Project 10073 Record — Alexandria, Virginia, 15 April 1966

On April 15, 1966, a civilian witness in Alexandria, Virginia, reported observing a bright, stationary object in the sky at 5:00 a.m. The witness, who had previously worked for the Director of Intelligence at the 9th Air Force, described the object as glowing with a 'fire-like brilliance' and appearing larger than the moon. The witness awakened her husband to confirm the sighting. Over the course of 30 minutes, the object reportedly changed shapes and eventually moved slowly upward at a slight angle in the eastern sky. The witness provided a drawing illustrating the object's appearance and its various stages of transformation. The official Air Force record for Project 10073 evaluated the sighting and concluded that the object was the planet Venus, noting its position relative to the moon and its stellar magnitude of -3.9. An internal note on the record questioned the reliability of the observer, specifically noting that Venus should not appear larger than the moon.