Los Almos, New MexicoJanuary 1950

On the evening of January 9, 1950, three scientists at Los Alamos, New Mexico watched a bright object streak across the sky. The sighting lasted only about two seconds. All three observers were employees at Los Alamos, which at that time was a major nuclear research facility. They reported the object to security officials, triggering an Air Force investigation.

The three witnesses described the object differently, but agreed on some basic facts. All saw it move in a straight line from roughly west to northwest. All heard no sound. All reported it was extremely bright, though they disagreed on the exact color: one said incandescent green, another bluish white, and the third said greenish-white. Two observers noted a faint luminous trail. The object appeared to move fast, disappearing in about two seconds.

The witnesses provided different estimates of size, distance, and brightness, which is typical when observers lack reference points in the night sky. One scientist who had completed some college astronomy coursework noted in his report that in his opinion, the object was an extremely bright meteor, a natural phenomenon caused by a space rock entering Earth's atmosphere and burning up.

On February 16, 1950, the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations closed its report on the sighting. The official evaluation form classified the incident as a meteor observation. No physical evidence was collected, and no photographs were taken.

The complete case file, as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below and comprises 6 pages.