Kemah, Texas, Spring 1961Circa 1961

In the spring of 1961, a woman in Kemah, Texas reported seeing two strange objects in the sky. The first was white, spider-web-like material floating down. The second was a round machine about 50 feet wide that gleamed like two diamonds in sunlight. She watched it at approximately 2:30 p.m. on a bright day. The object made a pumping motion and was the brightest thing she had ever seen. There was no noise. After watching for about 4 to 5 minutes, it disappeared over the horizon.

The Air Force later received additional information from the witness. She described finding long strings of unknown material near her home on the same day as the sighting. She and a neighbor brought samples to Ellington Air Force Base and were told to collect more. They also reported seeing several jets pass over Kemah. The witness later found more of the stringy material in her yard while hanging clothes on a line.

The Air Force's investigation concluded that the spider-web-like material was probably spider webs from migrating spiders. As for the bright round object, the Air Force suggested it was likely a sun dog, a type of optical effect caused by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere reflecting sunlight. The Air Force noted that sun dogs typically appear 20 to 25 degrees away from the sun's position, which matched where the witness reported seeing the object. If the object had remained stationary or floated in place for most of the sighting, with only a quick disappearance over the horizon, the sun dog explanation would fit. However, the file indicates some uncertainty about the motion and the object's final disappearance, leaving the possibility that it might have been something else if those details did not match a sun dog's behavior.

The full case file, comprised of 20 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.