Los Alamos Conference on Aerial Phenomena, 1949

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Conference on AERIAL PHENOMENA
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so ·irell rapo:..'ted, from Los Alaoos for example, tha.t although the green fire­
bsllu observed ohoved small . • . • the na.ture of the fireball • • • •
many
obs~rva"iiions ot ob3ervers· lrho paid prectically no attention to the sky at
P.ny other time in their lives and now vhen they see a really bright light,
they report it. You will find a great; na.ny instances of bluish-white tire•
balls. In my op:!.nion, thoi.;e fa.lJ.iug vertical.ly and leaving trails, are
c:iro:ply ordinary shooting stars. Of high intensity, that is, what we call
fircbal.l.s, a blue light, 8.1.'e not in ezr:, sense to be associated with the green
lights. Those th...-ee categories ·chen.
Dr. Mmley:
?
Dr. La.Paz: In the ce,se of the tuo green fireball paths, determined from Los
Ala::no:s obse:r-·tations, in one caae the Ste.rvation Peak incident, we have an
Ea.st-Wet3t :modon, and then also a motion exactly parallel to ••••• In other
'lfOI"d.B, ·these two real pe.tho Bho-vr, I think they are the only two ·or the first
category that show any real dei.>artui e tram the • • • • • It is possible to
explain t!l.S.t. It is qui.te evident that ue have no case ot assurance tb.s.t
bot!.l gt-o~is of ob£ervcrs, the observe1·s at.Starvation Peak and the observers
at Los Alamos, s11"t-·· the oame point of ..... so that if' we were to merely ask
·lfba.t are the linite Within which ouch real paths might fall., it t'l.1l'lU3 out
tha:t it migb.i; be eo short ae 12 miles instead of bei:ng 25 miles long, and in
ths.t case i .,.; woulo. be directed almost directly to the North; it vould come
doun veey ncs.rly .,"i·thin 2 degrees, 5 ~et;rees say, of the North,. In the case
of the 'l'exao obE:Cl'\ratioI\.8, whe:::-eao I hav-e ind.icated and the maps show, we
ha;rn Jl'.I.BJ.lY obaervut.tons by tra:1.ned observers, motion :J.o clearly almost directly
North -to South.
I have been informed that tllan are reasons for regarding the
. . . . . oat here (ditch digger) . . . and you no·cice that this passeo reasonably
close to Lubbock.
The seme is true of the two earlier fireballs, those of
Decembe~ 12 and Decembe1· 20. They both ps.saed • one passed centrally over
Loo Al.a.mos and the other about six mil.eo North o-r the center, but this would
not be trae . • • . . (ditch digge::) .
Ono point that poasibly should have been
me -i;ioned ea.'1'.'ller is this: I 1mo the more interested vhen Captain Neef came
to my ottice and brought the December 5th incident to my mind because very
nuch earlier I bad been conto.c·.:;ed firet by • • • White, Director of Texas
Obs~rve!"s, in regard. to ·their remarkable green :na..-re aecn on January 1, 1948.
Second, f'rom a tr. Pru1tt, Director lforthweGtcrn Section, City &..~tion, o~
the Meteor Socie·Gy, I had been informed that earlier occurrences of bright
green t'ireba.llo, r.ot too far f::.•om the Hanford area. When Captain Neef' came
in ,;..r:i.th r(!l)orte of green fireballs ne~.r Lo.a Vegas and particularly when ho
disclosed that the1-e l.'aG a Los Ala.mos near !Bs Vegas - the real !Qa Alamos ­
it 1.1ad much interest.
Dr. 'BolJ.mray: Are there aey reports of theac from otlwr install&tions, such
aa Troy, New York, or places like that?
Dr. Le.Paz:.
I xaised that ques..;ion end ! lmorr or no other cases. I mean to
aay the a:~eaa from which these reports came, as in one, t'or such evidence as
..... , they do not relate to the green f'ireballs; they relate to the daylight
occurrence of hcrlzo.ntaJ. moving, bright wbite obJecte - same in Memphis,
Tem1essee iziMay, 1948 - tbat :..a not too far from Oak Ridge.
They relate to