Bright UFO seen over Illinois in 1956

Summary

A witness in East Danville, Illinois, reported a glowing reddish object that appeared like a baseball at arm's length. The object had a red light on one end and emitted a bright downward beam resembling a searchlight. It hovered directly overhead for 30 minutes before moving westward. Despite the detailed account, investigators noted there was not enough data to determine its nature. Mars was mentioned as a possible explanation, but it did not fully account for the object's behavior.