Lincoln La Paz

Lincoln La Paz (1897–1985) was an American astronomer at the University of New Mexico, specialising in meteoritics, who founded the Institute of Meteoritics there. In the late 1940s he was recruited by the U.S. military to investigate the series of green fireball sightings over sensitive military installations in New Mexico — including horizontal trajectories and a complete absence of debris that could not be explained conventionally. His findings contributed substantially to the establishment of Project Twinkle.

• American astronomer at the University of New Mexico (1897–1985)
• Pioneer of the scientific study of meteors and meteorites
• Founder of the Institute of Meteoritics at the University of New Mexico
• Recognised expert for celestial observations and astronomical analysis
• In the late 1940s tasked by the U.S. military with investigating green fireballs over New Mexico
• Observed unusual characteristics such as horizontal trajectories and absence of debris, concluding they were not natural meteors
• His scientific credibility and conclusions contributed to the establishment of Project Twinkle

For the UAP timeline, La Paz is an early example of how the U.S. military drew serious university research into the UFO question — and how the inability to explain the fireballs conventionally triggered follow-up government programs. His case marks the moment when academic astronomy and military UAP investigation first met.