Declassified UFO / UAP Document
Project 10073 Record Card — Berkeley, California, 15 August 1952
Ever wanted to host your own late-night paranormal radio show?
Across the Airwaves
You're on the air. Callers bring Mothman, Fresno Nightcrawlers, UFO sightings, reptilian autopsies, and whispers about AATIP and Project Blue Book. Every reply shapes how the night goes.
AI-Generated Summary
A sighting of a balloon-shaped object over Berkeley, California, on 15 August 1952 was investigated by the 28th Air Division. The object was officially identified as a weather balloon.
On 15 August 1952, at 2045 PDT, a single light-brown, balloon-shaped object was observed over Berkeley, California. The sighting was reported by two witnesses, John Harris and A. Roberson, who were located at a Ground Observer Corps (GOC) post (Geo Ref NH 4549). The object was observed intermittently for a duration of 45 minutes. Witnesses described the object as circling at an estimated altitude of 23,000 feet, with an estimated speed between 800 and 1,000 miles per hour. No sounds were heard during the observation, and the object was noted to have disappeared and then reappeared. The weather was reported as clear. The report was filed by the 28th Air Division Defense at Hamilton AFB, California, and forwarded to the Director of Intelligence at HQ USAF and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson AFB. The official evaluation concluded that the object was likely a weather balloon, noting that a balloon released from Oakland would have been positioned over Berkeley at the time of the sighting.
Light brown color. Balloon shape. Circling 800-1000 MPH.
PDF not loading? Download the PDF directly
Official Assessment
Probably wx balloon.
The object was identified as a balloon, likely a weather balloon, based on its appearance and the fact that a balloon released from Oakland would be over Berkeley at the time noted.