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 Hégenheim, on January 1, 2006:

Case number:

ALSACAT-2006-01-01-HEGENHEIM-1

Summary:

On the website of the Alsatian ufology association SPICA, in the UFO sightings section, there was reportedly a testimony by "Jacky" of an observation on January 1st, 2006 at 00:30 a.m. in Hégenheim, lasting 1 minute 30 seconds with him as witnesses, and also four other adults and 2 children, in very cold and cloudy weather:

"We were all outside pulling out some fireworks when the attention of my godson was attracted by two bright spots, "Godfather, two lights are moving towards us". The two points move at about the speed of an airplane (excluding balloons) from Switzerland and Germany heading on a southeast axis, then the phenomenon disappears in the clouds."

"Thanks to the spontaneous reactions of my step-sister and my wife, we managed to photograph the event (with a digital camera)."

"I am interested in UFO phenomena for over 30 years (This is my fourth observation), I quickly ruled out the possibility of a satellite, the phenomenon was too low. Fireworks, impossible. I categorically exclude a plane (no flashing or distinctive signs lights), despite the presence very close of the Basel-Mulhouse airport. I lived for more than 40 years near the airport (5 km from home), I can tell you that I am very familiar with their plane traffic lights and night shifts, unless it's military?!?"

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	January 1, 2006
Time:	00:30 a.m.
Duration:	1.30 minutes.
First known report date:	February 18, 2007
Reporting delay:	Hours, weeks.

Geographical data:

Department:	Haut-Rhin
City:	Hégenheim
Place:	Outside in Hégenheim, UFO in the sky.
Latitude:	47.561
Longitude:	7.526
Uncertainty radius:	1 km

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	7
Number of known witnesses:	1
Number of named witnesses:	0
Witness(es) ages:	5 adults, 2 children.
Witness(es) types:	5 adults, 2 children.

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	Website of the regional ufology association SPICA.
Type of location:	Outside in or near village, UFO in the sky.
Visibility conditions:	Night, cloudy.
UFO observed:	Yes
UFO arrival observed:	?
UFO departure observed:	No
Entities:	No
Photographs:	Yes, unavailable.
Sketch(s) by witness(es):	No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es):	No.
Witness(es) feelings:	Puzzled.
Witnesses interpretation:	Not satellites, not planes, not balloons, not fireworks, maybe military aircraft.

Classifications:

Hynek:	NL?
ALSACAT:	Probable Chinese lanterns.

Sources:

[Ref. spa1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA" ON THE "R.I.O" WEB FORUM:

Fw: testimony + Photo

Spica.57

March 25, 2006

Hello

Below a testimony from one of our members who lives near Switzerland.
Regards
CKR

The websitw of the SPICA association
http://www.spica.org

Source: SPICA

Date: 01/01/2006

Hour: 0h30

Duration: 1m30

Witnesses: 5 adults, 2 children

Weather: Very cold and cloudy

Jacky testifies

We were all out pulling out some fireworks when the attention of my godson was attracted by two bright spots, "Godfather, two lights are moving towards us". The two points move at about the speed of an airplane (excluding balloons) from Switzerland and Germany heading to the southeast axis, then the phenomenon disappears in the clouds.

Thanks to the spontaneous reactions of my step-sister and my wife, we managed to photograph the event (with a digital camera).

My interest in UFO phenomena for over 30 years (I am in my fourth observation), I quickly ruled out the possibility of a satellite, the phenomenon was too low. Fireworks, impossible. I categorically exclude a plane (no flashing or distinctive signs lights), despite the presence very close of the Basel-Mulhouse airport. I've been living for over 40 years near the airport (5 km from home), I can tell you that I am very familiar with their aircraft traffic lights and night moves, unless it's military?!?

[Ref. spa1:] ASSOCIATION D'UFOLOGIE "SPICA":

01/01/2006 Hegenheim 68220

Source : SPICA
Hour : 0:30
Duration : 1m30
Witnesses : 5 adults, 2 children
Weather : Very cold and cloudy

Jacky testifies

Thanks to the spontaneous reactions of my step-sister and my wife, we managed to photograph the event (with a digital camera).

In Top Secret No 24 page 6 we have a photo taken from a plane above Florida that shows two spots, this looked strangely like the testimony

[Ref. gri1:] G.R.E.P.I. UFOLOGY GROUP:

The website of the SPICA association (http://www.spica.org) forwarded this testimony to us:

Source: SPICA
Hour: 0:30 a.m.
Duration: 1m30
Witnesses: 5 adults, 2 children
Weather: very cold and cloudy

Jacky testifies

Thanks to the spontaneous reactions of my step-sister and my wife, we managed to photograph the event (with a digital camera).

Scan.

settings modified by ourselves - GREPI

Jacky (Haut-Rhin - France)

[Ref. spa3:] ASSOCIATION UFOLOGIQUE "SPICA":

Phenomenon in Hegenheim (Haut-Rhin)

Temporal localization: Night from December 31, 2005 to January 1st, 2006

Hour: 0:30 a.m.

Duration of observation: 1 minute 30 seconds

Witnesses: 5 adults and 2 children

Weather: cold and cloudy weather

We were all going to pull out some fireworks when my godson's attention was drawn to two points of light, "Godfather, two lights are moving towards us."

The two points move at about the speed of an aircraft (excluding balloons), from Switzerland and going to Germany, Southeast axis, then the phenomenon disappears in the clouds. Thanks to the spontaneous reactions of my step sister and my wife, we manafed to photograph the phenomenon (digital camera).

I am interested in the UFO phenomena for over 30 years (This is my fourth observation) I quickly ruled out the possibility of a satellite, the phenomenon was too low. Fireworks, impossible. To exclude categorically, a plane (blinking lights or signs), despite the very close presence of the Basel-Mulhouse airport. I have been living for over 40 years near the airport (5 km from home) I can say that I am very familiar with their aircraft traffic lights and their nocturnal movements, excapt if it is military?!?

Jean-Jacques Goetschy

[Image caption:] In Top Secret #24 page 6, a photo taken from an airplane over Florida shows two points. This resembles the testimony.

The image published with the article is:

[Ref. rnc1:] "RESEAU NATIONAL CIVIL DE SURVEILLANCE DU CIEL":

01/01/2006 - 00h30 - Haut-Rhin (68) - 2 luminous balls

Witness reort by Jacky published on the wbsite of the SPICA association in the UFO sightings section:

Quote:

01/01/2006 Hegenheim 68220

Hour: 0:30

Duration: 1m30

Witnesses: 5 adults, 2 children

Weather: Very cold and cloudy

We were all outside pulling out some fireworks when the attention of my godson was attracted by two bright spots, "Godfather, two lights are moving towards us". The two points move at about the speed of an airplane (excluding balloons) from Switzerland and Germany heading on a southeast axis, then the phenomenon disappears in the clouds.

Thanks to the spontaneous reactions of my step-sister and my wife, we managed to photograph the event (with a digital camera).

I am interested in UFO phenomena for over 30 years (This is my fourth observation), I quickly ruled out the possibility of a satellite, the phenomenon was too low. Fireworks, impossible. I categorically exclude a plane (no flashing or distinctive signs lights), despite the presence very close of the Basel-Mulhouse airport. I lived for more than 40 years near the airport (5 km from home), I can tell you that I am very familiar with their plane traffic lights and night shifts, unless it's military?!?

[Ref. spa4:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA":

City	Date and hour of observation	General shape Identification	General color Hypothesis	Conclusion
HEGENHEIM	Sunday 1 January 2006	luminous dot Unidentified	white None	Unsolved -lack of info

Discussion:

On New Year's eve, some Alsatians shoot fireworks. But as the law is increasingly severe, other Alsatians launch Chinese lanterns. They are also less exepnsive than fireworks.

Thus, the witness is probably right: these were no airplanes, no balloons, no satellites, no fireworks, but it was probably nothing military either.

In 2006, people in Alsace, even ufologists, were still very unfamiliar with Chinese lanterns.

What is unfortunate is that the stories of each of the seven people is not available, the precise location is missing, as well as the color, angular displacements.

However, the two images found on the GREPI web page. although of low resolution and heavy compression, do show what appears to be Chinese lanterns.

Above: A Chinese lantern.

Evaluation:

Probable Chinese lanterns.

Sources references:

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

[spa1] * Witness report published by the Alsatian ufology association SPICA on the UFO web forum "R.I.O.", France, March 25, 2006, at https://fr.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/R_I_O/conversations/topics/825
[spa2] * Witness report published by the Alsatian ufology association SPICA on their website, page disappeared, from my archive.
[gri1] * Witness report published on the website of the ufology group GREPI, Switzerland, not dated, at http://www.ovni.ch/temoign/temoig76.htm
[spa3] * "Phénomène à Hégenheim", article by Jean-Jacques Goetschy, SPICA member, in the ufology bulletin SPICA News of the SPICA ufology group, Alsace, France, #8, page 7, August 2006.
[rnc1] * Witness report published on the "Réseau National Civil de Surveillance du Ciel" (RNCSC) website, France, February 18, 2007, at http://francesurveillance.xooit.com/t250-01-01-2006-0h30-Haut-Rhin-68-2-boules-lumineuses.htm
[spa4] * "DEPARTEMENT 68 - HAUT-RHIN", listing of UFO sighting reports by the Alsatian ufology group SPICA, Alsace, France, not dated, found in May 2015, at http://www.spica.org/Page_Listing_68.htm

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	December 3, 2014	Creation, [rnc1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	December 3, 2014	First published.
1.1	Patrick Gross	May 5, 2015	Addition [spa3].
1.2	Patrick Gross	April 25, 2018	Addition, [spa2].
1.3	Patrick Gross	February 19, 2023	Addition [spa4].

This page was last updated on Feburary 19, 2023.