UFOB Index Card AISS-UFOB-295-56

On August 22, 1956, an unidentified aerial phenomenon was reported in Newburgh, New York, by a civilian witness. The witness, while in their backyard at approximately 11:40 A.M. on a clear, bright day, attempted to photograph the sun using a Polaroid camera equipped with three filters: a half-step, a K2, and a polarizing filter. Upon developing the photographs, the witness observed two round, white objects positioned side-by-side next to the sun, which appeared to be of the same magnitude as the sun. The witness took four photographs in total between 11:40 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. and noted that the objects appeared to change position and move closer together in the second photograph. The witness contacted Stewart Field Air Force Base to inquire about weather balloons but was informed none had been launched. The witness subsequently provided the photographs and information to Lt. O'Day of the intelligence department. The 4602D Air Intelligence Service Squadron (ADC) investigated the incident and forwarded the materials to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). The official evaluation concluded that the objects were not physical entities but rather optical artifacts resulting from lens refraction. Headquarters personnel determined that the images were reproductions of the sun caused by the camera's filter setup. Specifically, it was noted that the apparent movement of the objects in the second photograph was likely caused by the witness rotating one or more of the filters during the photographic process. Furthermore, it was observed that images #3 and #4 were taken with a different filter configuration, as evidenced by the contrast between the clouds and the sun in those frames compared to the lack of clouds in the first two images. The case was closed with the evaluation that the sighting was optical in nature.