Project 10073 Record Card — Fairbanks, Alaska, 5 July 1956

On July 5, 1956, at 0611Z, a civilian observer reported a sighting of an unidentified aerial object near Fairbanks, Alaska. The object was described as oval-shaped, appearing the size of a basketball when first observed and shrinking to the size of a silver dollar by the end of the 30-minute observation period. The witness noted that the object was stationary, silver in color, and exhibited a flickering or pulsating motion. There were no discernable features, trails, exhaust, or sounds associated with the object. The observation occurred during daylight hours under relatively clear sky conditions. Military reports indicate that at the time of the sighting, a weather balloon had been released from a location 13 miles away from Ladd Air Force Base. Furthermore, the star Procyon was noted to be in the same general area as the reported object. Based on these factors, the official assessment concluded that the object was likely either the weather balloon or the star Procyon. No physical evidence was recovered, and no radar contact was reported in connection with the incident.