UFO sighted in Chile in 1950

Summary

In March 1950, several residents of Punta Arenas, San Bernardo, and Valparaiso in Chile reported sightings of a silvery object moving at great altitude. Descriptions were consistent: a bright disc resembling a ping-pong ball. Confusion was widespread, especially in Santiago, where a crowd observed the phenomenon. A military observer even recorded the object's movement in an attached diagram.

The director of the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Chile, Professor Frederico Rutland, stated that what was seen was the planet Venus, visible at that time of year. Despite initial doubts, after careful observation it was concluded that it was not a flying saucer, but a natural astronomical phenomenon. The local press titled the event as a "flying disc," but experts insisted on the scientific explanation.