Report of Unidentified Aerial Objects - Los Alamos, New Mexico, 24 December 1950

This document consists of a series of spot intelligence reports and correspondence regarding an aerial phenomenon observed in the vicinity of Los Alamos, New Mexico, on 24 December 1950. The primary report was filed by a member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Protective Force, who observed a spherical object with a tail at approximately 1928 hours. The witness, who was in a truck at the junction of Road #5 and West Road, described the object as having a red color with a green tint and a tail approximately four times the length of the sphere's diameter. The object was observed for two to three seconds as it moved in a slight falling arc from the south-southeast toward the north-northwest. The witness explicitly noted that the object did not appear to be a meteor, as it did not burn out and maintained a consistent level of luminosity throughout the sighting. The documentation includes transmittal letters from Major Richard G. Cox of the 17th District Office of Special Investigations to the Air Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Major Cox noted that while the report might not strictly meet the criteria for reporting established by AFOSI Letter No. 85, it was forwarded because there was a reasonable question of doubt regarding the nature of the object. The file also references a second, separate observation in the same general area on 21 December 1950, though the details of that specific incident are not fully elaborated upon in the provided text. The reports are marked as unclassified and include instructions for downgrading at three-year intervals.