Project 10073 Record Card — Santa Maria, California, 30 July 1957

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated military cable detailing a UFO sighting that occurred on July 30, 1957, near Santa Maria, California. A civilian witness reported observing six round, red objects, each approximately the size of a basketball, flying in a straight line. The objects were initially seen moving north and then south before fading into a fog bank. The total duration of the sighting was twenty minutes. The military investigation, led by 1st Lt. Robert B. Hilman, concluded that the objects were likely an optical illusion. The report notes that the objects were sighted near or within a fog bank to the west of the observer, and that the sunset may have created the appearance of 'red balls of fire.' The investigators determined that atmospheric conditions at the time were conducive to the formation of a mirage, which served as the official explanation for the event.