Project 10073 Record Card — Bakersfield, California, 10 August 1956

This document consists of a Project 10073 Record Card and associated military teletype communications regarding an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) sighting reported on August 10, 1956, in Bakersfield, California. The witness, a 21-year-old member of the Ground Observer Corps (GOC), reported observing a single, round, bright object that appeared to be the size of a grapefruit held at arm's length. The object was described as having red, white, and yellow colors and was observed at an altitude of 25,000 feet. The witness reported that the object remained stationary in the southeast portion of the sky for approximately four and a half hours. The teletype report, originating from the 750th ACWron at Boron, California, confirms the details of the sighting, noting that there was no flame or smoke associated with the object and that it remained in a fixed position. The weather conditions were described as a clear night with a multitude of stars and thin cirrus clouds present at 20,000 feet. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the sighting was astronomical in nature, specifically identifying the object as the planet Mars shining through the cirrus clouds. A Senior Director involved in the reporting process concurred with this assessment, stating that in their estimation, the object was simply a star blinking through the cloud cover. The documentation includes the original record card, which categorizes the event as 'Probably Astronomical (Mars)', and the subsequent teletype correspondence sent to various Air Force commands, including the Air Defense Command and the Director of Intelligence at Headquarters USAF in Washington, D.C.