Subject:    White, Sharply-Outlined, 200' Ellipsoidal Object Sighted By La Paz Family

Date:        July 10, 1947

Francis Ridge:

This report is not listed in the original Blue Book Unknowns but it is included in the Comprehensive Catalog of BB Unknowns by Brad Sparks. The description below is from that catalog.

July 10, 1947; near Fort Sumner, NM. A white, sharply-outlined, 200' ellipsoidal object was reported and listed in the Blue Book Unknowns.(McDonald) A midday sighting by a University of New Mexico meteoriticist, Dr. Lincoln La Paz, and members of his family was summarized by "Life Magazine" years ago without identifying La Paz's name. At 4:47 p.m. MST on 7/10/47, four members of the La Paz family nearly simultaneously noted "a curious bright object almost motionless" low on the western horizon, near a cloudbank. The object was described as ellipsoidal, whitish, and having sharply-outlined edges. It wobbled a bit as it hovered stationary just above the horizon, then moved upwards, passed behind clouds and re-emerged farther north in a time interval which La Paz estimated to be so short as to call for speeds in excess of conventional aircraft speeds. It passed in front of dark clouds and seemed self-luminous by contrast. It finally disappeared amongst the clouds. La Paz estimated it to be perhaps 20 miles away, judging from the clouds involved; and he put its length at perhaps 165-245 ft.

Brad Sparks:
The above is based on my detailed analysis mainly from Life Magazine.  I think there is only a BB/Sign record card for it.  The confirmation it was LaPaz was in Hynek's interview of LaPaz in June 1952 as reported in Hynek's Aug 6, 1952, report to BB on his Astronomer Survey.