PHILADELPHIA, PENN., January 1952January 1952

On January 29, 1952, a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force and his wife observed a brilliant green fireball traveling across the sky near Falls Church, Virginia. The object had a spheroid (ball-shaped) body with a tail that was narrower than its diameter, colored orange and red. It moved in a flat arc from the northwest, descending from about 45 degrees above the horizon to roughly 20 degrees, heading generally southwest. The sighting lasted only a few seconds, possibly 15 to 30 seconds. There was no sound or other distinguishing features.

The Colonel stated that the object bore no resemblance to numerous meteors and meteorites he had observed during his flight experience in the Pacific. He initiated contact with the Air Force after seeing an advertisement in the Washington Star newspaper seeking reports of green fireballs. The Air Force investigators noted that the Colonel appeared to be a reliable witness.

Dr. Charles Pollard Olivier, Director of Astronomical Observations at the University of Pennsylvania, received approximately 150 reports from observers across the region from Massachusetts to Maryland. He stated that the phenomenon was consistent with a brilliant fireball, or meteor. The brightness was equal to a quarter moon, and the object was visible for 10 to 12 seconds before disintegrating an estimated 50 to 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Olivier believed fragments may have fallen as meteorites and planned to publish his findings in a scientific journal.

The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin reported the sighting the next day, noting that observers described it variously as a huge ball of blue and red flame or green with yellow tails, with all agreeing it appeared to be falling straight toward Earth. Local police and Federal Bureau of Investigation offices reported receiving no official complaints about the sighting.

The Air Force investigation found no unusual explanations for the object and concluded it was likely a bluish-green fireball traveling at tremendous speed. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, consisting of 10 pages.