Weather Balloon in Spokane

Summary

In July 1955, a witness in Spokane, Washington, observed a round, shiny object for fifteen minutes. The object, described as the size of a baseball seen at arm's length, was drifting slowly across the sky. The observation was made from the ground and reported by a civilian. Although it might initially seem like an extraordinary event, investigators concluded it was likely a weather balloon. These were common at the time and used for atmospheric data collection.

The official report agrees with the idea that the object was a weather balloon launched from Spokane shortly before the sighting. There were no indications it was an aircraft or an astronomical phenomenon. Despite the brief observation, the detailed description and temporal context allowed for a clear evaluation. This case is an example of how UFO reports often have natural and common explanations.