Project 10073 Record Card — Buhl, Minnesota, 14 Jan 61

On January 14, 1961, at approximately 0212Z, a hardware store assistant manager in Buhl, Minnesota, observed an unidentified aerial object while entering an automobile. The witness described the object as round, resembling a tennis ball, and white with some red coloring. The object exhibited intermittent fading from bright to dim and remained stationary for 25 minutes before moving in a west-northwest direction and eventually disappearing over the horizon. The duration of the sighting was 44 minutes. The observer estimated the object's altitude to be between 15,000 and 25,000 feet. Weather conditions at the time were reported as clear with a temperature of 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The sighting was verified by F/L Willis N. Morrison, a NORAD intelligence officer and city policeman, who was present with the witness. The observer noted that the object was similar in appearance and location to a previous sighting reported on December 10, 1960. Official evaluation by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the object was the planet Venus, which was very bright at that time of year. The reported red coloring was attributed to the planet's proximity to the horizon.