Spherical UFO over Silver Lake in 1952

Summary

A witness reported a bright spherical object near Silver Lake, California, in August 1952. The object suddenly stopped, changed direction, and ascended at an incredible speed. No exhaust was visible until it made a sharp turn, at which point the light disappeared and a V-shaped contrail appeared. The sighting lasted between 3 and 5 seconds. Weather conditions were ideal, with no known air activity or meteorological disturbances. There was no physical evidence or photos, but the report classifies the observation as "possibly not astronomical".