UFO Sighting Report — Houma, Louisiana, 27 December 1965

On December 27, 1965, at approximately 9:00 PM, a 16-year-old female witness in Houma, Louisiana, observed an unidentified aerial object. The witness, along with her parents, reported seeing a round, bright object that appeared red and then orange. The object was described as hovering over South West Houma, trailing white vapor clouds resembling cumulus clouds. The witness reported that the object moved to the southeast, reversed direction, and emitted smaller objects that performed short flights of one to two minutes before reattaching to the primary object. The witness further speculated that the object appeared to be controlled by light rays. The sighting lasted between five and eight minutes. The witness's father, identified as Mr. Autry, was a licensed pilot and also observed the phenomenon. The incident was reported to A2C Gerald L. Miller on the same night. Official Air Force evaluation, documented in an incoming message from the Keesler Command Post, concluded that the sighting was likely the planet Venus, citing refraction of the planet as it was setting, and noting that the observer's report contained a slight time error regarding the planet's position at an azimuth of 250 degrees.