UFO identified as Jupiter in Alaska

Summary

In July 1949, personnel at the weather station in Point Barrow, Alaska, observed a luminous object in the sky while tracking a balloon. The object moved from east to west at a noticeable speed of 3 to 4 degrees per minute and remained visible for six hours. Observers used a 20-power theodolite to record the phenomenon, indicating a serious and precise observation.

An astronomer from the ONR (Office of Naval Research) identified the object as a planet, likely Jupiter, and the AMC (Air Materiel Command) confirmed this identification. Despite the long observation and the use of precise instruments, no photos were taken and no physical evidence was found. This case shows how even seemingly inexplicable phenomena can have an astronomical explanation, although it generated enough interest at the time to be documented in an official report.