Operational Immediate Sighting Report — Dobbins AFB, Georgia, 9 February 1953

On February 9, 1953, at 09:048Z, a visual sighting of an unidentified aerial object was reported at Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia. The report, filed as an 'Operational Immediate' cable by the Commanding General of the 35th Air Division, detailed the observation of a single, round, star-like object exhibiting an orange glow. The witness, A/1C J.C. Williamson, a tower operator at Dobbins AFB, observed the object for a duration of five to ten minutes. According to the report, the object moved slowly on a straight westerly course, though it also appeared to stand still for a few minutes. The witness noted that there was no visible trail and no sound associated with the object. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear with 15 miles of visibility. The report was transmitted to the Director of Intelligence at HQ USAF in Washington, D.C., and the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB. Following the investigation, the official conclusion reached was that the object was the planet Jupiter, which was positioned at 290 degrees azimuth and 5 degrees elevation at the time of the sighting. The document includes standard declassification markings indicating it was to be downgraded at three-year intervals and declassified after twelve years under DOD Directive 5200.10.