Project 10073 Record — Richmond, Walnut Creek, California, 11 August 1965

This document contains records and correspondence regarding a series of UFO sightings reported on August 11, 1965, in the Richmond and Walnut Creek area of California. The primary report, filed under Project 10073, details an observation lasting approximately 30 minutes. Witnesses, including Kim Filippi and Dina Graham, described seeing multiple small, white, oval-shaped objects that appeared to move erratically, bouncing around and moving sideways before ascending into the clouds. The witnesses noted the objects were silent and resembled lights going off like sparklers. Mr. Gates, the manager of the Morrison Planetarium, was contacted by the Air Force to provide expert insight. Mr. Gates personally observed the lights and concluded that the phenomenon was an optical illusion caused by moonlight reflecting off the tops of high, stationary thunderheads through lower-level storm clouds during a rare and intense electrical storm. The Air Force officially categorized the event as 'Astro (REFLECTED MOONLIGHT).' Additionally, the document includes a memorandum from the Headquarters of Hamilton Air Force Base, dated August 23, 1965, addressed to the Air Force Foreign Technology Division (FTD) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. This memo forwards the reports and an 8mm movie film submitted by a witness named Lino Cardoso for expert evaluation, requesting that the film be returned after examination.