UFO 1955 Maine, Red falling object

Summary

In May 1955, a civilian in Old Town, Maine, observed a bright red circular object. The witness compared its size to a quarter held at arm's length. The object was seen falling straight down for 4 to 5 minutes before disappearing as if it burned out. The sighting was made visually from the ground, with no photos or radar involved.

The official conclusion was that the object was a photographic flare dropped from a military aircraft. These flares were commonly used for aerial photography and, when ignited, produced a bright red glow that could be mistaken for an unusual phenomenon. Although the witness initially thought it was a star, further analysis confirmed it was a standard aircraft flare used by the Air Force at the time.