Project 10073 Record Card — Dayton, Ohio, 6 March 1958

This document compiles reports and internal assessments regarding a series of sightings in the Dayton, Ohio area on the morning of March 6, 1958. Numerous citizens, as well as local law enforcement and personnel from the Mound laboratory, reported observing an unidentified object in the sky between 6:00 A.M. and 6:50 A.M. Descriptions of the object varied, with some witnesses describing it as small, round, and slightly red, while others reported colors ranging from green and yellow to white. One witness, M/Sgt Hurley of the 6th Weather Group, provided a detailed account of the object moving slowly from South to Southeast. A photograph of the object was taken by Bill Shepherd using a three-minute exposure. The Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) conducted an investigation into the sightings. They consulted with the U.S. Weather Service, which confirmed that wind conditions were consistent with the movement of a balloon released shortly before the reports were received. Furthermore, an astronomical check was performed to determine if the planet Venus could account for the sightings. Physicist Kenneth Kissell, a member of the local Moonwatch team, concluded that the bright object observed by many was indeed Venus, which was particularly prominent at that time. The official conclusion reached by the investigators was that the reports described two distinct phenomena: a weather balloon and the planet Venus. The document includes a record card, a phone report, a newspaper clipping from the Dayton Daily News, and letters to the editor, all reflecting the public interest and the subsequent official explanation provided by the authorities.