Project Blue Book Case #9301. On March 4, 1965, witnesses in Corvallis, Oregon — home to Oregon State University — observed a bright object in the evening sky. The university community provided a population of educated, analytically minded observers whose assessments carried credibility.
Corvallis sits in the Willamette Valley approximately 80 miles south of Portland. The valley's agricultural landscape provided open terrain and dark skies, while Oregon's frequently overcast climate meant that clear nights were valued and closely observed by residents.
Oregon continued to contribute cases to Blue Book throughout the program's existence, maintaining the state's connection to the phenomenon that had begun with Kenneth Arnold's sighting in 1947 and the McMinnville photographs of 1950.
March 1965 was during a building period that would intensify through the year. The case was classified "Unknown."