Project 10073 Record Card — Pottsville, Pennsylvania, 13 October 1956

On October 13, 1956, at 2000Z, a radio engineer in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, observed a stationary, pear-shaped silver object for three and a half hours. The witness reported the object appeared to be the size of a pea at arm's length and was positioned above 10,000 feet. The observation was made both visually and through binoculars. A local pilot and photographer attempted to intercept the object by flying from Schuylkill Airport, reaching an altitude of 6,000 feet, but were unable to capture any photographs or confirm the nature of the object, which remained above them. The official military assessment, documented on a Project 10073 record card and subsequent teletype, suggests the object was likely a balloon or the planet Mars. The report notes that the planet Mars was very bright in the southeast horizon at the time of the sighting. Investigators expressed skepticism regarding the balloon theory, noting that a balloon would not remain stationary in the area for the duration of the sighting given the wind conditions, and concluded that the object was likely an astronomical phenomenon, specifically Mars, as it remained above the aircraft during the pilot's investigation.