Bakersfield, CA: Long slender fiery object sighted
A physicist and his wife observed a long, slender object glowing in red, green, and yellow colors moving east of Bakersfield, California. It traveled at about 50 mph at low altitude, outlined against foothills.
Background
Sighting
A physicist and his wife were driving on US Highway 99 north of Bakersfield, California when they stopped to look at a long, slender object. It showed intense colours in red, green, and yellow and moved about 8 miles east of them. Its speed was around 50 mph at an altitude of 200–300 feet, clearly visible against the hills. The object was several times longer than a bomber.
Witnesses and Report
The observers were a physicist and his wife, who described the phenomenon in detail. The incident was documented in "Recent Sightings" in the APRO Bulletin of January 1957, p. 5, cited from Eberhart's "UFOs and Intelligence: A Timeline", p. 100.
Significance
This 1941 sighting is among early reports of unusual objects with an unusual shape and colouring that did not match known aircraft.