Project 10073 Record: Sighting in Charles City, Iowa, August 1965

This document contains a Project Blue Book investigation file regarding a UFO sighting reported by a 16-year-old student in Charles City, Iowa, on August 21, 1965. The witness reported observing an object at 2300 hours in the northwest sky that appeared to have red, green, blue, and white lights. The witness described the object as moving up and down and sideways before splitting into two parts at 2317 hours. One part reportedly remained stationary while the other descended toward the horizon and disappeared. The witness noted that the object was brighter than a planet and had serrated edges. The observation lasted for 45 minutes, with the final ten minutes obscured by fog. The witness provided a detailed questionnaire, including sketches of the object's movement and a list of reasons why they believed the object was not a conventional aircraft, planet, satellite, meteor, or weather balloon. The Air Force, through the Foreign Technology Division and Project Blue Book, evaluated the report. Their official conclusion was that the sighting was an observation of the star Arcturus. They attributed the perceived motion, brightness, and color changes to atmospheric conditions at the time of the sighting. The file includes correspondence between the witness and Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., as well as internal Air Force memoranda confirming the identification of the object as a star.