Port-au-Prince, Haiti, August 1962August 1962

On the night of August 30, 1962, an observer in Port-au-Prince, Haiti reported seeing an unidentified flying object in the sky. The witness used optical equipment (likely a telescope) to track the object for approximately ten minutes without moving the scope. The object was described as predominantly silver or grey in color, and it appeared to remain stationary during the observation period.

The U.S. Air Force's Foreign Intelligence Division investigated the report and concluded that the witness had misidentified the planet Venus. At the time of the sighting, Venus was positioned in the sky in a location that would have matched the UFO's reported position as seen from Port-au-Prince. The planet had a magnitude of negative 3.9, making it the brightest object in the night sky at that moment, since the moon had already set about 41 minutes earlier.

Several atmospheric and observational factors likely contributed to the misidentification. The Air Force analysis noted that temperature inversions at lower elevations can distort how astronomical objects appear through the atmosphere, making them seem flattened, multi-colored, and as if they are moving or jumping around. At the time of the sighting, weather conditions suggested such an inversion was probably occurring. Additionally, the bright star Spica (Alpha Virgo) was located only about half a degree away from Venus, which may have added to the confusion despite the witness's optical equipment being capable of resolving the two objects separately. The witness's unfamiliarity with astronomical objects was noted as another probable contributing factor.

The Air Force found no evidence in this sighting that posed a threat to the security of the United States. This case file, 16 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.