Project 10073 Record Card — Albuquerque, New Mexico, 10 August 1955

On August 10, 1955, at approximately 1530Z, a 35-year-old housewife residing at 1413 La Vega Dr SW in Albuquerque, New Mexico, reported observing an unidentified aerial object. The witness described the object as a round, silver, disc-shaped craft that was trailing smoke. According to the report, the object traveled in a northwesterly direction, remained stationary for a period, and then ascended. The total duration of the observation was approximately 45 minutes. The witness, whose attention was drawn to the object by her children, observed the phenomenon visually, noting that it appeared to move slower than an average aircraft. Following the report, three aircraft from the 34th Air Division were scrambled to investigate the area, but they were unable to locate any trace of the object. Official military evaluation concluded that the sighting was caused by a weather balloon released from Kirtland Air Force Base. The report notes that the balloon was in the area at the time of the sighting and that the duration and description of the object were consistent with a balloon. The 'trailing smoke' reported by the witness was attributed by investigators to optical phenomena and the power of suggestion. The balloon was confirmed to have burst at 1612Z, which the investigators noted aligned with the reported length of the observation.