Project 10073 Record Card - Sighting Report, Maple Heights, Ohio, 14 September 1959

On September 14, 1959, at approximately 1900 hours, a civilian witness in Maple Heights, Ohio, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witness, who was alerted to the object by neighbors, viewed it through a 50-power telescope. The object was described as a brilliant, egg-shaped, light-tan, translucent body that appeared stationary for the duration of the 10 to 15-minute observation. The witness noted that the object appeared to be emitting heat waves, similar to those seen over a hot stove, and estimated its altitude to be at least 50,000 feet. The object was eventually obscured by high-moving dark clouds. The witness initially suspected it might be a weather balloon but was struck by its apparent size and the lack of motion. Following the initial report, the U.S. Air Force, through Major Lawrence J. Tacker, requested that the witness complete a formal technical information questionnaire. In his subsequent report, the witness provided detailed sketches and descriptions, reiterating that the object remained motionless and appeared to be reflecting sunlight. The official conclusion reached by the investigation was that the object was likely a large weather balloon, potentially inflated with warm gas, which would account for the observed heat waves in the cold upper atmosphere.