Mt. Palomar, CaliforniaNovember 1949

# Mt. Palomar Observatory, November 1949

On October 14, 1949, an astronomer at Mt. Palomar Observatory in California saw a formation of 16 to 18 shiny objects flying northwest at about 10,500 feet above sea level. They appeared to have no wings or tail and were moving very fast. At almost the same moment, a recording device called a Geiger counter (a tool that detects radiation) in the observatory's power house suddenly jumped to its maximum reading for the first time since the equipment had been installed. The connection seemed too precise to ignore.

Over the next week, the Geiger counter went off-scale multiple times. Observatory staff members reported additional sightings, including smaller dark objects moving at high speed. One observer described an object about 500 feet long, pointed at both ends, that hovered briefly then climbed away rapidly. All of these incidents happened during the period when the Geiger counter was producing unusual spikes. The timing sparked speculation that the objects might be powered by atomic energy.

The Naval Electronics Laboratory, which operated the Geiger counter as part of a cosmic ray study, investigated thoroughly. They considered whether radio signals or radar from military aircraft nearby might be causing the equipment to malfunction. In November 1949, Air Force planes flew directly over the observatory using their altimeter and radar systems. The Geiger counter did not react. Further testing revealed the true cause: a faulty fuse clip inside the counter that, when slightly jarred, would produce an electrical spark and trigger false readings on the recorder pen.

Despite this explanation for the Geiger counter, the Observatory staff and scientists from the California Institute of Technology could not account for the objects the witnesses had seen with their own eyes. A physicist from Caltech suggested the objects were likely conventional aircraft that appeared unusual due to lighting conditions. However, observers at the site maintained they were experienced with aircraft and that these objects looked genuinely different. The Air Force ultimately marked the case unidentified, unable to explain what the witnesses saw.

The complete case file, comprising 47 pages as held by the National Archives microfilm T1206, Roll 6, is reproduced below.