Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting at Camp O'Donnell, Philippines, 5 November 1957

On 5 November 1957, a group consisting of five military personnel and one civilian stationed at Camp O'Donnell in the Philippine Islands observed an unidentified object in the sky. The sighting occurred between 2010 and 2020 Hotel Time. The object was described as being stationary, positioned approximately 10 degrees above the horizon in the west-southwest direction. Witnesses observed the object through binoculars, noting that it appeared perfectly round and emitted a white light, which they compared to the appearance of metal reflecting moonlight. The observers reported that there were no clouds in the vicinity of the object. The magnitude of the object was estimated to be 6.0 in comparison to known stars. The incident was formally reported via military message channels (MP58838) to various commands, including CINCPAC and the Eighth US Army. Following the report, an investigation was conducted using astronomical data. The official conclusion reached was that the object was the planet Venus, which was in the exact location reported by the witnesses. The report notes that Venus was particularly bright and large during that year, a phenomenon that had been previously remarked upon in journals and newspapers.