Project 10073 Record Card and Operational Immediate Report — Mitchell AFB, April 1959

This document consists of a Project 10073 record card and an associated operational teletype report regarding a UFO sighting at Mitchell Air Force Base, New York, on April 23, 1959. The sighting began at 0055Z when an assistant detachment commander and a navigator noticed an object while at home and contacted the base weather station. Observer Prather in the weather tower confirmed the sighting at approximately the same time. The object was described as round and extremely bright in relation to the stars. When viewed through a theodolite, it appeared rectangular. The object remained visible for one hour and 56 minutes. During this time, it was observed to dim, and at 0257Z, it changed color to green and red (bottom green, top red) before disappearing below the horizon. The report includes detailed tracking data, with azimuth and elevation angles recorded from the theodolite at various intervals. The weather conditions at the time were noted as having high thin scatter and cirrus clouds. The investigation concluded that the object was the planet Venus, which was in the exact location reported by the witnesses. The report suggests that the observers were viewing the planet under atmospheric conditions they had not previously experienced, which accounted for the unusual appearance and color changes.