Project 10073 Record Card: Minot, Bismarck N.D. Sighting, 10 Mar 61

On March 10, 1961, at approximately 0400Z, an unidentified light was observed near Minot, North Dakota. The object was reported to be three to four miles off the runway at an altitude of 1,000 feet. Witnesses described the light as changing colors—specifically white, green, yellow, and red—and remaining fairly stationary for a duration of fifteen minutes before disappearing into the horizon. The sighting was intercepted by the command post at the base via a conversation on the FAA Minnesota long line. Reports were also received from sheriffs in Bismarck, North Dakota, who had been tracking the light. An aircraft landed near the time the light disappeared but did not observe it. Local civilian reports corroborated the details provided by the base. Following the report, the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) evaluated the incident under Project 10073. The official conclusion reached was that the object was the planet Venus, which was at a magnitude of -4.3 and appeared very low on the horizon. The report notes that atmospheric refraction and distortion, combined with the planet's high visibility, led to a 'rash of reports' in the region during late February and early March 1961. The incident was documented via a series of military messages and a formal record card, with Major Robert J. Friend and Colonel Philip G. Evans overseeing the administrative processing of the report in accordance with Air Force Regulation 200-2.