Project 10073 Record — Sighting Report, 22 September 1965, Silver Spring, Maryland

This document contains the official Air Force record and correspondence regarding a UFO sighting reported by a civilian in Silver Spring, Maryland, on the night of September 22, 1965. The witness, who identified themselves as an amateur astronomer and artist, reported observing an object that appeared as a bright light, similar to a silver dollar, with a reddish-orange center and a yellow glow at the rear. The object was observed for approximately 25 seconds, during which it followed a curved path from East to West. The witness, who was looking for the Andromeda nebula at the time, noted that the object was brighter than the surrounding stars and moved faster than a satellite but slower than a meteor. The Air Force investigation, conducted by the Foreign Technology Division, concluded that the characteristics of the sighting were consistent with an aircraft equipped with a Grimes-type warning light. The report notes that the sighting was not consistent with meteors or satellites, and suggests that the object may have simply turned off its lights, rendering it invisible. Because Silver Springs is located in an area of heavy air traffic and no unidentified radar plots were recorded in the vicinity at the time, the Air Force determined that a specific identification of the object was not feasible, though it was officially categorized as an aircraft.