Silver Springs, MDAugust 1957

On the evening of August 25, 1957, a resident of Silver Spring, Maryland reported seeing a blue-white formation of luminous objects in the sky. The witness described the objects as arranged in a "V" shape, each one appearing about the size of a pinhead held at arm's length. According to the account, the formation appeared quite large overall, comparable to the full moon as seen from Earth. The witness observed the objects for approximately three minutes around 8:25 p.m. during clear twilight conditions with good visibility.

The observer reported that a circular halo or transparent field surrounded the formation, and that light from the sky appeared to be refracted through this area in an unusual manner. The witness estimated the objects were flying at an extremely high altitude of about 100,000 feet and traveling at roughly 200 miles per hour. The objects made no sound and did not change shape, brighten, flicker, or break apart during the sighting. The witness noted that no stars were visible, though the moon was visible but dim.

The Air Force investigators who reviewed this case noted in their evaluation that the witness had previously reported other UFO sightings. Combined with the extreme estimates of elevation and speed provided, they marked the source as unreliable and found the report difficult to evaluate conclusively. The case file does not clearly state a final determination, though the official evaluation form lists "unknown" as the conclusion. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 16 pages.