Tilamook, OregonJune 1953

On June 9, 1953, two U.S. Air Force lieutenants stationed at Tillamook, Oregon reported seeing an unusual object in the sky. The officers, 2nd Lieutenant I. N. Patterson and 2nd Lieutenant Alfred Slynn, were members of the Moby Dick balloon detachment, a classified program that launched high-altitude research balloons. At 1010 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, they observed the object through a theodolite, a surveying instrument used to measure angles and positions in the sky. The object appeared half-moon in shape and white in color, positioned at 221 degrees south-southwest and at an elevation of 49 degrees above the horizon.

According to the officers' report, the object hovered for approximately two hours without showing any visible means of propulsion. They could not determine its distance or altitude. The weather conditions at the time included scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, broken clouds at 2,500 feet, winds from the southeast at 15 knots near the surface, and visibility of 15 miles. The report noted that the officers, who had eight months of experience at the site, were familiar with balloon appearances at high altitude.

Air Force investigators asked whether the sighting could have been the moon, particularly given the scattered cloud conditions. The officers responded that they had observed the object for two hours and were certain the moon could not have caused the sighting. However, Project Blue Book's astronomical consultant concluded otherwise. The astronomer stated that the object was almost certainly the planet Venus, which can be seen during daylight hours under ideal atmospheric conditions. On July 31, 1953, the Air Technical Intelligence Center formally notified the observers that their sighting had been identified as Venus.

The full case file, containing 11 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.