ALSACAT-1993-06-09-REININGUE-1
The ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit #320 of September 1993 apparently reported a case that occurred in Reiningue on June 9, 1993, at 09:50 p.m., lasting 30 to 40 seconds.
Four witnesses had observed under a high-altitude overcast first a sort of elongated dark rectangle.
They realized that it is was a discoidal object advancing in a straight line from north to south with an alternative rotational movement around an axis coinciding with the trajectory of about 40° to the left and then to the right.
This rocking occurred at regular intervals every 3 to 4 seconds approximately. At each tilt to the left, the disc appeared black, except on the contour, and it had a lighter strip across its middle.
When it tilted to the right side, it showed a metallic gray color.
At the time of the last tilt, the metallic side was slightly illuminated by the setting sun, which allowed one of the witnesses who had a clearer view to observe that there was a dome over this face.
The size of the object when it was closest to the witnessed was 2 centimeters at arm's length.
| Date: | June 9, 1993 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 09:50 p.m. |
| Duration: | 30 to 40 seconds. |
| First known report date: | September 1993 |
| Reporting delay: | 4 months. |
| Department: | Haut-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Reiningue |
| Place: | ? |
| Latitude: | 47.750 |
| Longitude: | 7.232 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 4 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | ? |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | ? |
| Number of named witnesses: | ? |
| Witness(es) ages: | ? |
| Witness(es) types: | ? |
| Reporting channel: | ? |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | ? |
| Visibility conditions: | Night |
| 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: | DD |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Unidentified, possible weather balloon. |
[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH:
16397: 1993/06/09 21:50 1 7:14:00 E 47:44:00 N 3333 WEU FRN HRH 7:8
REININGUE,FR:4 OBS:DOMED DISK FLIPS OVR N>SE:DARK SECTIONS/BOTTOM
Ref#194 LUMIERES dans la NUIT.(LDLN France) Issue No. 320 : TOWN &CITY
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN - "BASE OVNI FRANCE":
General features
| Num Base: | 2933 |
| Dwpartment: | Haut Rhin (68) |
| Place of observation: | Reiningue |
| Latitude: | 47.75 |
| Longitude: | +7.233 |
| Date of observation: | 09 June 1993 |
| Hour: | 21:50 hours |
| Duration (HH:MM:SS): | 00:00:30 |
| Weather: | Clouded sky at high altitude |
| Type of observation: | Visual: Distant |
| Nbr of witness(es): | 4 |
| Official investigation: | No |
Features of the object
| Nbr of object: | 1 |
| Type of object: | Saucer with dome |
| Size: | 2 to 6 cm at arm's length |
| Color: | Several colors |
| Luminosity: | Not specified |
| Visual characteristics: | No indication |
| Speed: | not defined |
| Movement/Displacement: | In straight line |
| Object on the ground: | No |
| Instantaneous disappearance: | No |
Observation
Four witnesses observe under a sky covered at high-altitude a kind of dark elongated rectangle. They realize that this is a disc-shaped object which advances linearly from north to south by making an alternative rotational movement around an axis coinciding with its path of about 40° to the left, then to the right. This rocking is made at regular intervals about every 3 to 4 seconds. At each tilt to the left the disk appears black except on the contour and having a light-colored strip on the middle. However the tilt to the right shows a face of metallic gray color. At the time of the last tilt the metallic side was illuminated by the setting sun very slightly which allowed one of the witnesses to have a clear view on the latter to observe a dome. The size of the object at the closest of the witnesses 2 cm at arms' length. duration of the phenomenon 30 to 40 seconds.
Sources
Lumières dans la Nuit
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
9 June 1993 21:50
Reiningue, Alsace, France
Domed disc flips over while traveling north to the southeast. Had dark sections on bottom.
A flying disc was observed. One domed disc was observed by four witnesses in a town for over one minute.
Hynek rating: NO
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. spa1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA":
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REININGUE | Wednesday 9 June 1993 at 09:50 p.m. | rectangular Unidentified |
grey or metallic None |
Unsolved -lack of info |
|
It is a pity that an observation that seems quite interesting is so poorly documented.
There are omissions such as the apparent length of the distance traveled, the lack of indication of noise or silence.
There are no details on the witnesses, their whereabouts. Were they all together, or, as might suggest "one of the witnesses who had a clearer view," Were there independent witnesses?
Finally, we are not told how the observation ended. Did the object go away? How?
The swing of the thing could indicate that it would be a balloon with a payload hanging below, like a weather balloon. But a ball is spherical, not discoidal. Should we infer that discoidal is an interpretation of a circular contour? And what about the dome? What about the elongated rectangle?
I am left with the impression of an "unidentified" but with the possibility of a weather balloon.
As often, the source [uda1] is rather unreliable: 30 to 40 seconds of observation are changed into "more than a minute," Reiningue becomes a city while it is a village, the thing is over the city though nothing like that is indicated, and the disc "turns upside down" whereas is oscillates in the earlier version.
Finally, it should be noted that 2 centimeters at arm length is a considerable apparent width. Just extend your arm against the background of the sky and watch the width of two of your finger to appreciate it. I wonder where the "2 to 6 cm" in the table [lcn1] comes from as the summary speaks only of 2 centimeters; 6 centimeters being an even more impressive apparent width.
Unidentified, possible weather balloon.
* = 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 | March 11, 2016 | Creation, [lcn1], [uda1], [spa1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | March 11, 2016 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 6, 2021 | Addition [lhh1]. In the Summary, addition of "#320 of September 1993". |
