UFO seen in Hawthorne in 1960

Summary

In July 1960, a group of teenagers in Hawthorne, New Jersey, observed a luminous object traveling across the sky toward the northwest. They described it as a "blob" of white light the size of a quarter, which covered about one sixth of the sky in just 5 to 7 seconds. Although they initially thought it was a flying saucer, military authorities concluded it was likely a meteor. The description of speed, duration, and appearance support this interpretation. However, the youths insisted on knowing if there was any air traffic in the area, prompting an official military response.

The official military response stated that the information provided was insufficient for a valid conclusion. They requested the youths and their friends to complete Air Force questionnaires to gather more details. Although no definitive resolution was reached, the case was filed as a possible meteor. This document reflects how, even in the 1960s, authorities took UFO sightings seriously, though with a skeptical and methodological approach.