UFO seen as Venus in Minneapolis 1956

Summary

In April 1956, an observer in Minneapolis reported an octagonal bright object that remained fixed in the sky for five hours. It was described as aluminum-colored with a strong glow on the bottom, visible both through binoculars and with the naked eye. The Air Force concluded it was Venus, as it matched its astronomical position at the time. The sky was clear and the object showed no movement, typical characteristics of a planet.

The duration of the observation and the exact location of the object in the sky supported the identification as Venus. Despite the detailed description of the object, no photos were taken and there were no additional reports. This case is an example of how UFO sightings are often explained by natural or astronomical phenomena.