ALSACAT-1980-04-09-FOLGENSBOURG-1
In the issue #208 of October 1981 of the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit, a report was pubished about a sighting on April 9, 1980 at 11:50 p.m., by a Swiss citizen, Philippe Kellerhals, 29, bank employee, living in Allschwill, Switzerland.
At 11:50 p.m. French time, time taken at the church tower near the witness's home, he had seen to the west above Folgensbourg, 4 km away in France, a yellow ball brighter than 100 on the Pantone color chart.
The size of the ball was given as "7 to 8 at the comparator". Beneath the ball appeared rays directed downwards in a red color brighter than the "Warm Red" of the Pantone color chart.
The witness had observed the phenomenon which remained fixed for 10 minutes, then, suddenly, as an airplane arrived from the west and was heading east, passing overhead Neuwiller, the phenomenon sunndely moved to the northwest, following a curve in the direction of Hausgauen, executing jolts.
The witness was able to follow this ball until 00:10 a.m., when it disappeared in the clouds.
He reported seeing the same phenomenon again on April 11, 1980.
| Date: | April 9, 1980 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 11:50 p.m |
| Duration: | 20 minutes. |
| First known report date: | October 1981 |
| Reporting delay: | 18 months? |
| Department: | Haut-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Folgensbourg |
| Place: | Over France seen from Switzerland probably near the French border. |
| Latitude: | 47.541 |
| Longitude: | 7.500 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 10 km. |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 1 |
| Witness(es) ages: | 29 |
| Witness(es) types: | Bank employee, Swiss citizen. |
| Reporting channel: | Ufology investigation LDLN. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | Above country. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | No. |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes. |
| Entities: | No. |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Medium strangeness, possible plane. |
[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
|
(Investigators' hypothesis)
Witness: Mr. KELLERHALS Philippe, 29 years old living in ALLSCHWILL (Switzerland). Bank employee.
Atmospheric conditions: See Appendix.
Map used: I.G.N. ALTKIRCH - Sheet XXXVII-21 1/50.000.
Position of the witness: ALLSCHWIL, longitude: 7° 32' 08'.' EAST, latitude: 47° 32' 53" NORTH.
Date and time of the sighting: Wednesday, April 9, 1980, 11:50 p.m. French time, time taken from the church tower. The witness lives near it.
The witness saw at 11:50 p.m. above FOLGEN80URG (West - France, distance 4 km) a yellow ball brighter than 100 on the PANTONE color chart.
Ball size: 7 to 8 at the comparator. Beneath this ball appeared rays directed downwards in a red color brighter than WARM RED in the color chart.
Mr. KELLERHALS observed the phenomenon which remained motionless, for 10 minutes then suddenly as a plane arrived from the west and heading east passing overhead NEUWILLER, the phenomenon suddenly moved to the NORTH-WEST, following a curve in the direction of HAUSGAUEN (grid 7 40-74 0 on the map by executing jolts. The witness was able to follow this ball until 00:10 before it disappeared in the clouds.
Date and time of the sighting: Friday, April 11, 1980, 11:50 p.m. French time.
Position of the witness: ALLSCHWIL same position.
The witness saw that evening the same phenomenon identical to the evening of Wednesday April 9, 1980, having the same characteristics.
The size given to the comparator was 5. The phenomenon was also heading WEST in the region between FOLGEN80URG and HAUSGAUEN but much further. This sighting lasted from 11:50 p.m. to 12:25 a.m.
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN - "BASE OVNI FRANCE":
General features
| Num Base: | 2535 |
| Departement: | Haut Rhin (68) |
| Place of observation: | Folgensbourg |
| Latitude: | 47.55 |
| Longitude: | +7.45 |
| Date of observation: | April 09, 1980 |
| Hour: | 23:50 hours |
| Duration (HH:MM:SS): | 00:10:00 |
| Weather: | Overcast sky high altitude |
| Type of observation: | Visual: Distant |
| Nbr of witness(es): | 2 |
| Official investigation: | No |
Features of the object
| Nbr of object: | 1 |
| Type of object: | Lumineous Ball |
| Size: | Not specified |
| Color: | Yellow |
| Luminosity: | Brilliant |
| Visual characteristics: | Rayon |
| Speed: | not defined |
| Movement/Displacement: | Not specified |
| Object on the ground: | No |
| Instantaneous disappearance: | No |
Observation
Two witnesses observe from the German-speaking Switzerland at the level of Folgensbourg an object of very bright yellow color. Under the ball appearr [sic] red rays. The object is first motionless, then suddenly moves northeasterly along a curve towards Hausgauen and disappears into the clouds.
Sources
Lumières dans la Nuit issue 208
[Ref. spa1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA":
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOLGENSBOURG | Wednesday 9 avril 1980 at 23:50 | ball, balloon or melon (3D) Unidentified |
yellow None |
Unsolved -lack of info |
|
Folgensbourg is indeed in the Haut-Rhin, but we are told the witnesses were in Swiss territory at the level of this village. The border, "at the level of" Folgensbourg, is at 4 kilometers at the nearest spot, where the Schoenenbuch Swiss village is located. The coordinate given by r [lcn1] are actually those of Folgensbourg, 4 km at least too much in the East.
Hausgauen is about 11 km in the Northeast (123 degrees) from Folgensbourg, so about 15 km and about the same direction from the likely sighting place.
|
Above: The yellow line is the probable direction of the sighting at the end.
The green spot is the probable location of the witnesses.
The blue spot is Folgensbourg.
The red spot is Hausgauen.
I searched for a possible astronomical body that could be explanation. But the Moon is not visible, Venus is not visible. Mars and Jupiter are visible, but not in the right direction (240° and 230°). In the sky were only very ordinary star and at this time, nothing astronomical who would move to the North-East.
An airplane, airplane lights, remains a possibility, as the Basel - Mulhouse airport is in the vicinity, and big passenger planes approaches and departures, all lights on, are very visible about this location.
As the "UFO disappears" in high clouds, as often locals and elsewhere people believe in the immobility of a plane before seeing it in motion, this explanation makes some sense, in absence of any other.
Medium strangeness, possible plane.
* = 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 | May 7, 2015 | Creation, [lcn1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | May 7, 2015 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | May 11, 2015 | Addition [spa1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | February 6, 2023 | Addition [ldl1]. In the discussion, "I do not currently have the [ldl1] source - it is probably just a "Press summary" by the magazine, with little details - and I found no other source for this observation." removed. Summary rewritten, was "In issue 208 of October 1981 of the ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit, appeared apparently a text indicating that there was a sighting on April 9, 1980, at 11:50 p.m., by two witnesses who observed from the German-speaking Switzerland at the level of Folgensbourg, a ball-shaped object, of very bright yellow color. Under the ball, red rays reportedly appeared. The object was first motionless, then suddenly shifted to the northeast in a curve towards Hausgauen and reportedly "disappeared" in the clouds." |
