Project 10073 Record Card: Sighting at Chitose-Hokkaido, Japan, 12-15 December 1957

This document is an Air Intelligence Information Report (IR-2-58) regarding an unidentified flying object observed on 12 December 1957 over Hokkaido, Japan. Approximately 13 personnel, including military aircrew and radar operators, reported observing a very bright, circular, greenish-white light in the SSW sky. The object was tracked by radar, which reported an altitude of 18,300 feet and a speed of 310 knots, though observers estimated higher speeds. The object exhibited erratic movement, including bobbing and orbital patterns, and was described by some as having three yellow arms and a reddish-orange glow. Two aircraft were scrambled to intercept the object, but they were unable to close in on it. A photograph of a fuzzy white light was taken two days later, purportedly of the same object. The report includes detailed statements from numerous witnesses, including radar operators and aircrew, who describe their observations and the attempts to intercept the object. The official conclusion suggests that the visual sighting was likely the planet Venus, noting that the object was in the correct position and was exceptionally bright at that time. However, the report explicitly states that the radar returns and the photograph could not be validly related to the planet Venus, and the overall data was considered contradictory and insufficient for a definitive explanation. The document includes technical radar data, flight patterns, and photographic analysis, ultimately concluding that the situation remains unexplained due to inconsistent data.