Air Intelligence Information Report: Project 10073 Record Card - Hampton-Sydney, Virginia

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report regarding a sighting of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UFOB) on February 22, 1956, near Hampton-Sydney College in Virginia. Several students reported observing a round, multi-colored object in the southwest sky. The witnesses described the object as flashing red, green, blue, and brilliant white, and noted that it appeared to move in a circular or oscillating manner, trailing smoke or exhaust. The sighting lasted approximately 45 minutes. The students observed the object both with the naked eye and through a 60-power telescope.

Following the report, the 4602d AISS conducted a thorough investigation. They checked with the U.S. Weather Bureau to rule out weather balloons, contacted the GOC Filter Center, and queried various Air Control and Warning (AC&W) squadrons. While radar data from the 649th AC&W Squadron recorded a track (#0E25) at the approximate time of the sighting, the investigation ultimately concluded that the phenomenon was celestial in origin.

Expert consultations were sought from the US Naval Observatory and the University of Virginia. Astronomers explained that the stars Sirius and Procyon, when viewed at low angles (below 30 degrees) through turbulent atmospheric conditions, frequently exhibit intense color scintillation, which can appear as flickering red, green, and blue light. The investigators concluded that the students had observed these stars and that their inexperience, combined with the use of a telescope that was likely out of focus, led to the misinterpretation of the stars' natural scintillation as an anomalous object. A follow-up recontact with one of the students two nights later, where he reported seeing a similar object in the same location, further supported the conclusion that the phenomenon was celestial, as Sirius was in the same position at that time.