Project 10073 Record Card — Lexington, Kentucky, 9 Jan 61

On January 9, 1961, at approximately 1800 hours local time, a witness in Lexington, Kentucky, observed a small white streak in the sky. The witness, a registered nurse, reported that the object remained visible for about 20 minutes. Initially, the object appeared as a streak, but after 10 minutes, it began to turn horizontally. The witness noted that the object did not change in size, remaining a 'speck' like a star, and moved generally toward the west, slightly southwest, until it faded from view. The witness, who was accompanied by another party, also claimed that several passersby observed the object. The witness attempted to contact a local newspaper but found them uninterested, leading her to report the incident as a matter of civic duty. She also mentioned calling a university observatory. The official Project 10073 record card concludes that the sighting was likely an aircraft with a non-persistent condensation trail. The investigators suggested that the trail was illuminated by the sun due to its altitude and the observers' location relative to the object, noting that the sun had set at 1707 hours. The report further states that the description provided by these witnesses was consistent with other reports of the same phenomenon.