Project 10073 Record Card: Guard Island Sighting, 13 March 1961

On March 13, 1961, at approximately 2210 local time, EN 2 Paul H. Wisdom of the United States Coast Guard observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon from the Guard Island Light Station in the vicinity of Ketchikan, Alaska. The witness reported a single, circular object, estimated to be between the size of a grapefruit and a basketball. The object was observed for approximately 37 minutes, moving in a straight line from south to north. During the observation, the object exhibited a brilliant white light that shifted to a fierce orange and then to a brilliant green-blue, resembling a large electric arc. The object was sighted with the naked eye and further observed using binoculars. It was noted that the object disappeared in the northwest with a brilliant green flash. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear with 3000-foot scattered clouds, 20 miles of visibility, and a temperature of 38 degrees. The official evaluation conducted by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) concluded that the sighting was likely the star Capella. The report suggests that the reported color changes were the result of atmospheric distortion caused by clouds and water spray, which are common in the island-heavy region of the Alaskan coast, effectively breaking up the starlight into different colors. The report was processed through military channels, including the Commander of the 17th Coast Guard District and the Air Defense Command, under the guidelines of AFR 200-2 and OPNAVINST 3820.9.