ALSACAT-2008-12-26-ALTECKENDORF-1
In January 2009, one "jeremy.67" registered since February 2008 on a UFO reports website called "National Civilian Network of Surveillance of the Sky" reported to have seen in the Bas-Rhin on December 26 - he was not sure of the exact date, at 9 p.m., a "luminous ball with trail" which passed "above the house from the West to the East direction." He assures that it was not a shooting star because it was "slower and quite close to the surface".
A member of the forum noted that as the testimony is poor, there is "only one hypothesis a satellite!"
Then "jeremy.67" answered questions. He indicates the place as Alteckendorf near Brumath in Alsace, he cannot better ensure the date, indicates that he was watching a movie in his bedroom, that the phenomenon was "less high than a flight of a plane", that when he saw it he "was about 10 cm in diameter", that it moved in straight line, that it was yellow / orange with a trail, that he could not hear any noise, that its speed was that of a bird.
He was answered that it was therefore probably not a satellite, that "10 cm at arm's length" would mean that for example at 1 km distance the object measured at least 125 meters. He is invited to contact the ufological association SPICA, which he does by filing his testimony.
Then, appeared his testimony on the SPICA forum, with a date expressed as it was December 26, 2008 for sure, and exactly the same meager information he already gave, but a size sais to be "small (5-10 cm)" and the addition by the witness that it was "not the first time I see such things."
Then we get a summary in the SPICA bulletin, with as an explanation the "strong hypothesis" that it had been a "meteoritic fall", and finally we find the case in a list of observations by SPICA with as "strong hypothesis" an "artificial reentry."
| Date: | December 26, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 09:00 p.m. |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | January 6, 2009 |
| Reporting delay: | 2 weeks. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Alteckendorf |
| Place: | From bedroom at home, UFO in the sky. |
| Latitude: | 48.792 |
| Longitude: | 7.593 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 1 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | ? |
| Witness(es) types: | Male, UFO forum member. |
| Reporting channel: | To UFO sightings website. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | From home in village, UFO ine the sky. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night |
| 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: | Not a shooting star. |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Insufficient information, no strangeness. |
[Ref. rnc1:] "RESEAU NATIONAL CIVIL DE SURVEILLANCE DU CIEL":
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jeremy.67 Latest editing by jeremy.67 on 01/08/2009 05:39:45 p.m.; edited 1 time |
12/26/2008 - 09:00 p.m. - Bas-Rhin (67) - Luminous ball with trail Here it is i observed from my home a luminous ball on December 26 ( i think but i'm not sure anymore ) It was 9 p.m. and it passed above the house from the West direction East It was not a shooting star because it passed quite slowly and quite close to the surface |
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06/01/2009 12:24:31 |
Hello and thanks to you for reporting your observation. Could you specify the place of the observation or at least the department ? To remember the exact date, think again to what you were doing right before what you did thereafter. Quite often, a movie or a series on the TV that night will refresh your memory, or another private event. You say the phenomenon passed above your house but you also say it was close to the surface. At what height do you estimate the altitude of the phenomenon? At arm's length, what was the size of the phenomenon? Compare with known items, such as the size of the stars, a rice grain, a coin, fruit, etc... How did the phenomenon appear and disappear? You talk of a luminous ball, what color was it? Did you hear noise coming from the phenomenon? When you say it moved slowly, can you specify? Thanks to you to answer these few useful questions. Regards |
|
kerlouange |
Indeed this testimony lacks details , so for now, only one hypothesis a satellite! _________________ kerlouange |
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07/01/2009 12:56:50 |
Sorry I was in a hurry that day Can you specify the place of the observation or at least the département? Alsace ( Alteckendorf near Brumath ) To remember the exact date, think again to what you were doing right before what you did thereafter. Quite often, a movie or a series on the TV that night will refresh your memory, or another private event. I do think it was the 26th in the evening i was watching a movie in my bedroom You say the phenomenon passed above your house but you also say it was close to the surface. At what height do you restimate the altitude of the phenomenon? It was less high than a plane's flight At arm's length, what was the size of the phenomenon? At the time when I saw it it was about 10 cm in diameter How did the phenomenon appear and disappear? As said it passed in straight line You talk of a luminous ball, what color was it? It was of Yellow / Orange color with a trail Did you hear noise coming from the phenomenon? With the home cinema i could not hear any noise When you say it moved slowly, can you specify? It moved at the same speed than a bird And as i said it was not a plane or a shooting star this i can swear of |
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08/01/2009 12:37:26 |
ok , with a 10 cm diameter and a trail , and the speed of a bird, the hypothesis of a satellite must be excluded. _________________ |
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08/01/2009 12:48:42 |
10 cm at arms' length, knowing that between the eye and the fingertips there are about 80 cm, this means that if it was for example 1 km away, the object was at least 125 meters in size. That sounds big, the estimate is not easy. Anyway, you should contact the SPICA Association (Strasbourg) to request information and report your observation: http://www.spica.org/ |
|
Rama |
Message 12/26/2008 - 09:00 p.m. - Bas-Rhin (67) - Luminous yellow/orange ball with trail Reporting to Spica57 Quote: 12/26/2008 at 9 p.m. in Alteckendorf Here it is that night, as i was watching a movie, a yellow / orange ball with a trail passed in front of the window. It moved as fast as a bird and "flew" less high than a plane's flight. It was of small size (5-10 cm). It came from the West in the direction of the East. It isn't the first time I see such things. If anyone also saw this, tell me, or if you have questions. oiloil fire |
[Ref. sp1:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:
In their newsletter, the association reports that "watching a movie a yellow / orange ball with a trail passed in front of the window." "It was moving as fast as a bird and it was flying lower than a plane flight, it was small (5-IOcm), it was coming from the west towards the east. Its [sic] not the first time I see such a thing."
The SPICA gives this explanation: "Strong hypothesis: meteorite reentry".
The source is given as the "SPICA Forum".
[Ref. spA"4:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALTECKENDORF | Friday 26 December 2008 at 08:00 p.m. | ball, balloon or melon (3D) Unidentified |
yellow Artificial reentry |
Strong hypothesis |
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The whole thing is pretty disastrous. On the witness side, the testimony is rather late - for the Internet era - and he does not remember the exact date. He was watching a movie, but at the suggestion of remembering which movie to possibly find the date via TV programming, he does not respond.
The size he gave, first "10 cm", then becomes "5 to 10 cm", obviously has little reliability, it is not obtained by comparator method, and people often overestimate this size.
The question "How high do you estimate the altitude of the phenomenon?" is poorly asked. It was necessary to ask for an elevation angle, with a diagram showing what 45°, 90°, etc., are. The answer is therefore without any precision: "It was less high than a flight of an airplane". An airplane at what elevation? We can merely guess that it was low, therefore compatible with meteor, airplane, Chinese lantern, and many other things.
A totally crucial information is missing, that of duration. It could have been compatible or incompatible with a meteor, but no one asked for a duration.
The explanation as "meteorite reentry" (the meteors do not "reenter" they just "enter") has to its support the mention of a trail. But I am not very convinced, a meteor generally causes a certain number of independent testimonies. I did not find any. The same goes for the explanation by space junk, the testimonies are normally even more numerous than for a meteor.
If we forget the trail, it is the possibility of a Chinese lantern that comes to mind, especially in these party days (Christmas Eve on 24th, Christmas on 25th, St. Etienne on 26th). It was necessary to inquire about the length of this trail relative to the object itself, but this too was not asked.
Finally, I remain with an "unidentified", formally, but without any particular strangeness, and so poor data that many trivial explanations are possible, so that I cannot seriously discriminate against them. Chinese lantern, airplane with headlight, helicopter, small meteor...
I note that the witness registered in 2008 on the UFO forum; that he makes an observation, says to have made others. This is probably a youngster (his age is not asked for) passionate about UFOs and probably seeing them too often where there are only ordinary things.
Insufficient information, no strangeness.
* = 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 | February 23, 2008 | Creation, [rnc1], [spa2], [spa3]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 23, 2008 | First published. |
