UFO Sighting Report — Rome, New York, December 11, 1953

This document contains a series of reports regarding aerial observations in December 1953. The primary report concerns a sighting on December 11, 1953, in Rome, New York, where four civilians observed a bright ball of light moving from east to west. The object, described as being the size of a softball held at arm's length, brightened and then faded out over a five-second duration. Witnesses reported a faint sound similar to blowing out a small fire. The official conclusion reached by the investigating officer, Captain Charles D. Roder of RADC, was that the object was a meteor, a finding supported by a local astronomer. The document also includes supplementary information from the Hydrographic Office regarding other meteor sightings reported by maritime vessels. Specifically, it details an observation by Second Officer Kenneth Davis of the SS Esso Linden in the Gulf of Mexico on December 12, 1953, and an observation by Second Officer Holger Pihlgren of the MV Stella Polaris in the Caribbean Sea on December 13, 1953. These additional reports serve to contextualize the Rome, New York sighting within a broader pattern of astronomical events reported during that period. The Rome report includes detailed, albeit rough, elevation and azimuth data for the object's path, and notes that the observers were within the city limits of Rome, which limited their field of vision. The document is marked with the reference number JEPGT 1131 and is dated December 17, 1953.