UAP Reported at Sandia Base, 1948-1950

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

3. As a result of the ground and air searches referred to above, and of an analysis of the very large amount of information obtained from eyewitnesses by personal interviews, by telephone conversations and by letter, it has now (three weeks after the fall) become clear that several thousand persons in New Mexico and Texas saw this great fireball leisurely traverse the sky. It has been possible to determine that the January 30th fireball became visible at an altitude of approximately twelve miles over a point at latitude $34^{\circ}$ longitude $102^{\circ}5'$, and disappeared at an altitude of approximately eight miles over a point at latitude $32^{\circ}48'$, longitude $102^{\circ}22'$, after traversing a nearly horizontal path approximately 143 miles long at a velocity of from south to fourteen miles per second. Although the January 30th fireball must be read among the brightest observed in the last quarter-century, and in spite of the fact that its real path lay closer to the earth throughout its entire extent than any other meteorite path of which the writer has knowledge (excepting the anomalous green fireballs of December 12th and 20th, 1948), the meteor detonations and long continued rumblings which without exception accompany large meteorite falls were not observed on January 30th by anyone in the very large region covered by the various ground surveys. However, what may have been Udden noises (anomalous whizzing and hissing sounds frequently reported by very distant observers as having been heard at the same time that a meteoritic fireball was seen) were heard at Roswell, New Mexico, and near Muleshaw, Texas.

4. In addition to the absence of noise anomaly referred to in the last paragraph, the fireball of January 30th, 1949, shows several other features (e.g. nearly horizontal path, absence of long enduring luminous train or dust clouds, North to South direction, etc) characteristic of the green fireballs earlier described in this series of reports. However, the January 30th fireball was much brighter than any of those earlier reported and differed from other green fireballs in that many of the Texas observers who were situated nearest its path reported its color as blue, orange, red and even purple instead of green,

5. Up to the present time (February 21st), no evidence whatever supports the belief that solid fragments fell to earth from the January 30th fireball has been discovered. However, as promptly as possible, a much more thorough ground search should be made in the probable area of fall as outlined by the earlier surveys, for, in my opinion, the fireball of January 30th is the only one of the anomalous luminous objects under investigation which gives any indication of having been a meteorite fall.

6. With the present report, the writer's participation in the OSI's investigation of the puzzling fireball question must, to his regret, terminate. During the time I was on leave of absence from the University of New Mexico, was glad to donate my time and services to this investigation. Now that I am again serving as Head of the Department of Mathematics with a full time teach load, it is impossible for me to continue cooperating with the OSI.

LINCOLN LaPAZ Head of Dept of Mathematics.