Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting in Santa Monica, California, 21 August 1957

On August 21, 1957, at approximately 0350Z, a sighting of two unidentified objects was reported in the vicinity of Santa Monica, California. The objects were described as round, silver, and approximately the size of a pea. Witnesses observed the two objects stacked vertically, with the top object drifting to the left before returning to its position above the lower object. The observation lasted between 10 and 13 minutes. The objects eventually disappeared behind mountains to the north-northwest. The report was compiled by the 669th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron (ACWRON) and involved multiple civilian witnesses, including a Ground Observer Corps (GOC) supervisor and a newspaper reporter from Ventura, California. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear with calm winds and 10 miles of visibility. Following an investigation, the official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center was that the objects were the planets Venus and Jupiter. The report includes details from various GOC posts and civilian observers, noting their reliability, and concludes with a sign-off by 1/LT James A. Malthan.