Unity, MarylandApril 1949

On the evening of April 21, 1949, a civilian observer near Unity, Maryland, about 25 miles north of Washington, D.C., saw an unusual light in the southern sky. At 10:15 p.m., the observer noticed a faint streak of luminosity about 5 degrees above the horizon. The night was dark and moonless, with fairly bright starlight.

Using 7x50 binoculars from his car, the observer watched the light grow brighter and clearer. It appeared as a ribbon of light, perhaps one or two degrees wide, with no sharply defined edges. The central portion was noticeably brighter and seemed to glow with its own light. The observer noted two parallel lines of bright light marking the edges of the ribbon, with fainter luminosity between them. Throughout the observation, the object moved and changed shape. About a minute into the sighting, the light turned toward the east, and the right portion flashed upward with a distinct cord of light rising from it. The rear of the fainter part of the ribbon split into two arms, one moving upward to the east and the other downward to the south.

After another minute, the brighter portion, moving eastward at roughly constant altitude, formed into a broad, bluntly pointed head resembling a large comet, with two fainter tails curving upward and downward. Finally, about one minute later, the entire object faded away, though it did not completely disappear for perhaps three more minutes. The total observation lasted approximately 15 minutes.

The observer, who was familiar with astronomical phenomena, ruled out meteors, aurora borealis, and comets. The observer later wrote to Harvard Observatory about the sighting and then to the Air Force, noting uncertainty about the exact date. The Air Force responded that the report had been recorded and would be incorporated into their study, expressing hope that Harvard Observatory's response might help confirm the date. The case was classified as unknown by the Air Force. The full case file, 8 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.