Project 10073 Record Cards and Related Correspondence — Atlanta, Georgia, August 1952

This document contains a series of Project 10073 record cards and military teletype communications regarding two separate unidentified aerial phenomena sightings in Atlanta, Georgia, in August 1952. The first incident occurred on August 24, 1952, at 2150 EST, where a witness described a star-shaped, orange-white object that revolved, moved up and down, and hovered for approximately five minutes. The witness, identified as a technical writer for Delta Air Lines, was noted as being familiar with aircraft. A second report, dated August 26, 1952, describes a similar sighting of an elliptical-shaped object with white lights, observed for 15 to 20 minutes from a residence in the northwest section of Atlanta. In both instances, the military investigators from the 35th Air Division at Dobbins AFB, Georgia, coordinated with the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) to evaluate the reports. The official conclusion for these sightings was that they were likely weather balloons released by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). The investigators noted that the wind direction and the tracked paths of the balloons released from Atlanta coincided with the timing and location of the reported sightings, specifically noting that one observation occurred 50 minutes after a balloon release. The reports emphasize the lack of sound or propulsion means observed by the witnesses and confirm that no known air traffic was in the area at the time of the sightings.