Flare seen by pilot near Palmdale

Summary

A pilot reported a white spherical object, similar to magnesium, the size of a pea, that emitted a fluorescent flash and descended vertically. The sighting occurred ten miles northwest of Palmdale, California, on November 21, 1958. The observer, a co-pilot of a B-47, saw the object for about four seconds. Initially thought to be a meteor, the pilot insisted it did not resemble one. Authorities at Edwards and George AFB found no operations that could explain the phenomenon. In the end, it was concluded to be some kind of flare or light signal, though its exact origin remains unknown.