Project 10073 Record — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 20 September 1954

This document is a Project 10073 record concerning an unidentified aerial phenomenon reported on 20 September 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The initial report described three circular, yellow-orange objects in a line formation, observed by civilians for over an hour. The sighting was reported to the police, who received approximately two dozen phone calls regarding the objects between 1200Z and 2222Z. Military aircraft were scrambled to investigate the reports. Upon investigation, the object was identified as a star. This conclusion was supported by local law enforcement, specifically Chief Gerald Scala of the Winfield, New Jersey Police Department, who observed the object and determined it to be a star. Additionally, Tower Controlman 2/C Francis J. Johns of the Naval Air Station at Willow Grove observed the object and noted that he had never seen anything similar, though he expressed doubt that it was a balloon. The official military assessment, as recorded in the teletype communication from the Flight Service Center at Olmsted AFB, confirms that the Air Defense Interceptor identified the UFO as a star at 0342Z. The report includes meteorological data for the Philadelphia area at the time of the sighting, noting clear night skies with no cloud cover and visibility of six miles due to smoke. The document serves as a formal record of the investigation into the civilian reports and the subsequent military and police identification of the phenomenon.