Project 10073 Record Card — Tyndall AFB, Florida, 26 Feb 61

On February 26, 1961, at 1935 hours, MSGT Henry J. Lacour of the 4756th Air Base Group observed an unidentified flying object while at the Capehart Housing area of Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The witness described the object as elliptical in shape, approximately the size of a grapefruit, and as bright as a star. According to the report, the object traveled from west to east on a steady course, but appeared to stop and bounce every five seconds. The sighting lasted for approximately ten minutes. MSGT Lacour initially observed the object alone, then alerted Master Sergeant Maloney's children, Captain Allan E. Aaronson, and Captain Norman R. Smedes to witness the phenomenon. The observation was conducted visually without the use of optical aids. The weather was reported as fair and clear with moonlight. Following the incident, the Tyndall Air Force Base headquarters submitted a formal report to the Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (AFCIN) at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, in accordance with AFR 200-2. The report included a sketch and a detailed account of the sighting. The subsequent analysis by the intelligence center concluded that the object was the planet Venus. The evaluators noted that on the date of the sighting, Venus was at a magnitude of -4.3, its maximum brightness, and was positioned low on the horizon. The investigators determined that the reported 'bouncing' and movement were consistent with the distortion of light caused by atmospheric refraction, and that the object's disappearance coincided with the setting of the planet.