On November 9, 1974, in the small city of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, three teenage boys reported witnessing a “red, whirring ball” descend from the sky and crash into a silt pond near Russell Park.

According to reports from the time, the evening was unremarkable until the boys’ sighting. The object, described variably as glowing orange or red, was seen crossing over Salem Mountain before it plummeted into the pond, reportedly causing it to sizzle, as if on fire.

The police were called, and what followed was a spectacle involving local law enforcement, military personnel, and a throng of curious onlookers. The pond began to emit a strange glow, lasting for nearly nine hours.