UFOB Index Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Rego Park, New York, July 1955

On July 30, 1955, at approximately 0230Z, a witness in Rego Park, New York, observed four spherical objects resembling moons, moving in pairs across the sky. The objects, which the witness described as having the color of a light bulb, moved in east-to-west and west-to-east patterns, changing direction every 15 to 20 seconds. The sighting lasted for approximately 30 minutes. The witness, an automobile insurance adjuster, was accompanied by his wife and landlady during the observation. Following the report, Detachment 3 of the 4602d Air Intelligence Squadron (AISS) conducted an investigation. They contacted the 26th Air Division and the 2230th Air Reserve Flying Center, both of which reported no unusual aircraft or balloon activity in the area. The investigator, A/1C Raymond J. Swider, interviewed the source and noted that the sky was overcast with Nimbus and Cumulous clouds. The investigator hypothesized that the objects were actually the beams of four power searchlights reflecting off the cloud layers, creating the illusion of spherical objects. To verify this, the investigator contacted the 16th Police Precinct in New York City to check for multiple searchlight activity. While the precinct reported no such activity in their immediate jurisdiction, the investigator followed up with the owner of a local publicity searchlight company. This led to a statement from the Secretary-Treasurer of the Palisades Amusement Park Company, who confirmed that his four 60-inch power searchlights were in operation on the night of the sighting. The investigator concluded that the reported objects were indeed these searchlight beams, noting that the witness had likely made slight miscalculations regarding distance and azimuth. Major John Wrona, the officer in charge, concurred with this assessment, and the case was closed with the conclusion that the sighting was caused by searchlight activity.