Project 10073 Record — Lexington, Kentucky, 3 October 1966

This document contains a Project Blue Book sighting report and subsequent correspondence regarding an observation made in Lexington, Kentucky, on October 3, 1966. The witness, a physician, reported observing a star-like object for approximately 60 minutes. The object was described as exhibiting slow clockwise circling, darting movements, and a slow rise toward the zenith. The witness noted that the object periodically transformed from a star-like shape into a vertical or oblique band of light, sometimes resembling a swirling nebula, and occasionally displaying a red fluorescent light. The initial Air Force evaluation, conducted by Major Hector Quintanilla, Jr., identified the object as the star Capella. Following the initial report, the witness wrote back to the Air Force, noting that they had observed the same phenomenon two nights later with friends who were astronomers. They concluded that the observed 'aberrations' were actually caused by heat rising from a nearby shopping center pavement, which distorted the light of the star. The witness noted that when viewed through field glasses or a telescope, the aberrations were eliminated. Major Quintanilla subsequently requested permission to share the witness's vivid description with Dr. Menzel at the Harvard Observatory, who studied mirages and atmospheric refractions.