Manning, North DakotaNovember 1961

Insufficient Data

Summary

# Summary

A farmer near Manning, North Dakota reported seeing a bright, shining object in the sky for about three hours on each of three consecutive mornings: November 11, 12, and 13, 1961. The sightings occurred between 12:30 and 12:45 a.m. (local time), during the pre-dawn hours when the sky was still quite dark. The object appeared flat, roughly seven feet in size, and moved in a gradual path toward the southeast before disappearing at the horizon.

The Air Force investigated the case by collecting detailed weather data for all three mornings. The conditions were clear or mostly clear on each day, with good visibility. The file notes that observers could have spotted the object under these varied conditions across three separate days.

The official conclusion, stated in the case file's summary section, attributes the sighting to the planet Venus. The analysis notes that Venus was rising during the reported observation times and would have appeared bright and star-like to the naked eye. The file suggests that atmospheric refraction (the bending of light as it passes through the atmosphere) probably caused the object to appear to move radially and may have contributed to misidentification. As sunrise approached on each morning, the brightening sky would have caused the object to disappear from view. The file states: "There is no evidence which would indicate that this obj. was not planet Venus viewed under rather unusual" atmospheric conditions.

The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, consisting of 13 scanned pages.

Reported location

Manning, North Dakota

Date of incident

November 1961

State / country

ND / US

Page count

13 scanned pages

USAF evaluation

unknown

Microfilm

T1206, Roll 44

Original case file scans

Original case file · scanned by NARAPage 1 of 13

View transcribed text

3
1 oy PROJECT 10073 RECORD CARD rs
A 1. DATE 2. LOCATION 12. CONCLUSIONS
; 3 G 4 2 AOE O Was Balloon
3 11-13 Nov 61 Manning, North Dzxota O Probably Balloon
3 3. DATE-TIME GROUP 4. TYPE OF OBSERVATION Q. Possibly Balieon
4 & 3 i 0 Wes Aircraft
{ia wal _—_— Xf Ground-Visual 3 Ground-Rodar 0 Probably Aircraft
1 GMT 12307 0 Air Visvol 3 Air-Intercept Radar 0 Possibly Aircraft
i 5. PHOTOS — | 6. SOURCE £0 Was Astronomical VEU
i 0 Yes 0 Probably Astronomical
3 XNe Civilian 0 Possibly Astronomical
3 7. LENGTH OF OBSERVATION 8. NUMBER OF OBJECTS | 9. COURSE nfo] 7) Ee A Ae eS We
E 3 Insufficient Dota for Evaluction
4 ! : 0 Unknown
3 3 hrs. 1 SE A
: 10. BRIEF SUMMARY OF SIGHTING Zlzn=t Venus awa in a i COMMENTS position coincident with <hzt
3 reported for UFO on dztes and at time of sighting. Planet which was of magnitude -3.-
1 was just rising and the effects of atmospheric Fefraction were probably reason fcr —is-
| identification and errarent radial motion of plgnet. It was still quite dard since ;lzne:
3 rose at 0518 and sun <id not come up until 0628] Frohbable caused for witness assumirz
5 objt went over horizcn znd out of sight are, brigrtning of sky with approach of sunrise,
3 weather conditions zzi “css of the effects assodizied with atmospheric refraction. Tz2%
3 that planet was rising later each morning and pgssidle overcast is why this partisulzr
experience came to az =nd. There is no evidence [woizh would indicate that this obj: w=s
4 not planet Venus viewz2 under rather unusual Roe
4 ATIC FORM 329 (REV 26 SEP 57)
i 5

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Source: National Archives Catalog · NAID 28995532