Project 10073 Record Card — Washington, D.C. Sighting, 3 June 1959

On June 3, 1959, a retired Air Force officer and his wife observed an unidentified aerial object in Washington, D.C. The witness, who had 14 years of military service and a background in astronomy, reported seeing an orange, star-shaped object, approximately the size of Jupiter, moving from west to east across the sky. The object was visible for 20 to 30 seconds between 2302 and 2303 EDT. The witness explicitly stated that the object was not an aircraft, as it lacked pulsating lights and made no noise, nor was it a meteor, as it left no trail and followed a flat trajectory. He also ruled out Venus and Jupiter, noting the object's position relative to those planets. The report was forwarded to the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for evaluation. Official analysis concluded that the object was likely a fireball of unusual endurance. Subsequent follow-up by the Air Force confirmed that the witness could provide no further information beyond the initial report.