UFO seen as weather balloon in South Dakota

Summary

In January 1956, a witness in Lake Andes, South Dakota, observed a silver, ball-shaped object the size of a half-dollar coin. It remained stationary in the sky for over an hour with no discernible flight path or maneuvers. The report concluded it was likely a weather balloon, specifically a radiosonde type. The witness noticed the object while watching the construction of a water tower, and it stayed visible until the report was submitted.

Although no photos or radar data were taken, the responsible officer agreed the object showed no signs of being an aircraft or astronomical phenomenon. Its physical description and passive behavior led to the classification as a weather balloon. This case, like many from the era, reflects how civilian observers contributed to the database of unexplained aerial phenomena that later became part of the Project 10073 archive.