Project 10073 Record Card — San Francisco, California, 17 May 1955

On 17 May 1955, at 0605Z, a civilian witness in San Francisco, California, reported observing an unidentified aerial object. The witness, who was aided by 8-power binoculars, described the object as a round, bright reddish-bronze entity, approximately the size of a pinhead held at arm's length. The object was initially observed to be stationary in the western sky for several minutes before it appeared to accelerate rapidly toward the northwest and eventually faded from view. The witness's spouse, located at the same address, also observed the object. Meteorological conditions at the time were reported as clear with slight haze and stars plainly visible. The incident was documented on a Project 10073 record card and subsequently evaluated by the 4602d Air Intelligence Squadron (AISS). The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency was that the object was likely the planet Jupiter. The report notes that while the description and direction of the object strongly suggested a planetary body, the observer remained certain that the object had moved rapidly. Due to the high likelihood of an astronomical explanation, no further investigation was authorized by the organization.