PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD - BETHESDA, MARYLAND - 30 JULY 1954

This document is a Project 10073 record card detailing a sighting that occurred on July 30, 1954, in Bethesda, Maryland. The witness, identified as a Naval Reserve Officer, reported observing a single, round, reddish-yellow object for approximately 22 minutes. The witness was pointing out stars and planets to his son when the object was noticed. The object was described as having a slight luminous trail and exhibiting erratic motion, including hovering, moving slowly, and moving in straight lines and circles while remaining in the same general area. The sighting was reported to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). The official conclusion reached by the investigators was that the object was the planet Mars, which was positioned at 200 degrees azimuth and 25 degrees elevation at the time. The erratic motion reported by the witness was attributed to atmospheric conditions. The report notes that visibility was 7-8 miles with thin cirrus clouds at high altitude and no ceiling. A secondary note suggests the possibility that the sighting was influenced by a weather balloon release from a local station, though the primary conclusion remains the planet Mars.