The Kecksburg Fireball
A fireball crossed the sky over several states, and people in a small Pennsylvania village said something came down in the woods.
What was reported
On the afternoon of 9 December 1965, a bright fireball was seen over parts of Canada and the north-eastern United States. Residents of Kecksburg reported smoke in the woods, and some said they saw an acorn-shaped object partly buried in the ground.
Witnesses described soldiers arriving, closing off the area and taking something away on a flatbed truck. The military said nothing was found.
Explanations offered
Astronomers generally attribute the fireball to a meteor. A crashed Soviet satellite has also been suggested, but re-entry records for that day don't support it. What, if anything, was taken from the woods is still argued about.
- When
- 9 December 1965
- Where
- Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, USA
- Witnesses
- People across several US states and Canada
- Status
- Disputed
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.