NUFORC Sighting 13021

Occurred: 2000-06-03 14:00 Local
Reported: 2000-06-03 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 30
No of observers: 1

Location: Placitas, NM, USA

Shape: Circle

Translucent balloon moved INTO the wind.

I am an Air Traffic Controller and private pilot...40 years old, in good health. I was working on my roof this afternoon, looked up and saw what appeared to be a translucent balloon. While size was impossible to determine (because I could not tell how far away the object was), my best guess was about 6 feet in diameter and about 1500 feet above ground level. I though nothing of it other than the balloon itself looked a little strange (a little TOO translucent, and I had never seen anything quite like it before). I went about my work for a few more minutes, looked up again, and was VERY surprised to see the balloon in EXACTLY the same place in the sky...I would find this strange on ANY day, but particularly strange today because the wind was blowing about 20kts out of the west. I again thought "it must be a balloon", and again went about my work...a few minutes later, I looked up again, and the balloon had moved WEST...that's INTO to wind. Now my curiousity was piqued. I finished up my work, and planned to go into the house, get binoculars, and take a picture...however I still had no sense of urgency because I felt it HAD to be a balloon. To my AMAZEMENT, by the time I got into the house, I was distracted and FORGOT to go back outside and have another look! So ends my story. I did feel like I was being watched when on the roof...but this could have very well been my own imagination. I'm sorry I did not get pictures. Thanks for the fine service you provide.

Follow-up Report:

Peter,

I have since found out that the object I saw is/was an atmospheric research
balloon. See the enclosed scan of the paperwork description we had at work.
Quite an object!

I don't know for a fact of course if this is what the other folks reported
seeing around here today.

Signed, ((deleted))

Posted 2000-06-06