PROJECT 10073 RECORD — 23 September 1954 Sighting, Baltimore, Maryland

This document is a Project 10073 record detailing an unidentified aerial phenomenon sighting that occurred on September 23, 1954. The report documents a round object, described as similar to a bright star or aircraft light, which was observed by multiple witnesses, including military and civilian personnel. The sighting lasted between 40 minutes and one hour. Witnesses included a pilot from the 1299 Air Transport Squadron at Bolling AFB, a National Airlines pilot, and control tower operators at Washington National Airport. The object was observed from various locations, including over Baltimore, Maryland, and from the vicinity of Richmond, Virginia. The observers reported that the object moved slowly toward the horizon before disappearing below it. The report notes that the weather conditions were CAVU (Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited). The preparing officer concluded that all witnesses were reliable and that they were likely observing the same object. The official conclusion reached by the investigating agency, the Air Technical Intelligence Center, was that the object was the planet Mars in the reported position.