Charlie Red Star
For more than a year, a red light flew over the farms of southern Manitoba almost nightly, and residents gave it a friendly name.
What was reported
In 1975, people in southern Manitoba, especially around the town of Carman, began seeing a bright red light in the night sky. It was described as a red ball, sometimes with a dome, hovering silently, moving slowly or darting away at speed. Sightings continued for about 16 to 18 months.
It was seen so often that residents nicknamed it Charlie Red Star. People drove out to the countryside at night hoping to see it, and some photographed and filmed it.
Explanations offered
No official explanation was ever given. Suggestions include planets and stars seen through unusual atmospheric conditions, aircraft, and mass enthusiasm turning ordinary lights into sightings. Carman still celebrates it, and a book of residents' accounts has since been published.
- When
- 1975 – 1976
- Where
- Carman, Manitoba, Canada
- Witnesses
- Hundreds of residents of southern Manitoba
- Status
- Unexplained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.