Project 10073 Record Card and Incoming Message — Phoenix, Arizona, 19 November 1963

On 19 November 1963, a psychiatrist in Phoenix, Arizona, reported observing a spherical, golden-orange object for five minutes. The witness, whose identity is partially obscured in the record, observed the object using both the naked eye and 6x30 binoculars. The object was described as being the size of a pinhead but 50 to 100 times larger than a morning star. It remained stationary before appearing to evaporate or disappear. The sighting occurred between 191333Z and 191337Z. Major William C. Harrelson of the 4516 Combat Crew Training Squadron investigated the report. He noted that the observer sounded mature, reliable, and sincere. Despite this, the official conclusion reached was that the object was the star Spica, with its appearance distorted by high haze and three distinct temperature inversions present in the area at the time. Radar checks by the Phoenix Air Defense Sector returned negative results, and no other military or civilian air traffic was reported in the vicinity.