Memphis, Tenn., May 1948 - Incident Number: 117May 1948

On May 7, 1948, between 1500 and 1700 hours (3 p.m. and 5 p.m.), residents of Memphis, Tennessee reported seeing between fifty and sixty small, shiny objects moving rapidly across the sky. The witnesses included a housekeeper, a salesman, and a housewife. The weather was clear with excellent visibility.

The objects traveled on an easterly heading at speeds faster than any aircraft the witnesses had ever seen. Most of them moved in straight lines, though some zigged and zagged slightly. The witnesses judged the objects to be at an extremely high altitude, comparing them to conventional aircraft visible in the air at the same time. Several objects appeared to have a silvery tail, which observers thought might have been exhaust. No sound was heard. The objects were described as very small, shiny, and resembling bright aluminum.

The Air Force investigated whether the objects could have been weather balloons. The Memphis weather bureau confirmed it had released only one balloon that afternoon, making it unlikely the sighting involved balloons. A special investigator visited Dr. Paul Herget of the Cincinnati Observatory to determine if the objects were meteors. Dr. Herget expressed serious doubt that fifty or more objects observed that day were meteors, and he was unable to offer any alternative identification. The investigators noted that without reliable estimates of distance and time in sight, it was impossible to determine whether the objects were actually far away traveling at great speed or closer to the ground.

The file shows the case was circulated to military intelligence agencies and the Research and Development Board. Dr. Lincoln LaPaz, a recognized authority on meteors at the University of New Mexico, was consulted but offered no definitive explanation. The file indicates no final conclusion was reached. The full case file, comprising twenty pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.