Texas: Family photographs bright UFO beams
On August 2, 1956, Jesse G. Kirby Jr. and family saw a luminous round object emitting alternating light beams while driving between Amarillo and Memphis, Texas. Kirby captured photos of its glowing trail, later analyzed by Project Blue Book as possibly a missile or hoax.
Background
Witnesses and Event
At 4:00 in the morning, Jesse G. Kirby Jr., his wife, and two children saw a bright, round object. They were driving home at night from Colorado Springs, Colorado and were on the stretch between Amarillo and Memphis, Texas. The object emitted beams of light intermittently from above and below, never at the same time.
Sighting and Behaviour
It appeared repeatedly between clouds over a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes. It seemed to rise slowly, shrank to the size of a star, and disappeared. Kirby used a Kodak 620 camera for photographs, which showed an unusual glowing trail.
Aftermath and Analysis
The photographs were handed to the Air Force. More than a year later, Project Blue Book assessed them as a missile trail or a misperception. Reports appeared in local media and in UFO publications.