Project 10073 Record Card — Evanston, Illinois, 15 May 1963

On May 15, 1963, at approximately 20:00 local time, a civilian witness in Evanston, Illinois, observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon. The witness, who was returning from an evening job and looking for the constellation Boötes, reported seeing a solid object accompanied by lights and a low humming sound. The witness initially suspected the object was an advertising dirigible, but noted that it lacked visible letters. The object exhibited erratic flight, hovered directly overhead, completed a loop, and then moved toward the Northwest before disappearing. The witness estimated the object's size to be comparable to a low-flying DC-7. The sighting lasted approximately three minutes. The witness was later interviewed by Dr. J. Allen Hynek of the Dearborn Observatory. The official conclusion recorded on the Project 10073 record card identified the object as an aircraft displaying electric advertising lights. The witness, a 19-year-old, provided a detailed account on a U.S. Air Force Technical Information Sheet, noting that the object was brighter than the brightest stars and that they were unable to calculate its speed or distance with precision.