A meteorological balloon spotted by radar in 1966

Summary

In April 1966, a radar operator in Australia detected an unidentified object 54 nautical miles away, moving northeast at about 60 knots. The incident was reported as a potential air safety issue, prompting an investigation by the Department of Civil Aviation and the Bureau of Meteorology. After reviewing the data, it was concluded that the object could have been a weather balloon with a radar reflector, launched from a nearby air force base. The weather conditions and the object's movement matched the expected behavior of a weather balloon. Although no physical evidence was found, the explanation provided closed the case without further action needed.