Project Blue Book Case File
Springfield, MassachusettsJune 1961
Summary
# Springfield, Massachusetts, June 1961
Two witnesses at a drive-in theater in Springfield, Massachusetts, observed an unusual object in the night sky on June 10, 1961. The object resembled a three-quarter moon in size and was about the size of a half-dollar held at arm's length. It changed color during the sighting and remained stationary throughout the observation.
The object displayed a cyclical behavior over the course of three and a half hours. It would diminish in size until it appeared to be a disappearing point, then rapidly regain its large size. This cycle repeated during the entire sighting. The witnesses noted that the object stayed in one fixed position in the sky and did not move from its location. At the time of the sighting, thin cirrus clouds were present at an altitude of 8,000 to 9,000 feet.
The Air Force investigation noted that the object's location appeared to place it over Westover Air Force Base. According to the case file, a light from an unknown source that reflected off an inversion layer, rather than the clouds themselves, probably explained the observation. The case was evaluated as unknown, meaning the Air Force could not definitively identify what the witnesses saw.
The full case file, containing 16 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.
Reported location
Springfield, Massachusetts
Date of incident
June 1961
State / country
MA / US
Page count
16 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 42