Astounding Science Fiction

This document is an official Air Force Intelligence report regarding a UFO sighting near Roswell, New Mexico, on September 17, 1950. A geologist employed at an oil well (Asterada State RA-1) in Chaves County reported observing an orange-red ball-shaped object while driving to his work site during heavy rain. The witness described three distinct sightings: first a vertical appearance lasting ten seconds; second, a horizontal approach from approximately one to one-and-a-half miles away that lasted fifteen to twenty seconds or possibly a minute, appearing larger than a B-29 bomber and descending in a slow glide before heading west with a slight banking motion; third, a southward appearance as a larger round ball resembling a comet before disappearing. The witness reported additional phenomena including a gray hill-like mass with scattered objects descending and patches of light to the south. He noted the rain seemed unnatural, with level clouds appearing stationary despite ongoing precipitation. The object exhibited slow, smooth movement without spinning or rotating. No corroborating witnesses were found at the oil rig.