Sighted UFO resembling a basketball near Knoxville in 1957

Summary

A luminous object, similar to an electric light bulb and the size of a basketball, was observed on November 12, 1957, south of Knoxville, Tennessee. The witness, a local woman, saw it through a window, describing how the object changed color from yellow to white and moved up and down in intervals of 20 to 25 seconds before suddenly disappearing. The observation lasted five minutes, with no photographs or radar involved.

Investigators concluded it was likely a balloon, as it coincided with a scheduled launch just before the sighting. Although the initial report labeled it as unidentified, the correlation with a balloon launch suggests a conventional explanation. However, the object's unusual description and movement remain intriguing.