Long Island, New York area, December 1957December 1957

On the night of December 5, 1957, multiple people across Long Island, New York reported seeing a bright, fast-moving object in the sky. The sightings occurred around 0100Z (8 p.m. local time) and were reported from at least five locations: Islip, Syosset, Farmingdale, Rockaway, and Long Beach. The object was described as small and round, roughly the size of a star or slightly larger, and colored bluish-white or orange. Several witnesses noted that it had a luminous tail, some comparing it to an ice cream cone shape or describing it as having a tail several car lengths long. The object moved very fast, traveling in a generally southeasterly direction across the sky in just a few seconds.

The sightings came to the attention of the Air Force's 25th Air Division and other military intelligence units. Investigators collected weather data showing clear skies and wind conditions at various altitudes. One observer, who was shoveling snow when he heard a noise, described the object traveling directly overhead. Another witness reported the object was so bright it appeared to burn itself out as it moved. In Farmingdale, an observer noted the object resembled a shooting star. At Long Beach, a witness described it as moving straight down toward the horizon over a period of two to three seconds.

The Air Force's intelligence assessment, recorded in the case file, suggested the sighting in Farmingdale may have been a shooting star, and that the noise heard by one observer might have been attributed to his own exertion while shoveling snow. Another notation suggested the possibility of a U.S. Air Force rocket launched earlier than publicly announced, though the geographic concentration of reports only from Long Island residents seemed to rule this out. The case file does not present a definitive final conclusion on the nature of the sightings.

The complete case file, consisting of 21 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.