Riverside, California, September 2, 1952, 11:45 p.m.
THINK ABOUTIT UFO|UAP SIGHTINGS REPORT
1952: Riverside, California, the Starlike Object
At 11:45 p.m. PST on September 2, 1952, four civilians in Riverside, California watched a single starlike object, blue, red and yellow, move erratically left to right and up and down. It was slower than a normal meteor, about 45 degrees east of the North Star and 30 degrees above the horizon.
The March AFB Air Intelligence Information Report, dated September 10, 1952, lists the reliability of the observation as unknown and notes that no instruments were available. It is a short report that records what four people agreed on.
Date: September 2, 1952
Sighting Time: 11:45 p.m. PST
Day/Night: Night
Location: Riverside, California
Urban or Rural: Urban
No. of Entity(‘s): None reported
Entity Type: Not applicable
Entity Description: Not applicable
Hynek Classification: NL (Nocturnal Light)
Duration: Not recorded
No. of Object(s): 1
Description of the Object(s): A single starlike object, blue, red and yellow, moving erratically left to right and up and down, slower than a normal meteor
Shape of Object(s): Starlike point
Size of Object(s): Not recorded
Color of Object(s): Blue, red and yellow
Distance to Object(s): Not recorded
Height & Speed: About 30° above the horizon, about 45° east of the North Star; slower than a meteor
Number of Witnesses: 4
Special Features/Characteristics: Erratic motion both horizontally and vertically; changing colors; no instruments available
Case Status: Insufficient Data
Source: Blue Book file (Air Intelligence Information Report, March AFB, dated September 10, 1952)
Summary/Description: Four Riverside civilians watched a starlike blue, red and yellow object move erratically at about 30° elevation for an unrecorded time. The March AFB report lists reliability as unknown.
Related Cases: the other early-September night-light reports on the September 1st–16th page
DETAILED REPORT
March AFB wrote up the report on September 10, 1952. Four civilians in Riverside saw a single starlike object at 11:45 p.m. PST on September 2. It showed blue, red and yellow and moved erratically from left to right and up and down. It moved more slowly than a normal meteor and held a position about 45 degrees east of the North Star and 30 degrees above the horizon.
The report states that no instruments were available and that the reliability of the observation was unknown. No explanation is given.
RESEARCHER’S NOTES
Riverside 1952: A Color-Changing Star With Four Witnesses
- Color change: A twinkling star near the horizon can flash blue, red and yellow through atmospheric scintillation, which is the obvious explanation. The report does not say whether that was considered.
- Erratic motion: Apparent motion of a star seen by the naked eye is also well known (autokinesis), but four people reporting the same motion is notable.
- Report lag: The report is dated eight days after the sighting, which limits how much the witnesses could clarify.
- Status: The file is thin, and the entry is listed as Insufficient Data.
Riverside is a short four-witness night report of a color-changing, wandering star-like light. The file does not explain it and does not offer enough detail to try.
