El Paso, TexasJanuary 1949

On January 30, 1949, at 1800 (6 p.m.), witnesses across El Paso, Texas and parts of New Mexico saw a bright green fireball moving slowly across the sky. The object appeared to travel from north to south at a relatively low altitude, then fizzled out without exploding.

The sighting occurred near El Paso and the vicinity of Walker Air Force Base near Roswell, New Mexico. Multiple military personnel and civilians reported the phenomenon to the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Investigators used surveying equipment called transits at several observation points to establish the object's trajectory and coordinates.

Witnesses described the object as a bright green ball of light, roughly one quarter to one half the size of the full moon. Some observers reported seeing it as blue, orange, or red as it moved. The object traveled at a gentle downward angle, became less bright, then disappeared. No explosion occurred, and minimal sound was reported, with only one or two observers mentioning a faint whining noise.

The investigation involved interviews with dozens of military and civilian witnesses across a wide region. Investigators also conducted ground and air searches to look for any physical debris, with negative results. Dr. Lincoln LaPaz of the University of New Mexico, a respected expert on meteorites, participated in the investigation and helped analyze the sighting data.

The Air Force investigation concluded that the object remained unidentified. Despite its brightness and the clear visibility reported by so many witnesses, no meteorite fragments were found, and the absence of the explosive sounds and luminous trails normally associated with meteorite falls made a definitive identification difficult. The full case file is reproduced below as held by the National Archives, comprising 96 pages.