Project 10073 Record Card — Oakwood, Dayton, Ohio, 11 November 1957

On November 11, 1957, at approximately 1800 hours, a civilian witness in Oakwood, Dayton, Ohio, observed an unidentified aerial object. The witness, who noted an interest in celestial navigation, described the object as a blue-white light with a possible red point on top, appearing roughly the size of a pinhead or pea at arm's length. The object was initially stationary before moving slowly to the north. The observation lasted for approximately ten minutes. The witness reported that the object was significantly brighter than any star or planet they had previously seen, though it appeared more like a normal star as the sky darkened. The witness was accompanied by their daughter during the sighting. Following the report, military operations checked for other activity, noting that there were no balloons in the area, though a couple of T-birds were present. The control tower reported nothing unusual, and the weather was described as clear. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the object was undoubtedly the planet Venus, which was in the position described and was exceptionally bright at the time.