Project 10073 Record: Sighting of Unidentified Flying Object, Webster City and Eagle Grove, Iowa

This document is a collection of intelligence reports and questionnaires regarding a series of sightings of an unidentified flying object near Webster City and Eagle Grove, Iowa, between February and April 1954. The primary witness, a local police officer, reported observing a pulsating, color-changing object on numerous occasions, often in the northwest quadrant of the sky. The witness described the object as disk-shaped or oval, ranging in size from a silver dollar to a grapefruit when held at arm's length. The object reportedly moved slowly, sometimes hovering or moving side-to-side, before disappearing over the horizon. The Air Force conducted interviews and investigated the sightings, including contacting local civilian agencies and the Drake University Astronomy Department. Professor Philip Riggs suggested the object might be the planet Jupiter or the star Capella. Despite these suggestions, the official conclusion for the specific Project 10073 record remained 'Probably Astronomical: Star (Planet),' while the broader intelligence reports noted the cause of the sightings as unknown. The reports emphasize the consistency of the witness's accounts and the frequency of the sightings, leading the investigating officer to recommend that local Ground Observer Posts be alerted to monitor the area. The documentation includes technical information sheets, wind aloft data, and sketches provided by the witness, all of which were forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center for further analysis.