Project 10073 Record Card — Columbus, Ohio, 4 Sep 61

On September 4, 1961, at 0140 hours, an auto mechanic in Columbus, Ohio, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon while sitting on his back porch. The witness, accompanied by his wife, described the object as a shiny, light-like entity that was significantly brighter than the surrounding stars. The object remained in sight for approximately 15 minutes, moving from the southwest toward the west with a slight northward angle. The witness noted that the object moved behind power cables and toward a tree during the observation. He explicitly stated that the object made no sound and was not moving fast, describing it as slower than a satellite. The witness provided a detailed technical information sheet, including sketches of the object's path and its position relative to the horizon. He estimated the object's magnitude and size, noting it appeared much larger than a star. The report was processed by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) under Project 10073. Upon evaluation, the investigating officer concluded that the sighting was an observation of the planet Jupiter. The conclusion was based on an astronomical chart, which confirmed that Jupiter was in the position indicated by the observer at the time of the sighting, and that its movement conformed to the reported path. The object was assigned a magnitude of -2.2.