Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence — Bostonia, California, 1956

This document archive details the investigation into a UFO sighting reported by a student in Bostonia, California, on 19 October 1956. The student, while completing a photography class assignment, took a time-exposure photograph of the moon. Upon developing the film, a saucer-like object appeared in the print. The student claimed to have no knowledge of how the object appeared on the film. The case was subsequently investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). The Air Force's Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) and later the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) conducted a technical analysis of the photographs. Their findings concluded that the image was a double exposure, consisting of a time-exposure of the moon and a separate exposure of a light fixture. The analysis highlighted that the moon's path on the film was broken in both direction and time, suggesting a lapse of 2-3 minutes during which the camera was moved. Furthermore, the investigators identified evidence of photographic manipulation, specifically 'dodging' and 'burning in' techniques. The Air Force concluded that the object resembled a conventional glass light fixture found on ceilings. Despite the student's insistence that the photograph was genuine and the support of her instructor, the Air Force maintained that the evidence suggested a hoax or, at minimum, a double exposure. The correspondence included in the file shows a persistent effort by the student and later by a private citizen to challenge the Air Force's conclusions, arguing that the photograph was an unretouched image of a space vehicle. The Air Force consistently rejected these claims, citing the technical evidence of the double exposure and the lack of any physical evidence to support the existence of an unidentified object. The file also contains internal Air Force communications regarding the policy of not releasing UFO case photos to the public and the handling of such reports to avoid detrimental publicity.