UFO sighted in Charleston in 1961

Summary

A witness in Charleston, West Virginia, reported a circular, bright, and white object moving eastward with a pulsating motion. The object appeared over the western horizon and faded out toward the east within 5 to 10 minutes. The observer, a sales engineer with a good reliability rating, described the object as star-like, about the size of a dime. No photographs were taken and the sighting was made visually from the ground.

Authorities considered the possibility that it was a weather balloon launched by the Weather Bureau around the time of the sighting. Wind patterns and the balloon's trajectory could explain the erratic and pulsating movement reported. Although not officially confirmed, the most plausible explanation points to a weather balloon, highlighting how natural phenomena can be mistaken for unidentified flying objects.