civilian ufologists, and have been reported in the popular press and media. Although ufology groups consider the Zamora incident "one of the most credible [extraterrestrial] encounters on record," several alternative explanations have been presented. UFO skeptic Steuart Campbell has suggested that what Zamora observed was "almost certainly" a mirage of the star Canopus. It has also been suggested Zamora witnessed the testing of a lunar landing device by personnel from the White Sands Missile Range, or a prank perpetrated by students from the nearby New Mexico Tech. Then-president of New Mexico Tech Stirling Colgate supported the idea that students from the school were responsible for the hoax, and said that the object observed by Zamora was "a candle in a balloon… not sophisticated." According to skeptic Philip J. Klass, his investigation led him to "unequivocally characterize the case as a hoax" perpetrated in an attempt to increase tourism. Skeptic Robert Sheaffer wrote, "The assumption that the incident was a student hoax instead of one perpetrated by publicity-seeking town leaders changes Zamora from an “active participant” to “victim of the hoax,” which frankly seems more plausible." Aftermath In 1966 the president of the Socorro County's Chamber of Commerce, Paul Ridings, proposed developing the site of Zamora’s claimed UFO encounter to make it more accessible to tourists. Consequently stone walkways and steps were built into the arroyo from the mesa top, with a rock walkway circling the supposed landing site that included some wooden benches. However these were built approximately a quarter mile from the actual site of Zamora’s alleged sighting due to local rumors that the original site was contaminated by radioactivity. In 2012 Socorro city officials Ravi Bhasker and Pat Salome commissioned local artist Erika Burleigh to paint a mural on a spillway facing Park Street to commemorate Zamora's alleged UFO sighting. Zamora became so tired of the subject that he eventually avoided both ufologists and the Air Force, taking a job managing a gasoline station. He died on November 2, 2009, in Socorro from a heart attack; he was 76 years old. See also List of UFO sightings References Further reading Brad Steiger, Project Blue Book, 1976, Ballantine Books, (contains Air Force's account with maps, Zamora's account, reports of J. Allen Hynek) External links Death of a Legend at Saturday Night Uforia Socorro, New Mexico Landing (Lonnie Zamora) 1964 at UFO Casebook Lonnie Zamora interview on KSRC Radio 1933