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 Russ, on September 2, 2011:

Case number:

ALSACAT-2011-09-02-RUSS-1

Summary:

A "UFOs and paranormal" blog published on September 18, 2011, an anonymized testimony about a "UFO Russ in the Bas-Rhin in Alsace in France."

It is said that with two friends, the witness observed above the village of Russ, on September 2, 2011, at about 09:40 p.m., a bright object of orange color flying slowly, lower a plane in a straight line. It stopped above the village at an altitude impossible to evaluate, for at least 1 minute.

There was no noise. With the binocular, it appeared as a "round object with orange circles below." The camera had no battery.

Then, still in complete silence, it moved up vertically until it disappeared completely at high altitude.

The observer says that it was neither a plane nor a helicopter or a balloon.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	September 2, 2011
Time:	~09:45 p.m.
Duration:	1 minute or more.
First known report date:	September 18, 2011
Reporting delay:	2 weeks

Geographical data:

Department:	Bas-Rhin
City:	Russ
Place:	In or near Russ, UFO in the sky.
Latitude:	48.496
Longitude:	7.258
Uncertainty radius:	1 km

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	3
Number of known witnesses:	1
Number of named witnesses:	0
Witness(es) ages:	?
Witness(es) types:	?

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	One of the witnesses to the UFO and paranormal blog by Christian Macé.
Type of location:	In or near village, UFO in the sky.
Visibility conditions:	Night
UFO observed:	Yes
UFO arrival observed:	?
UFO departure observed:	Yes
Entities:	No
Photographs:	No, no battery power.
Sketch(s) by witness(es):	No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es):	No.
Witness(es) feelings:	?
Witnesses interpretation:	Not a plane, not a balloon, not a helicopter.

Classifications:

Hynek:	NL
ALSACAT:	Possible Chinese lantern.

Sources:

[Ref. cme1:] CHRISTIAN MACE:

Ufo in Russ in the Bas-Rhin in Alsace in France

A big thank you to Marc who reported his testimony by email below. We did not indicate his name, becaus [sic] of discretion. The picture above is an old view, a frozen scene, in Russ... :

"Observation 09/2/2011

Marc

Hello,

With 2 friends, we onserved [sic] above the city of F 67130 Russ the following phenomenon on 09/2/2011 at about 9:40 p.m.. A bright orange flying object flying slowly lower than a plane in a straight line, stopped above the village (impossible to assess the altitude) for at least 1 minute, no noise, with the binocular a round object with orange circles below, the camera had no more battery. Then, still in complete silence it went away vertically until it disappeared completely at high altitude. I wonder if you this phenomenon was reported to you. I specify that it was neither a plane nor a helicopter or a balloon.

Thanks".

Discussion:

It flew lower than a plane, it was silent, it was of orange color, it was slow, so I quite agree that it was neither a plane nor a balloon or a helicopter.

But it has all the characteristics of a Chinese lantern...

Above: a Chinese lantern.

Evaluation:

Possible Chinese lantern.

Sources references:

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

[cme1] * "Ovni à Russ dans le Bas-Rhin en Alsace en France", on the OVNI-Paranormal blog, by Christian Macé, France, September 18, 2011, at http://ovniparanormal.over-blog.com/article-ovni-a-russ-dans-le-bas-rhin-en-alsace-en-france-84568034.html

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	November 19, 2014	Creation, [cme1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	November 19, 2014	First published.

This page was last updated on November 19, 2014.