Sighting Report — Ashley, North Dakota, 4 November 1953

This document consists of a sighting report and a corrected message regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on November 4, 1953, near Ashley, North Dakota. The primary witness, identified as a Post Supervisor, reported observing an unusual object at 2300Z. The object was described as being very bright and similar in appearance to a star. The observation lasted for over 21 minutes, during which time the object was noted to be gradually disappearing toward the southeast. The sky conditions at the time of the sighting were reported as clear. The report includes specific coordinates, noting the object was at FD 3902 at 2300Z and had moved to FA 4255 by 2331Z. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency, the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, was that the object was astronomical in nature. Specifically, the report identifies the star Fomalhaut as the likely source of the observation, noting that there were no other major astronomical bodies in the southeast at that time, while also listing the positions of Venus, Mars, and Jupiter for reference. The document is marked as unclassified and includes administrative notations regarding its status as a corrected copy of a previously released message.