Project 10073 Record Card — 10 February 1957, Bismark, N.D.

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated field report detailing a sighting that occurred on February 10, 1957, approximately 50 miles south of Bismark, North Dakota. The witness, identified as a housewife from Strausburg, North Dakota, reported observing a red and green flashing light for a duration of 30 minutes. The witness described the object as standing still before advancing approximately 40 degrees in elevation, eventually changing to a dim white color before fading out. The report was processed by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. An investigation into the sighting concluded that the object was most likely the star Arcturus, as star charts and almanacs confirmed the star was at the approximate bearing and elevation reported by the witness. The investigating officer noted that the reported increase in elevation was not probable and that the description conformed to the analysis of the star. Additional handwritten notes on the report suggest that an operations officer initially considered the possibility of a planet rising, and a separate note references the launch time of a weather balloon at Bismark as 2130, though the final conclusion favored the astronomical explanation.