Project 10073 Record Card and Air Intelligence Information Report — Lake Washington Area, Seattle, Washington, 30 January 1956

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding a UFO sighting in the Lake Washington area of Seattle, Washington, on 30 January 1956. The report details the investigation conducted by 1/Lt Leland R. Kirk of the 4602d AISS. The initial report originated from a 13-year-old Boy Scout who observed a round, multi-colored object that appeared to flicker and move south. A second witness, a 33-year-old brick mason, also reported seeing a bright object that he believed to be a star. The investigation included consultations with the University of Washington Observatory, which confirmed that the star Sirius was in the approximate position reported by the witnesses at the time of the sighting. Furthermore, the Seattle Filter Center and McChord AFB weather office provided data regarding a radiosonde balloon launch from Sand Point Naval Air Station, though the final conclusion of the investigating officer and the approving commander, Colonel John M. White Jr., was that the sighting was caused by the star Sirius. The report notes that the area had experienced unusually clear nights, which likely drew attention to bright stars that might otherwise have been obscured by cloud cover. Military aircraft from the 318th Fighter Squadron were diverted to investigate the area but reported negative sightings of any unusual objects. The report concludes that the phenomenon was astronomical in nature.