5.5 mi E of Herndon, VirginiaFebruary 1961

On the night of February 27-28, 1961, six to eight military personnel stationed near Herndon, Virginia, observed an unusual light in the sky for approximately one hour. The group, stationed at an Army artillery battery about 5.5 miles east of Herndon, first spotted a red glow above the horizon, which shifted in color to orange, yellow, and then white as it climbed higher into the night sky.

The observers watched the object through a 32-power telescope as it moved across the sky. According to their report, the object appeared no larger than a pea held at arm's length. It rose rapidly from about 10 degrees above the horizon to approximately 14 degrees elevation, then moved directly westward before disappearing below the horizon at about 3 degrees elevation. The whole sequence lasted around one hour. The men noted no unusual maneuvers or sound throughout the sighting. There was adequate moonlight on the night of the observation, and wind measurements were recorded at various altitudes with no unusual atmospheric conditions reported.

The Air Force investigation found that the planet Venus was positioned in the sky at the time and location where the object was observed, and that Venus was near its brightest point. The Air Force concluded the color changes and apparent rise of the object were likely due to Venus being near the horizon. The file records the evaluation as "probably astronomical," consistent with the planet Venus.

The full case file, comprising 8 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.