Vicinity Monticello, IllinoisJuly 1960

On the evening of July 26, 1960, Mrs. Ennis, a housewife, was riding in a car driven by her husband on Highway 47 near Monticello, Illinois. It was around dusk. Her seven-year-old daughter pointed out a bright object in the sky to the west. Mrs. Ennis saw a crescent-shaped object that was reddish-orange in color, about the size of a half dollar held at arm's length. The object had a brilliant glow around it.

The object remained fairly stationary as the car traveled at about 72 miles per hour. Mrs. Ennis watched it for approximately 15 minutes until the automobile approached Oreana, Illinois, when the object faded out and disappeared. For just one second, a tail about half the size of the main object appeared to her. She heard no sound.

The Air Force investigation officer who interviewed Mrs. Ennis had his own explanation. That same night, at around 11:32 p.m., the officer was driving home to Chanute Air Force Base when one of his children asked what a bright object in the sky was. Looking due west, he observed the moon through what appeared to be a haze layer. The moon was about one-quarter full and cast a brilliant orange glow. The exact outline was not clear because of the haze, but a bright crescent-shaped glow made an unusual appearance. The officer questioned several service station attendants on Highway 47 between Oreana and Cisco, Illinois, and none reported seeing any unusual object that night. He concluded that Mrs. Ennis had been observing the quarter moon through either a haze layer or a fluffy cloud.

The Air Force classified this case as unidentified. The complete case file, 8 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.