Project 10073 Record Card — 4 Miles North of Bowbells, N.D., 7 December 1957

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype report concerning an aerial sighting that occurred on December 7, 1957, four miles north of Bowbells, North Dakota. A single civilian witness reported observing a round, silver object, described as being the size of a baseball and cone-shaped in the front, moving from east to west. The object was observed for approximately eight seconds and was noted to have long streaks of fire trailing from its back. The report indicates that there were no radar contacts or other corroborating reports from Ground Observer Corps (GOC) units. While the official conclusion recorded on the card is 'Meteor sighting,' the documentation includes handwritten notes from the investigating personnel. These notes mention that snow showers occurred in the area ten minutes after the sighting, suggesting potential cloud cover, and that the senior director on duty at the time believed the sighting might have been an illusion influenced by contemporary newspaper reports regarding a satellite re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. The teletype communication was transmitted by the Commander of the 786th ACWRON to the Air Defense Command, the 29th Air Division, the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, and the Director of Intelligence at Headquarters USAF.