Los Alamos Conference: Top Scientists Discuss Green Fireball Phenomena
In February 1949, a Los Alamos conference organized by Project Sign and the Air Force brought together Edward Teller, Joseph Kaplan, and other top scientists to discuss green fireball phenomena over nuclear installations.
Background
A February 1949 Los Alamos conference was titled encouragingly by the Air Force and Project Sign. Among those attending were H-bomb scientist Dr. Edward Teller, upper atmosphere physicist Dr. Joseph Kaplan, and other renowned scientists and military brass. On the topic of recent fireball phenomena — which had been clustered around sensitive research installations such as Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories — the conference attendees concluded, though far from unanimously, that the displays were natural phenomena.
Meteor expert Dr. Lincoln LaPaz had headed up investigations into the fireballs for the military and concluded that the objects displayed anomalous characteristics including slow speed and horizontal paths that were unlike meteors — they must be artificial, perhaps Russian devices. Many individuals with solid reputations saw the fireballs, including LaPaz, other distinguished Los Alamos scientists, Kirtland AFB intelligence officers, and Air Defense Command personnel.
Significance
Top-level scientific conference about anomalous phenomena near nuclear sites, with Edward Teller and H-bomb scientists participating.