UFO Sighting Report — Catalina, California, November 1953

This document is a military sighting report concerning an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon observed on November 16, 1953, near Catalina and San Pedro, California. The witness, a Technical Sergeant stationed at Long Beach Air Force Base, reported observing a single, round, saucer-shaped object for approximately ten minutes. The object was initially described as purplish-white, fading to a white color, and appeared stationary before moving in a straight, level path toward Los Angeles, where it eventually disappeared from view. The observation occurred on a clear night at an elevation of 45 degrees. The report includes standard military teletype formatting, routing the information from the 234th Air Force Reserve Training Center to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and other command headquarters. The official conclusion provided by the military, based on input from astronomers at the Griffies Park Observatory, suggests that the object was likely a planet—specifically identified as Jupiter in the handwritten notes on the form—which can appear more clearly under certain atmospheric conditions, such as after rainfall. The witness was noted as being fairly reliable due to their professional background in aviation. The document was later declassified under Department of Defense Directive 5200.10.