The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 3-Oct-54-Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The regional newspaper Le Provençal for October 7, 1954, reported that on October 3, 1954, at nightfall, Mr. Espy, who was staying with Mr. Porel, a grocer in Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron (B.A.) saw in the sky "a large shining dot which descended towards the earth like a spider clinging to its thread."
It is said that several neighbors also witnessed the "moves of the luminous object which lasted about ten minutes."
The "spider saucer", which, according to the witnesses, seemed to observe the valley, finally disappeared behind the mountain.
[Ref. lpl1:] NEWSPAPER "LE PROVENCAL":
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In St-Vincent-sur-Jabron (B.A).
On October 3, at nightfall, Mr. Espy, who lives at Mr. Porel's, grocer in Saint-Vincent-on-Jabron (B.A.) saw in the sky "a great point shining which went down towards the ground the like a spider on its thread." Several neighbors also attended the evolutions of the luminous object which lasted ten minutes. The "spider saucer", which, according to the witnesses seemed to observe the valley, finally disappeared behind the mountain.
Valence.
Mr. Louis David, student in Paris, currently on holiday in Crest and Mr. Jean Blanc, place des Marroniers in Crest saw, Monday 4 of this month, around 9 p.m., a craft of round form of very white aspect above the tower of Crest.
This craft which moved towards the Trois Eecs was at approximately 1.000 meters of altitude and left behind a very brilliant luminous trail. The craft went in saw-tooth, ascending and descending at regular intervals and this at very high speed.
Mr. David presented himself at our agency of Valence to report us this fact and affirmed to us that in his opinion it was neither an atmospheric phenomenon, neither a plane, nor a stratospheric balloon.
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN:
Luc Chastan indicates that in the Alpes de Haute Provence in St Vincent sur Jabron on October 3, 1954, at an unknown hour several witnesses observed at nightfall a large shining dot which went down like a spider from a web. After ten minutes the object disappeared behind the mountain.
Luc Chastan indicates as source: "Le Provençal".
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Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron is completely enclosed, surrounded by mountains, which makes it impossible to find a direction from the indication that the thing "finally disappeared behind the mountain."
Sunset was at 5:48 p.m., darkness was around 6:10 p.m. The moon was not visible, set at 6:10 p.m. Mars and Venus were not visible. At 6:10 p.m., Jupiter was at 108°, elevation 13°, but not setting, it was in oblique ascent. There is, in my opinion, no obvious astronomical object to explain the sighting, which suggests a bright spot descending vertically.
The duration seems too long for a flare.
So I think the case is an "unidentified", but of low strangeness.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron, Alpes de Haute-Provence, Espy, Porel, point, shining, night, descent, duration
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | March 1, 2006 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | January 9, 2009 | Conversion from HTML to XHTML Strict. First formal version. Additions [lcn1]. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 28, 2022 | Addition of the Summary. Explanations changed, were "Not looked for yet." |
