ALSACAT-1968-04-21-HERBITZHEIM-1
The "Contact Lecteurs" supplement of the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit in July 1968 published this observation in Herbitzheim in the Bas-Rhin dated April 21, 1968, at 08:20 p.m.:
"That day my parents and I sat on our bench in front of the house. The atmosphere was very clear and we watched the sky full of stars. Coincidentally, we saw a star begin to move and start a movement that seemed directed toward us. It was a star of the first magnitude; yellow, it appeared on the west of the horizon, and approached at high speed still remaining round. The evening was quiet and no noise was heard."
"The object appeared to slow down its course over us and I jumped in my room to get my 8 x 38 binocular. Upon my return, the object had crossed half the distance between the 2 West-East horizons."
"I directed my binocular and I was able to see then that this object was really a small triangular shape. It was indeed a solid triangle, yellow, and slightly surrounded by a reddish glow. The craft continued its way to the east and disappeared from my horizon."
| Date: | April 21, 1968 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 08:20 p.m. |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | July 1968 |
| Reporting delay: | 4 months or less. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Herbitzheim |
| Place: | Fom outside the house in Herbitzheim, UFO in the sky. |
| Latitude: | 49.013 |
| Longitude: | 7.084 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 4 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 3 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | ? |
| Witness(es) types: | ? |
| Reporting channel: | Letter to ufology magazine LDLN. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | Outside the house in village, UFO in the sky. |
| Visibility conditions: | Evening |
| UFO observed: | Yes |
| UFO arrival observed: | Yes |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes |
| Entities: | No |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | Puzzled. |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Possible planes. |
[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
|
67 RHIN-BAS ar. Saverne c. Sarre-Union HERBITZEIM
21 4 68 08:20 p.m. F. at the N. at 7 km
That day we were my parents and I sitting on our bench in front of the house. The atmosphere was very clear and we were looking at the sky full of stars. As if by chance we saw a star set in motion and begin a movement it seemed towards us. It was a star of the first magnitude, yellow in color, it made its appearance to the west of the horizon, and approached at high speed still remaining round in shape. The evening was calm no noise was heard.
The object seemed to slow its course above us and in a jump I ran to my bedroom to get my 8 x 38 binoculars. On my return the object had crossed half the distance between the 2 horizons W.-E.
I pointed my binoculars, and I could make out that this object was really a slightly TRIANGULAR SHAPE. It was indeed a solid triangle, yellow in color, and slightly surrounded by a reddish glow. The object continued its route east and disappeared from my horizon.
Communicated by Mr. Herrmann P.
After the triangle in Richelieu on the 20th at 6 p.m. at EVILLERS on the 20th at 8:45 p.m. here it returned on the 21st at HERBITZHEIM. At this time no one knew the observations of the others. The observation made at EVILLERS rejects any explanation of weather ballooning. It was observed perfectly in Lille last year, and less well at CROCQ. There is a new craft in the sky that moves around in the shape of a triangle.
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH:
8735: 1968/04/21 20:20 2 7:05:00 E 49:01:20 N 3333 WEU FRN BRH 5:8
HERBITZHEIM,FR:SVRL/BINOCS:GRN TRIANGLE E>>W OVHD:SLIGHT RED GLOW:seen widely
Ref#194 LUMIERES dans la NUIT.(LDLN France) Issue No. 95 : RESIDENT'L
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
21 April 1968 20:15
Herbitzheim, Alsace, France
Nocturnal lights were reported in a residential area.
Hynek rating: NL
Vallee rating: FB1
The sources are indicated as: "Lumieres dans la Nuit, Lumieres dans la Nuit; Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002."
[Ref. cnu1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "CNEGU":
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F/ 00/67/68 04 21 (01)
On Sunday April 21, 1968, at 8:20 p.m. local, three people from Herbitzeim (68) observed a large yellow star coming from the west and heading east. In binoculars, the phenomenon looks like a solid triangle surrounded by a reddish glow.
(Source: testimony of P. Hermann in LDLN n° 95 bis-Jul and 1968 p. 7).
[Ref. cvn2:] CHRISTIAN VALENTIN:
Former journalist Christian Valentin published in 2012 a very interesting book telling the story of UFO sightings, flying saucers sightings, in Alsace, from the beginning to 1980.
In this book, he reports that Lumières dans la Nuit - Contact Lecteur #95 bis for July 1968 reported this case of April 21, 1968, at 08:20 p.m. in Herbitzheim in the Bas-Rhin:
"That day my parents and I sat on our bench in front of the house. The atmosphere was very clear and we watched the sky full of stars. Coincidentally, we saw a star begin to move and start a movement that seemed directed toward us. It was a star of the first magnitude; yellow, it appeared on the west of the horizon, and approached at high speed still remaining round. The evening was quiet and no noise was heard.
The object appeared to slow down its course over us and I jumped in my room to get my 8 x 38 binocular. Upon my return, the object had crossed half the distance between the 2 West-East horizons.
I directed my binocular and I was able to see then that this object was really a small triangular shape. It was indeed a solid triangle, yellow, and slightly surrounded by a reddish glow. The craft continued its way to the east and disappeared from my horizon." Communicated by H.P.
Christian Valentin notes that this is in the first report of a triangular object in Alsace.
|
Despite the details given by the observer, it is difficult to understand what was seen. Note that the binocular were needed to see a shape, suggesting that the thing was far away or small. The "high speed" is not quantitative, the time used to get the binoculars is not specified, a few seconds? Several minutes?
An airfield in Hagenau and the Strasbourg airport are tens of kilometers to the southeast. A plane still high but approaching a landing strip is one possibility. But if we take the description at face value, the slightly triangular yellow shape surrounded by a reddish halo, it would be a very unusual description for an airplane.
The case remains unexplained to me - not unexplainable - but of lesser "quality".
Possible planes.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editeur: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | August 17, 2014 | Creation, [ldl1], [uda1], [cvn2]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | August 17, 2014 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | May 18, 2021 | Addition [ldl1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | January 12, 2023 | Addition [cnu1]. |
