UFO seen in Pasadena in 1956

Summary

In November 1956, a witness in Pasadena, California, observed a round, white object the size of a dime at arm's length. The object emitted a light that stayed on for 30 seconds and then turned off, repeating the cycle for two minutes. The object was moving northward and eventually disappeared behind Mount Wilson. The sighting was recorded under Project 10073, a U.S. Air Force initiative to investigate UFO sightings.

Investigators concluded the object was probably an aircraft, although a helicopter was also considered. The report did not include photographs, but the witness used binoculars to observe the phenomenon. Despite the relatively long duration of the observation, no additional data was obtained to definitively identify the object. This case is an example of how the Air Force analyzed UFO sightings in the 1950s, always seeking a conventional explanation.