Project 10073 Record — Mobile, Alabama, 25 May 1966

On 25 May 1966, at approximately 0320Z, a civilian witness in Mobile, Alabama, reported observing five objects in the sky for a duration of 50 minutes. The witness, described as a reliable housewife, observed the objects from the front yard of her home. She described the objects as flat, saucer-like, and yellowish-white in color, appearing to be the size of a penny held at arm's length. The objects reportedly remained in close proximity to one another, occasionally shifting from a horizontal to a vertical position, and appeared to move instantaneously. The witness also noted that these objects appeared in conjunction with five white 'cotton ball' objects that had a pink cast. The moon was not visible during the sighting but became visible the instant the objects disappeared. The Air Force investigation concluded that the phenomena were likely caused by a combination of atmospheric conditions, specifically scattered clouds, light winds, and smoke from a local paper mill, which caused a partial blackout of the quarter moon. As the cloud mass moved, the moonlight shining through varying cloud densities likely created the visual effect reported by the witness. The report notes that the witness had reported a similar sighting in the same location approximately one year prior.