Project 10073 Record Card — Bethel, Alaska, 12 March 1962

On 12 March 1962, at 1247Z, a civilian radar technician stationed at the 713th AC&W Squadron in Bethel, Alaska, reported observing an unidentified object. The witness described the object as semi-circular, laying on its flat side, and appearing to be the size of a dime held at arm's length. The object was brilliant red in color and remained in view for approximately three minutes at an elevation of less than two degrees. The weather conditions at the time were reported as clear, windy, and cold. The reporting officer, a Weapons Controller, conducted an investigation into the incident. It was determined that the sighting occurred at the same time the moon was setting. The moon was 38% illuminated, and the reporting officer suggested that the brilliant red color and the object's appearance were likely caused by atmospheric refraction and a haze layer, which distorted the moon as it neared the horizon. The observer did not witness the object disappear, as they were moving to a radar tower to gain a better vantage point. The official conclusion reached by the reporting officer was that the sighting was a misidentification of the moon, noting that personnel at the station had previously reported sightings of the planet Venus. The report includes detailed weather data from the U.S. Weather Bureau and winds aloft information to support the assessment that the phenomenon was atmospheric in nature.