Salt Lake City: Large Grey Sphere Approaches Witness to 72 Feet, Pockmarked Underside
At 03:00 on 15 September 1998, a witness in Salt Lake City, Utah, encountered a large grey spherical object with a distinctive pockmarked underside hovering at treetop level. Initially positioned approximately 260 feet (measured) from the witness, the object then moved deliberately toward them, approaching to within 72 feet — close enough for detailed visual observation of its surface texture. The witness estimated its diameter at approximately 65 feet, making it substantially larger than most reported spherical UAP.
After the close approach, the object departed to the northeast and disappeared from view. No sound was detected during the entire encounter. The case is cited in the AAWSAP configuration study as a characteristic example of the sphere configuration, notable for the unusually close observation distance that allowed the witness to describe surface features — the pockmarked texture — in detail rarely available in UAP reports.
Background
In 1998, a witness in Salt Lake City, Utah reported a close encounter with a large grey sphere that approached to within 72 feet (approximately 22 meters). The object's underside was described as pockmarked or textured, allowing detailed observation of its surface features.