UFO Sighting Report — Long Beach AFB, California, November 1953

This document is a formal military sighting report (UFOB 0116) concerning an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed on November 7, 1953, at Long Beach Air Force Base, California. The report details a one-and-a-half-hour observation of a single object that displayed red and green flashing lights, which witnesses described as appearing to turn like a beacon. The object was observed from the ground and was noted to have moved 25 degrees in azimuth during the duration of the sighting. The report includes technical data regarding the weather conditions at the time, which were described as perfect with clear visibility ranging from 7 to 10 miles. Several military personnel, including weather observers and aircraft dispatchers from the 247th AFRTC, provided accounts of the event, which were unofficially corroborated by other base personnel. Despite the initial classification of the object as unidentified, the official conclusion provided in the document identifies the phenomenon as the planet Venus. The report provides specific astronomical data to support this conclusion, noting the planet's position, elevation, and azimuth at the time of the observation. The document was processed by the 2347th AFRTC and forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, as well as other relevant commands, in accordance with standard reporting procedures for such incidents during that era. The document is marked as unclassified and includes instructions for periodic downgrading and eventual declassification.