UFO Sighting Report — Washington, D.C., 10 July 1964

On July 10, 1964, an electronics engineer and amateur astronomer in Washington, D.C., observed an unidentified aerial object for approximately 15 minutes. The witness, who possessed a background in physics and mathematics, reported that the object appeared as a brilliant white light, brighter than Venus at its maximum brilliance. To the naked eye, the object had no discernible shape, but when viewed through a 100x ocular telescope, it appeared as a translucent globe with one or two bright highlights. The object moved in a smooth, steady flight path from East to West, passing almost directly overhead. The witness noted that the object's angular speed was approximately four to five times slower than that of an Echo satellite. The witness reported the sighting to the Georgetown University Observatory and the Air Force. The Foreign Technology Division of the Air Force Systems Command evaluated the report. In their correspondence dated August 12, 1964, they suggested the object was likely a high-flying aircraft or a balloon. They noted that the observation occurred at dusk, which would have made an aircraft visible in the sun's rays, and that the duration and steady speed were consistent with an aircraft at 40,000 feet. The report explicitly stated that no check was made to determine if specific aircraft were in the area due to heavy air traffic in the Washington, D.C. region at the time.