SIGHTING: ALCALDE, NM

Witness Testimony

"Daylight disk near Alcalde, NMThe following report was originally reported to MUFON on the day of the sighting.------------------------------------ I was traveling back to Taos at around 11:40am MT, going north on NM 68 after having been in Santa Fe to get my cell phone serviced. It was raining on and off and there were large patches of storm clouds intermixed with clearings and breaks in the clouds. Sometimes everything was soft and greyish and sometimes parts of the landscape and sky were in full light. Somewhere between Espanola and Velarde, NM and just north of Alcalde, NM, I noticed a very steady solid white shape moving swiftly and smoothly in a southerly direction (parallel to the highway in the opposite direction of my travel). Its altitude and speed at this time did not fluctuate. It made its way from my northwest at roughly 20 degrees to slighty south of my due west (perpendicular to the highway) in a fairly short period of time. If I had to guess I'd say it covered between 1/2 and 1 mile in no more than 10 seconds. I traded between watching the object and watching the road, trying to determine a shape and wether it would be worth stopping the car. I was looking for the tell-tale signs of a small engine plane or large bird and could distinguish no features, other than an ellipse seen at a subtle angle. Then it slowed dramatically, almost to a stop, and started dropping in altitude, It was at this time that my curiosity was high enough to stop the car. This is only the second time I have ever done something like this. The first time I was able to quickly determine that what I was seeing was a large shaped balloon on a tether. This sighting lasted almost an hour with no satisfying explaination. I crossed the 4-lane highway (2 lanes in each direction separated by a land divider somewhat excitedly because its shape was still elusive, and now its movement quickly ruled out a lot of possibilities. It was about 11:45am when I started watching it. It stayed in the same general area for a very very long time, changing altitude in a range as high as 20 degrees (no higher than the high mountain line in this area) and as low as possibly landing.In fact, I never saw it leave. I left only when I became convinced that it was not going to come close enough to me to get a good photo. During the 55 minutes I observed it, it exhibited the following behaviors: First it behaved like a bee hovering over flowers, except with less erratic motion and a bit slower. It would dip down low enough to make the mountains and hills behind it a backdrop, making the white ellipsoidal shape pop out pretty clear in spite of the light raininess. It moved smoothly, but not perfectly smooth. Accellerations to the left, right, higher or lower, and to and fro, were not always at the same rate, but within a range that suggested it was not at the mercy of the wind. It was also clear that its angle would change. There would be "flashes" of white as its "top" surface area either reflected light or simply showed more of its white coloration. At one point, it came VERY low. In fact, it dipped between an earthy slope and some trees in the relative foreground that couldn't have been more than 1/4 mile from the highway. When it was behind the trees, it seemed to make its closest approach to me. I could see its white peeking out from spaces within the trees and it appeared relatively much larger. Then I didn't see it for a while. But my eyes were locked on to the spot I last saw it, hoping for it to show again. Then after some time I saw it move horizontally south as if it were a white van driving on a road behind the trees, only it lifted and appeared to move back away toward the mountains again.It made this low approach twice, and when it did, it reappeared from the very same location some time later. I suspect it could have actually landed, or just hovered lower than I could see. When it rose it often stayed along the very edge where the mountain met the sky, and was just a few shades lighter than the clouds there, and about as bright as the brightest point in the sky where the sun threatened to break through. I was very excited. I have never stopped to look at something like this for such an extended period of time with such focus. I didn't try waving down any cars nor did I care to fetch my camera right away for fear this would be short-lived. Once I got a sense it was restricting its range and was going to stick around, I went to fetch my Canon digital Elph. I wasn't expecting to get anything more compelling than the movement I just described, but thought it was sort of obligitory to try. At the very least the photo gives place and possible distances. I am still perplexed. I am considering going back down tomorrow to see if anyone from any of the local farms saw it (or was somehow responsible for it). All of my theories failed under at least one of the observed behaviors. I considered that it could be: A prop plane - prop planes can't hover A model plane - can't hover A helicopter - no sound or discernable movement of vegetation as it neared the trees. rises in altitide too abrupt at times.A model helicopter - if so, it was very fast, very large, very quiet, and had a range approaching 1 mile at first A large bird - It would have had to be very very large for a bird, and then again it's general shape never changed, and it's movement was not very birdlike A piece of detritus - it was windy out, and things stay up a long time in the wind, but it's initial movement was steady as a rock in altitude and shape. Highly unlikey that the wind was controlling this thing. Right before I gave up, it went to a dark tone, as if it had gone from reflecting light to silhouette. It's behavior and general flight range remained the same though. This is the first "daylight disk" I have ever seen. I am a 37 year old graphic designer and web developer by trade. I telecommute from Taos for a NYC-based company. I consider myself an excellent observer, which was developed in the practice of art-making for the better part of 26 years."