Project 10073 Record Card — Vicinity of Sterling, Alaska, 18 Dec 60

This document is a Project 10073 record card and associated teletype report concerning a UFO sighting that occurred on December 18, 1960, in the vicinity of Sterling, Alaska. The witnesses, a furnace repairman from Ft. Richardson and his wife, reported observing a star-shaped object for approximately 45 minutes. They described the object as having the size of Mars and pulsating with red, green, and white colors. The witnesses reported that the object performed movements including side-to-side, up-and-down, and slow circular motions before returning to its original position. The observation was eventually obscured by clouds. The report includes detailed weather data and coordinates for the sighting. Captain William T. Wilson, an Intelligence Officer with the USAF, evaluated the report. He concluded that the object was likely the star Arcturus, noting that the star was in the reported vicinity and that the perceived pulsating movements were likely an atmospheric effect caused by the cold, clear conditions at the time of the observation. The report explicitly notes that a weather balloon released from Anchorage International would not have been in the area of the sighting and that there was no known air traffic in the vicinity.