Project 10073 Record — Sighting of 15 August 1968, Yellow Springs, Ohio

This document contains the official Project 10073 record regarding a UFO sighting reported in Yellow Springs, Ohio, on August 15, 1968. The observer, a civilian, reported seeing a large, spinning, yellow, gold, and white disc-shaped object at approximately 0030 hours. The observer estimated the object was about 300 feet above her car and noted that it produced a groaning noise and an odor similar to that of German aircraft from World War II. The observation lasted for approximately 30 minutes. The report includes correspondence between Lt. Col. Hector Quintanilla, Jr., of the Aerial Phenomena Branch and Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the Air Force's scientific consultant on UFOs, regarding the transcript of the interview with the witnesses. While Dr. Hynek initially considered the possibility that the object was unidentified or plasma, the final official conclusion reached by the Air Force, supported by an analysis from Dr. Donald Menzel of the Harvard College Observatory, was that the object was the moon. The report suggests that the perceived movement of the object was likely caused by a strong temperature inversion in the area at the time, which can distort stellar images, combined with the autokinetic illusion effect. The document also includes various maps and reference materials related to Greene County, Ohio, where the sighting occurred, and administrative notes regarding the handling of the case file.