Project 10073 Record: Sighting Report - Denver, Colorado, 7 December 1966

This document contains a Project 10073 record and subsequent correspondence regarding a UFO sighting reported by a twelve-year-old child in Denver, Colorado, on December 7, 1966. The witness observed a star-like object in the eastern sky for approximately two hours. The witness described the object as having erratic movements and being significantly brighter than surrounding stars, comparing its size to a pinhead. The witness also provided hand-drawn diagrams illustrating the object's movements relative to the moon and other stars. The Air Force investigated the report and concluded that the witness had observed the star Sirius. The official response, signed by Lt. Colonel George P. Freeman, Jr., explained that the perceived movement and brightness were the result of atmospheric scintillation, a phenomenon where light from stars near the horizon is refracted by the Earth's atmosphere, causing them to appear to twinkle, change color, and move. The Air Force noted that they had received several similar reports during November and December 1966, all of which were attributed to the same astronomical cause.