Only a proper scientific analysis will show if a tiny piece of metal can shed new light on the supposed crash of a UFO near Roswell, researchers appealing for funds said Thursday.

In 2002, UFO investigators, including some from the University of New Mexico, found small pieces of material near the 1947 crash site of what has become known as the Roswell Incident .

The group said it did some preliminary tests that found the mystery material is not native to the Roswell area although it is from this planet. This metal piece is aluminum silicon, they said.

Whatever happened on the remote ranch near Roswell, military officials at Roswell Army Air Base issued and then rescinded a news release saying a flying saucer disk had been recovered from the site. The military then dismissed the episode as the crash of a weather balloon creating generations of people suspecting a major government cover-up.

Investigator Debbie Ziegelmeyer said the groups' find could mean answers for people around the world and also for those in Roswell.

"There are a lot of people out there who are skeptics," she said. "Now we have something that may be trace evidence.

"We owe it to the citizens of Roswell to say, 'Here it is. We got this. This needs to be analyzed.'"

On Thursday the group gathered to ask the public for help after running out of money for tests.

It's asking anyone from the scientific community to help them test these materials to find out their origin.

The group wants to have the mystery solved in time for the annual Roswell UFO Festival that's held in early July.

The group's 2002 dig was funded in part by the Sci Fi Channel and the UFO investigators.