Project 10073 Record — Independence, KY, 3 October 1965

This document contains a collection of records related to a UFO sighting reported by a 16-year-old male in Independence, Kentucky, on 3 October 1965. The witness, who identified himself as a science enthusiast and amateur astronomer, reported observing an object through a telescope for approximately 20 minutes. He described the object as round, appearing as large as the moon, and alternating between bright white and bright red colors. The witness noted that the object moved very slowly, faded from view, and reappeared several times before eventually descending toward the horizon. The witness explicitly stated that he heard no sound and that the object did not behave like an airplane. The U.S. Air Force, through the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) and Project Blue Book, evaluated the report. Major H. Quintanilla, Jr. and Colonel Eric T. de Jonckheere concluded that the object was the planet Venus. The official assessment noted that at the time of the observation, Venus was at a right ascension of 15 hours and 17 minutes, placing it near the horizon at an azimuth of 245 degrees, consistent with the planet setting. The file includes correspondence from the Air Force to the witness, dated 31 October 1966, informing him of this conclusion. The witness had previously reported other sightings in the area, and the file contains multiple iterations of the U.S. Air Force Technical Information questionnaire filled out by the witness, along with internal memoranda discussing the discrepancy in the reported time and the position of Venus.