A balloon observed in New Mexico in 1952

Summary

In March 1952, an Air Force officer in New Mexico observed an aerial object that appeared to be a balloon. The object, silver-colored and oval-shaped, was seen for five minutes and moved both horizontally and vertically. Although no photos were taken, the witness described it as the size of a B-29 fuselage at 10,000 feet. The object moved slowly and stopped after each maneuver, creating some uncertainty about its nature.

The sighting was recorded in an official report that considered the possibility of it being a balloon, though other explanations such as aircraft or astronomical phenomena were not ruled out. The object was seen in the direction of 330 degrees, near Kirtland Air Force Base, where a balloon had been launched around 09:00. Despite the detailed description, no definitive conclusion was reached about its identity, reflecting the ambiguity surrounding many UFO reports of that era.