Project 10073 Record Card and Related Correspondence — Niagara Falls, New York, August 1957

This document collection details a sighting incident that occurred on August 21, 1957, near the Niagara Falls Municipal Airport in New York. Multiple observers, including military personnel from the 763rd ACWRON and the 47th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, reported observing two brilliant white, spherical objects on the western horizon. The objects were described as being significantly larger than stars, with one appearing twice as large and the other three times as large. The witnesses noted that the objects changed color from white to orange and eventually disappeared below the horizon. The duration of the sighting was estimated between 15 and 30 minutes. An F-86L aircraft was scrambled to intercept the objects, but the pilots reported that the objects remained at the same azimuth and elevation despite 200 miles of pursuit and significant altitude changes. The investigation, led by 1st Lt Herbert D. Dokey of the 47th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, determined that the sighting was caused by the planets Venus and Jupiter. This conclusion was supported by theodolite measurements and verification from Dr. Joyce Mills, an astronomer at the Buffalo Museum. The report highlights that an unusually clear continental polar air mass, which was free of the typical industrial smoke and haze of the area, made the planets appear with extreme brilliance, leading to the initial misidentification. The report concludes that the explanation of the objects being Venus and Jupiter is the most likely of all possibilities considered, and the reliability of the witnesses was deemed unquestionable.