CFS Falconbridge radar-visual, Ontario
On 11 November 1975 the radar station at Falconbridge, near Sudbury, tracked an unknown target that staff and Ontario Provincial Police officers also watched by eye.
1975 CE · 46.58, -80.80 · status: disputed
The account
NORAD logs record the reports during the wave of sightings over US northern-tier missile bases that month. Observers described a bright sphere hovering and moving; seven OPP officers said they saw it over Sudbury. NORAD issued a press statement in Sudbury on 13 November.
The sceptical view
Explanations offered at the time included Venus, unusual clouds and balloons. Many details (size, 'craters') come from later UFO books rather than the logs themselves.
The researched reading
A radar-visual sighting during the 1975 northern-tier wave. Venus and radar effects explain much, but the combination of radar and visual reports leaves a residue.
| Explanation | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Something known, misidentified | 35% | A bright sphere seen by OPP officers fits Venus or a bright star; Dr Ian Halliday of the National Research Council thought Venus most likely. |
| A known natural phenomenon | 15% | Ice-crystal layers or temperature inversions can reflect radar beams and create false targets (anomalous propagation). |
| Genuinely anomalous | 15% | Radar and visual sightings together are stronger than either alone, and some witnesses said Venus was in the wrong place. |
| Secret human technology | 12% | Unannounced aircraft or balloons over the northern-tier bases were considered by NORAD. |
| Perception, memory or mind | 10% | During a wave of reports, observers expected something and interpreted lights accordingly. |
| A poorly understood natural phenomenon | 8% | An unusual atmospheric light cannot be excluded. |
| A hoax or fabrication | 5% | The NORAD logs are genuine; some book details were embellished. |
Official position: NORAD logged the reports and issued a press statement; explanations offered included Venus, clouds and balloons.