Project 10073 Record Card — Newport, Oregon, 16 November 1956

On 16 November 1956, at 0840Z, a sighting of an unidentified aerial object was reported near Newport, Oregon. The witness, identified as CMB Boyer of the USCG Hecta Head Florence station, observed a single, round, red object that appeared to be the size of a pillow at arm's length. The object was described as having a tail similar to a comet. The witness first observed the object as a reflection in a lake. The object reportedly moved straight up and then turned 90 degrees toward the Northwest, eventually fading in the sky after being observed for one hour. The observation was conducted visually, with the aid of field glasses. The incident was reported through military channels, specifically the 25th Air Division at McChord AFB, to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). Following the report, ATIC initiated further investigation by sending ATIC Forms 164 to the source on 19 November 1956. The official conclusion reached by the evaluating agency was that the object was the planet Mars, which was positioned in the west at a 20-degree elevation at the time of the sighting. The findings were slated for inclusion in the monthly UFOB Summary.