UFO Explosion Over St. Paul

Summary

In January 1962, a witness in St. Paul, Minnesota, observed a luminous object descending rapidly in the night sky. The object, glowing with a reddish hue and leaving a visible trail, was moving at high speed at an angle of about 45 degrees. According to the report, the event lasted approximately half a second and ended with an explosion followed by disappearance. The witness, a physics student with knowledge in cosmic rays, described the phenomenon in detail and suggested it could be a bolide or a large meteorite. Multiple witnesses confirmed the sighting from different vantage points, adding credibility to the account.

The tone of the report reflected a mix of scientific curiosity and concern for national security, although investigators concluded there was no threat. The testimony included later corrections, such as the clarification that his wife had called him to look at a "shooting star," not a meteorite. Additionally, the witness emphasized that the absence of sound and the persistence of the vapor trail for several minutes indicated the object was at a high altitude, not close to the ground as some local reports suggested.