Project Blue Book Sighting Report — Des Plaines, Illinois, July 1, 1965

On July 1, 1965, an employee of the Borg-Warner Corporation's Roy C. Ingersoll Research Center in Des Plaines, Illinois, observed an unidentified phenomenon while star-gazing at approximately 10:00 P.M. The witness initially observed two objects, one of which appeared to be a star and the other a moving body traveling West at a speed comparable to or slower than an ECHO satellite. After approximately two minutes, the moving object slowed down and eventually became stationary. The witness noted that the object remained stationary for five to seven minutes, during which time a series of light flashes occurred to the South of the object. These flashes were described as having the same brilliance as the object, lasting two to three seconds each, and repeating five or six times at forty-second intervals. The witness continued to observe the area for an additional forty-five minutes to an hour, but no further activity occurred, and the sky eventually became overcast. The witness submitted a detailed letter and a hand-drawn plot of the sighting to the Project Blue Book Information Officer at the Pentagon on July 26, 1965. The official conclusion recorded on the sighting report form identified the initial moving object as an aircraft and the stationary object as the star Arcturus, noting that the witness had identified other stars like Altair, Vega, and Antares but failed to account for the position of the stationary object.