The Lubbock Lights

In August 1951, a series of UFO sightings over Lubbock, Texas, became one of the first major cases investigated by Project Blue Book. The witnesses included Texas Tech professors, and the objects were photographed by a student.

The Sightings

On August 25, 1951, three professors sitting in a backyard observed a semicircular formation of lights pass overhead. The lights were bluish-green and moved silently at high speed. Over the following weeks, the lights appeared repeatedly.

The Photographs

Texas Tech student Carl Hart Jr. photographed the lights on August 30. His images showed a V-formation of bright objects. The photographs were analyzed by the Air Force and declared genuine, though the objects remained unidentified.

The Investigation

Project Blue Book sent investigator Lieutenant Edward Ruppelt to Lubbock. He interviewed witnesses and studied the photographs. The Air Force eventually suggested the lights were birds reflecting city lights, but Ruppelt remained unconvinced.

The Radar Confirmation

On August 26, radar operators at the Atomic Energy Commission’s Sandia Base detected unknown objects traveling at 900 mph. The radar tracks coincided with visual sightings in the Lubbock area.

Assessment

The Lubbock Lights remain officially unexplained. The professor witnesses were credible, the photographs appear genuine, and no satisfactory explanation accounts for all aspects of the case. The lights represent one of the great unsolved UFO mysteries.