Project 10073 Record Card — Lake Leelanau, Michigan, 12 May 1956

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated military teletype report detailing a UFO sighting that occurred on 12 May 1956 at Lake Leelanau, Michigan. A civilian witness reported observing a single object for one hour and five minutes. The object was described as round, funnel-shaped, and occasionally circular, with a nickel-like appearance. The witness noted yellow streaks, a green center, and red sides, and observed the object through binoculars. The object exhibited erratic movement, including stops and starts, and was seen at an altitude of 60 degrees above the horizon in the northwest. The report notes that the object dimmed and brightened before fading over Lake Michigan. The 752nd ACWRON (Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron) at Empire, Michigan, processed the report. Operations Officer 1st Lt. Richard H. Ericson noted that the object had been sighted and reported numerous times in the preceding three months. He further stated that intelligence personnel from Selfridge AFB had investigated similar sightings in April of that year and determined the object to be the planet Venus. The official conclusion for this specific incident is that the sighting was caused by the planet Venus, a finding with which the reporting officer concurred. The report includes technical data regarding the sighting conditions, confirming clear weather and no air traffic in the area as reported by the Traverse City CAA.