ALSACAT:

ALSACAT is my comprehensive catalog of UFO sighting reports in Alsace, the region is the North-East of France, whether they are "explained" or "unexplained".

The ALSACAT catalog is made of case files with a case number, summary, quantitative information (date, location, number of witnesses...), classifications, all sources mentioning the case with their references, a discussion of the case in order to evaluate its causes, and a history of the changes made to the file. A general index and thematic sub-catalogs give access to these Alsatian case files.

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Case of Hoenheim, on June 19, 1995:

Case number:

ALSACAT-1995-06-19-HOENHEIM-1

Summary:

In the ufology magazine Phenomena, of the ufology group SOS OVNI, #30 of November / December 1995, we read:

We let Christian Morgenthaler, East delegate [of the SOS OVNI group], tell us about the observations, which one could qualify as "relatively minor" and which break down as follows: "Two people located in Hoenheim (67) observed three orange lights, of rather oval shape, last June 19 at 11:10 a.m. UTC. These lights, perfectly identical, were arranged in a perfect equilateral triangle and were described as very close to each other. They were not blinding and provided a soft luminosity. The phenomenon, which was visible for 3 to 4 seconds, moved from southwest to southeast before disappearing. Despite our research, nothing could identify this phenomenon. No particular air traffic was reported at this time there and an astronomical misinterpretation is excluded given the good knowledge of one of the witnesses on this matter. [... other cases ...]

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	June 19, 1995
Time:	11:10 a.m.
Duration:	3 to 4 seconds.
First known report date:	November 1995.
Reporting delay:	5 months.

Geographical data:

Department:	Bas-Rhin
City:	Hoenheim
Place:	?
Latitude:	48.610
Longitude:	7.787
Uncertainty radius:	4 km.

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	2
Number of known witnesses:	2
Number of named witnesses:	0
Witness(es) ages:	?
Witness(es) types:	?

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	To local ufologist.
Type of location:	?
Visibility conditions:	Day.
UFO observed:	Yes.
UFO arrival observed:	?
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:	Not astronomical.

Classifications:

Hynek:	DD or NL
ALSACAT:	Unidentified, insufficient information.

Sources:

[Ref. pha1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "PHENOMENA":

We let Christian Morgenthaler, East delegate [*], tell us about the observations, which one could qualify as "relatively minor" and which break down as follows: "Two people located in Hoenheim (67) observed three orange lights, of rather oval shape, last June 19 at 11:10 a.m. UTC. These lights, perfectly identical, were arranged in a perfect equilateral triangle and were described as very close to each other. They were not blinding and provided a soft luminosity. The phenomenon, which was visible for 3 to 4 seconds, moved from southwest to southeast before disappearing. Despite our research, nothing could identify this phenomenon. No particular air traffic was reported at this time there and an astronomical misinterpretation is excluded given the good knowledge of one of the witnesses on this matter. [... other cases ...]

[*] Representative of that time of the "SOS OVNI" ufology group of which Phénoména was the magazine.

Discussion:

I have an issue with the hour. First, 11:10 UTC would be 10 past noon in local time, secondly it is suggested that one of the witnesses being knowledgeable in astronomy, the phenomenon would thus not be an astronomical misinterpretation; which suggests a case that would not have occurred in the middle of the day but in the night, 11:10 p.m. UTC; thus a local time that could even put the case on the next day.

It this was in the night, it could have been three jet fighter planes showing their post-combustion flame briefly to the witnesses; or a group of Tri-Spot satellites briefly seen between clouds, for example. If it occurred in the day, I do not see what it was.

The source [pha1] available to me for now is of course not an investigation report but a short narrative, it is thus not surprising that all the needed data is not at hand.

I thus have to leave the case "unidentified" for now due to insufficient information.

Because Christian Morgenthaler tells us that this phenomenon was not identified, I of course regard it as such. So I am stuck between "unidentified" and "unidentified du to lack of information."

Evaluation:

Unidentified, lack of information.

Sources references:

* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.

[pha1] * Ufology magazine Phenomena, of the "SOS OVNI" ufology group, France, #30, page 22, November / December 1995.

File history:

Authoring:

Main author:	Patrick Gross
Contributors:	None
Reviewers:	None
Editor:	Patrick Gross

Changes history:

Version:	Create/changed by:	Date:	Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	July 27, 2022	Creation, [pha1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	July 27, 2022	First published.

This page was last updated on July 27, 2022.