus and were visible for between three and ten seconds before disappearing at an angle upward.

The witnesses were responsible adult citizens and high school students, all with enough experience to set up telescopes for serious astronomical observation. They noted that the night was exceptionally clear where they stood on the Furman campus, though some haze and ground lights were visible over the city in the distance. The Air Force Intelligence officer who interviewed them noted that one witness seemed convinced the objects were geese, though the other three were equally certain they were not.

The Air Force investigator considered several explanations. Similar sightings at drive-in theaters and one near Fargo, North Dakota, had turned out to be flocks of ducks or geese. However, the investigator noted that those cases involved ground lights nearby that could have reflected off the birds. In this case, the witnesses had deliberately chosen a dark area away from city lights to set up their telescopes, which made it unlikely that a bird would have appeared so bright. The investigator also ruled out aircraft, since the objects passed directly overhead without making any sound. The case file concludes with an official evaluation of unknown.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, 12 pages.