Indianapolis, IndianaMarch 1960

Unidentified

Summary

On the morning of March 23, 1960, a husband and wife in Indianapolis awoke to see an unusual object in the pre-dawn sky. The wife noticed it first around 3:35 a.m. while getting water for a sore throat. She called her husband to watch it with them. Both described a comet-shaped object that looked like a series of balls, roughly the size of a lima bean when held at arm's length. The color resembled a star, more golden than blue, and a light on or in the object would blink on and off.

The object moved in a broad arc across the sky. It first traveled in a westerly direction, then turned and moved east. It climbed and descended repeatedly, staying roughly 50 degrees above the horizon. The witnesses watched it move through roughly a 90-degree arc in just a few seconds. After a minute or so of observation, the object simply went dark and disappeared. The night was clear and cold, with no clouds and bright stars visible.

The witnesses filed a report with the Air Force through the 2658th Air Reserve Center in Indianapolis. Weather data collected by the National Weather Bureau that same morning showed clear skies, good visibility, normal temperature and humidity for late March, and no unusual atmospheric conditions. The case file includes detailed questionnaires completed by both witnesses, with their descriptions carefully documented.

In its analysis, the Air Force noted that the witnesses viewed the object through a window. The investigators concluded that the object was "quite probable" a reflected or refracted light, further distorted by the window glass and possibly a window screen. However, acknowledging the absence of more concrete evidence to support this explanation, the Air Force classified the case as unidentified. The full case file, 21 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.

Reported location

Indianapolis, Indiana

Date of incident

March 1960

State / country

IN / US

Page count

21 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unidentified

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 38

4 . SunRRA PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD I. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS | 23 Mar 60 Indianapolis, Indiana lo Was Balloon | s dy : 0 Probably Bellzon 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION IW TONNCRY Tvoth — |] - - . Local 330 Be CE A Grouvnd- Visual Q Ground-Radar a Was Aircraft ; i robably Aircraft en OMT nat 8 Air Visual 0 Air-Inteicept Radar |B Possibly Aircraft | 5. PHOTGS 8. SOURCE 0 Was Astronomical | O Yes pA 0 Probably Astronomicol : Si QL Ne Civilian 1 Possibly Astronomical | 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE CR ARR AR RA 0 insufficient Dera far Evaluation 3/4 nin ons Varied £ Unknown jo. BRIEF sUMMMIY OR INES TH aes er Comet-chaped object, looked like a series of It is guite probable that the witnasses balls, about the size of a lima bean. Color observed a reflected or refracted light avout the same as a star, more gold than blue. | which was further distorted vy a window A lizat would blink on and off. First seen in | screan. However, in the absence of more WNW_going W, turred and went E, going up and positive information this case is cate- down. Disappeared by just blanking out. gorized "unidentified." AB A wt eA ENE SE Sl os A BOE AAA 3 A A NL ro SEA FS. PS Bs BF eB ATIC FORM 329 {(RZV 24 SEP 32)