Project Blue Book Case File
Oakland, CaliforniaJanuary 1961
Summary
# Summary
In January 1961, a person in Oakland, California, observed an unusual object in the sky on three consecutive nights. The witness watched for about three hours on the first night, from 1430 (2:30 p.m.) to 1732 (5:32 p.m.), using a telescope. The object appeared red and flashing, roughly the size of a half dollar held at arm's length. The witness heard a rumbling sound. The object moved rapidly from southwest to northeast, ascending and descending without remaining fixed in place. It eventually disappeared into the horizon at about 20 degrees elevation (roughly one-quarter of the way up the sky from the horizon).
Air Force investigators noted several possible explanations. The planet Venus was located near the area the witness described, though it would not have moved to the northeast as reported. The investigators suggested the telescope may have been out of focus, and that sun reflections could have created false movement. They also observed that helicopters were in the area during the sightings. The file notes that if the witness had actually seen an aircraft with a telescope, as the description of rapid flight might suggest, the witness should have been able to distinguish it as such. Investigators concluded the sighting was most likely a reflection or possibly the planet Venus.
The full case file is reproduced below as it is held by the National Archives, spanning 7 pages.
Reported location
Oakland, California
Date of incident
January 1961
State / country
CA / US
Page count
7 scanned pages
USAF evaluation
unknown
Microfilm
T1206, Roll 41