Madison, WisconsinAugust 1953

On August 15, 1953, about 2045 (8:45 p.m.) Central time, civilians saw an object near Janesville and Madison, Wisconsin. The witnesses were a husband and wife driving north on a highway.

The wife first saw a bright object with a reddish color or glow, like a bright light on a high tower. It seemed to move slowly to the left, then very swiftly. It appeared to move directly in front of the car and turned a very bright white, like an explosion. After that it seemed to have a tail or trail. As it moved off to the right it changed from bright white to orange and then back to the original reddish color.

The husband estimated its height at 5,000 to 8,000 feet. At the explosion-like moment the object had a sharp, clear outline, and the stars looked dim by comparison. The sky was clear. They watched it from first sighting at 2045 until about 2200, when they reached Madison. The Air Force listed the case as astronomical.