UFO Sighting Reports — Rochester, Minnesota, July 1965

This document contains a collection of reports and correspondence regarding a series of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) sightings in Rochester, Minnesota, occurring between July 2 and July 4, 1965. The primary witness, Gary Peterson, an amateur astronomer, reported observing an object on the night of July 3, 1965. He described the object as appearing round to the naked eye but elongated when viewed through a telescope. The object exhibited erratic motion, including stationary periods, sudden bursts of speed, and changes in brightness, and was observed to move in front of the moon, casting a shadow. The witness noted that the object was also observed by Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) controllers at the Rochester Airport. The Air Force, through the Foreign Technology Division (FTD), initiated an investigation into these reports, requesting that FAA personnel complete FTD Form 164 to provide further details. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force for the sightings was that the objects were balloons, with one witness suggesting the possibility of a railroad warning flare used as a heat source for a plastic balloon. The documentation includes multiple completed U.S. Air Force Technical Information questionnaires from different witnesses, including air traffic control personnel, who provided varying accounts of the sightings, often noting the objects' red, flashing, or steady light characteristics and their vertical movement. The correspondence between the Air Force and the FAA highlights the official effort to gather data on these events, which were reported to have occurred on multiple nights in the same general area.