Illuminated ball with rods protruding. Silently moved east to west. Very low. About 40 feet off the ground.

The U.S. had just launched the Explorer 1 satellite and the news said it was visible to the naked eye at approximately 8 pm eastern time.  I went outside our home with my father to see the satellite.  My father quickly gave up and went back inside the house but I stayed outside.
Shortly after he left, I observed a illuminated ball with rods protruding from it just slowly moving from east to west.  I vividly remember that if I was on my neighbors' roof, I would be able to grab on to it.  It made no sound.  
From my memory, the ball was about 60 feet across.  I watched it until it disappeared going west.
As I was just one month past my 6th birthday, I thought I had seen the satellite, and that's what I told my parents.
It was years until I realised that I had seen a UFO.
Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate.  PD