Cigar-shaped UFO seen over South Dakota in 1952

Summary

In September 1952, an observer in White Lake, South Dakota, spotted a bright red object shaped like a "stick" or "cigar." The object, seen through high-powered binoculars, remained visible for over 30 minutes. Despite its size and brightness, it was not identified as an airplane or a star. The report suggests it could have been a balloon, though no physical evidence was found.

The observer, a supervisor in the Ground Observer Corps, confirmed the object had no visible structural features and no identification action was taken. Low air traffic in the area and the observer's reliability led to the most plausible explanation being astronomical or a balloon. However, the mystery remains due to the lack of concrete evidence.