ALSACAT-1968-08-15-OBERNAI-1
The "Contact Lecteurs" supplement of the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit for July 1970 reported that in Obernai in the Bas-Rhin, on August 15, 1968, at 7:15 p.m., three young children and their father saw for half a minute an object rush from the Mount Sainte-Odile in the direction Reichstett. It was described as a "rocket spitting fire" by the children, and as a metallic-looking cylinder by their father.
| Date: | August 15, 1968 |
|---|---|
| Time: | ~07:15 p.m. |
| Duration: | 30 seconds |
| First known report date: | July 1970 |
| Reporting delay: | 1 year or less. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Obernai |
| Place: | ? |
| Latitude: | 48.460 |
| Longitude: | 7.487 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 5 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 4 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 3 to 4 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | 1 adult, 3 young children. |
| Witness(es) types: | A father and his three young children. |
| Reporting channel: | Ufologist to ufology magazine LDLN. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | ? |
| Visibility conditions: | Daylight |
| UFO observed: | Yes |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | ? |
| Entities: | No |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Hynek: | DD |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Possible meteor. |
[Ref. ldl1:] MAGAZINE D'UFOLOGIE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
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67 RHIN (BAS) in Strasbourg ITTENHEIM
August 15, 1968, 11 p.m. 11:10 p.m..
F - yes
From my west-facing terrace, I saw a luminous object that was not a star, coming from the south, in the direction of Mount Saint-Odile, heading north. It moved curiously downward, forward, backward, sometimes still, continuing its progression north. It appeared round, with alternating light, prism color. At the start it was clearly oriented from south to north. Subsequently it moved away to the west. It must have had a diameter of 6 m to 7.50 m. The sighting lasted about 12 minutes.
(observation of Mr. Marchand).
Comments by Mr. Fontanié. - The object was also seen at Mount Saint-Odile, Obernai, Wasselonne. The air base A. R. 124 did not detect anything on the radar and however the object remained several hours in a radius of 30 km approximately. There are many geological faults in this area. Approximate route: St-Odile, Obernai, Marlenkeim [sic, Marlenheim], Wasselonne to Sarrebourg.
Mr. Fontanié and many others shall be apologized to for the delay in their transmissions, unfortunately for lack of space. We keep thinking about it, it is a real headache for us.
[Ref. ldl2:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
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67 BAS-RHIN, ar. Erstein OBERNAI
August 15 1968, 07:15 p.m.
"Look daddy a rocket that spits fire". Three young children who are used to seeing planes and helicopters pass by stopped playing ball to warn their father on Thursday around 7.15 p.m. The latter, coming out of the house, observed a cylinder moving from the southwest to the northwest, from Mont Saint-Odile to Reichstett, whose flare is clearly visible from Mount Nationa1.
For about half a minute, the three children and then their father followed the rapid movement of the craft, which emitted only a low hum. In the perfectly blue sky, it appeared metallic, but the father did not observe the flame seen by his children and which seemed to propel the object. No wake in the sky as left by jet planes was noticed.
A statement was made to the Obernai gendarmerie by a doctor who wished to remain anonymous.
Colonel Secretan also told me that the Entzheim base control tower did not record anything abnormal. Many spectators witnessed the phenomenon. (Investigation by M. Fontanié)
[Ref. cnu1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "CNEGU":
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F/00/67/68 08 15 (02)
Thursday, August 15, 1968, around 7:15 p.m., a father and his 3 children observed the rapid passage of a metal cylinder from sw to nw, emitting a weak hum and leaving a flame behind it, without a trail.
Source: investigation by M. Fontanié in LDLN n° 3 July 1970 "Contact Lecteurs" p.10.
[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 a case on August 15, 1968, at 7:15 p.m. in Obernai in the Bas-Rhin was reported as follows in Lumières Dans La Nuit - Contact Lecteurs #3 for July 1970, as an investigation by Mr. Fontanié:
Thursday, August 15, at 7:15 p.m., three young children and their father saw rushing for half a minute from the Mount Sainte-Odile in the direction of Reichstett an object described as "a rocket spitting fire" by the children, and as a metallic cylinder appearance by their father.
|
The information is meager, the case was obviously not investigated.
The description is compatible with that of a meteor.
As shown on the locations map below, the thing reportedly moved the south-east to the north-west.
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Possible meteor.
* = 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 |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | August 15, 2014 | Creation, [ldl2], [cvn2]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | August 15, 2014 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | May 18, 2021 | Addition [ldl1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | January 16, 2023 | Addition [cnu1]. |
