TRENTON NJ, July 1952July 1952

On the night of July 22, 1952, six witnesses in the Trenton, New Jersey area reported seeing unidentified objects in the sky. The sightings occurred in three separate waves, with the first occurring around 9:53 p.m., the second around 10:13 p.m., and the third around 10:35 p.m. The objects were described as orange in color and roughly the size of a baseball, though some witnesses suggested they might have been larger. All observers reported that the objects traveled in perfectly straight lines at a steady speed, roughly comparable to that of a large commercial airliner, moving from north to south or in various other southerly directions.

The witnesses included married couples and other residents from the Trenton area. Most observers reported seeing four objects during the sighting, though one witness claimed to have seen five. The objects made no sound, left no vapor trail or exhaust, and displayed no visible means of propulsion. The night was clear with good visibility and light winds. No aircraft were reported in the area at the time, and no interception or identification action was taken by the Air Force.

The investigator noted that most witnesses appeared reliable and their accounts were consistent with one another, with the notable exception of one female witness whose account differed from the others. She reported that the objects traveled in different directions than what the other observers described. The investigator remarked that all observers emphasized the fact that the objects traveled along a definite, straight course across the sky. The weather conditions ruled out any meteorological explanation for the sighting.

The full case file, comprising nine pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.