Project 10073 Record Card — Attapulgus, Georgia, 29 October 1957

On 29 October 1957, at 2327Z, a sighting of an unidentified aerial object was reported in Attapulgus, Georgia, by Ground Observer Corps (GOC) personnel. The witnesses described a single, round, orange or reddish-orange object that appeared to travel from the west, stop momentarily, and then return toward the west. The total duration of the observation was approximately one minute. The sighting was reported to the 35th Air Division, and the 678th ACWRON confirmed that there was no recorded air traffic in the area at the time. The weather conditions were reported as having high, thin, scattered clouds with unrestricted visibility. Following an evaluation by the 35th Air Division, it was concluded that the object was likely an aircraft. The report suggests that the object's brilliance and round appearance were likely caused by the reflection of the sun, which had set at 2245Z. The investigators noted that the flight path, when compared against winds aloft, made the possibility of a balloon unlikely. The report concludes that the maneuvers described were consistent with those of an aircraft and that the visual characteristics were consistent with prior reports of sun reflections on aircraft surfaces. The evaluation noted that the meager information provided made a definitive assessment difficult.