AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT - FLYOBRPT - Hopkins, Minn.

On January 10, 1953, at 2015 C.S.T., a Ground Observer named Mr. J.X. Rittenhouse reported a sighting in Hopkins, Minnesota. The report was processed by the Minneapolis filter center and subsequently documented in an Air Intelligence Information Report by Major Leland J. Lannoye of the 31st Air Division. According to the report, Mr. Rittenhouse observed a slow-moving, fan-shaped object flying southwest. Upon initial sighting, the witness retrieved his car and utilized a powerful telescope and binoculars to further observe the phenomenon. He described the object as being 15 miles long and star-like in appearance, noting that it shifted from brilliant to dull. The witness further specified that the point of the fan-shaped object was directed downward, giving it the appearance of a pillar of light. The object eventually disappeared beyond the horizon. Mr. Rittenhouse explicitly stated that the object did not resemble any known type of aircraft. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency was that there was insufficient data for a definitive evaluation, suggesting the possibility of an astronomical (star/planet) setting, while noting that the report lacked necessary duration and positional data.