Cigar-shaped UFO seen in New Hampshire in 1961

Summary

In September 1961, a witness in Lincoln, New Hampshire, reported a cigar-shaped unidentified object appearing in the sky during the early morning. The object was described as an elongated body with red lights at the tips, which seemed to have wings that extended and retracted. Despite sudden directional changes, it maintained its characteristic shape for the 30 minutes it was observed. The combination of visual and radar reports created confusion, but investigators concluded it could have been an atmospheric phenomenon, such as a searchlight reflected by a temperature inversion.

Temperature inversion, common under specific weather conditions, can create optical illusions and reflections that appear as flying objects. In this case, the source of the light was not identified with certainty, but it was considered not to be supernatural or extraterrestrial. The radar readings were also attributed to ground-based reflections due to atmospheric conditions. Although the possibility of an unknown object was not entirely ruled out, there was no conclusive evidence supporting a non-natural explanation.