UFO sighted at Tocumen Tower, Panama

Summary

A bright white object was observed near Panama in 1957 but remained unidentified. A tower operator at Tocumen International Airport reported seeing a round, intensely bright object approximately 20 inches in diameter. The object appeared 23 degrees above the horizon and was slowly descending toward the southwest. The observation lasted about one hour and 17 minutes. Initially thought to be the planet Venus, calculations confirmed it was not. Other explanations such as balloons, aircraft, or astronomical phenomena were ruled out. Weather conditions were clear with good visibility and no detected air traffic. In the end, the object had no known explanation, remaining an unsolved case.