Project 10073 Record — Sighting Report, 25 October 1965

This document is a Project 10073 record and an associated Air Force incoming message detailing a UFO sighting reported on 25 October 1965, approximately 9 miles southeast of Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. The observer, who admitted to having no formal knowledge of astronomy or meteorology, reported seeing an object that resembled a star or planet. The object was described as white, changing to orange and black, and then back to white. Its movement was characterized as very erratic, with shifts in direction from south to north, southeast, and east, as well as changes in elevation. The observer reported the object's size as comparable to a dime and noted that it appeared to move generally from west to east. The sighting occurred in two phases: an initial one-hour observation, followed by a period where the object disappeared, only to reappear for another hour. The observer used 8x50 binoculars during the event. Weather conditions were reported as clear with very high, thin clouds and good visibility. The official conclusion reached by the Air Force was that the objects observed were the planets Venus and Jupiter. However, the report includes a note from Major Orval M. Bond, a meteorologist assigned to PHADS, who stated that he would have classified the object as a star if not for its peculiar, erratic movement. The report was processed through various Air Force channels, including the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.