Dayton, OhioDecember 1961

In late December 1961, witnesses in Dayton, Ohio reported seeing a bright object in the night sky. They observed it for about five minutes and described it as appearing stationary in their view. The object seemed to be positioned toward the west, based on where the witnesses were facing and the location of their window.

The Air Force investigated the sighting by analyzing the witnesses' descriptions and comparing them to known astronomical objects. The investigators noted that the witnesses had initially reported the object's direction as 220 degrees azimuth (measuring from north, roughly toward the southwest). However, the analysis suggested the object was probably closer to 270 degrees (due west). The Air Force also consulted star charts and weather data for the area. They determined that the object was almost certainly the star Sirius, the brightest star visible in Earth's night sky. The timing matched when Sirius would have set below the horizon that evening. The investigators noted that Sirius can appear somewhat distorted and enlarged due to atmospheric refraction (the bending of light as it passes through Earth's atmosphere), especially when a bright star is low on the horizon. For this reason, the witnesses may have perceived it as more unusual than they would have had they observed it higher in the sky.

The Air Force concluded in its official evaluation that all available evidence indicated the object was probably the bright star Sirius. The case was marked unidentified at the time of filing, though the analysis pointed clearly toward an astronomical explanation. The full case file, comprised of 18 pages, is reproduced below as held by the National Archives.