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 Griesheim-près-Molsheim, on January 27, 2012:

Case number:

ALSACAT-2012-01-27-GRIESHEIM-1

Summary:

In a listing of UFO sighting reports in the Haut-Rhin on their website, the Alsatian ufology association SPICA noted that on Friday, January 27, 2012, at an unspecified hour, in Griesheim in the Bas-Rhin, one - or more - orange luminous dots were seen.

SPICA said they have no explanation to offer, for lack of information.

On their website there was an email report they received from a resident of Griesheim-Pres-Molsheim, having distinguished in the sky on Saturday, January 28, 2012, at about 05:30 p.m. to 06:00 p.m., five shapes "strongly resembling stars, but the branches of the upper and lower ones were long and much shorter on the sides, 6-pointed star, of very bright orange color."

They moved slowly from west to east and eventually disappeared behind the clouds.

The witness said he told about it to a work colleague one following morning and the latter assured he saw the same thing, also above Griesheim, but the night before, Friday, January 27, 2012.

This colleague came from Strasbourg by the highway and took the Rosheim exit, when he saw five "fireflies" of bright orange color on the left side of the motorway; which puts them above Griesheim.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	January 27, 2012
Time:	05:30 p.m.
Duration:	?
First known report date:	2015
Reporting delay:	Hours, 3 years.

Geographical data:

Department:	Bas-Rhin
City:	Griesheim-prés-Molsheim
Place:	?
Latitude:	48.503
Longitude:	7.529
Uncertainty radius:	1 km

Witnesses data:

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

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	Second hand web report to the regional ufology association SPICA.
Type of location:	?
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:	?

Classifications:

Hynek:	?
ALSACAT:	Probable Chinese lanterns.

Sources:

[Ref. spa1:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:

Griesheim (67) 01/28/2012

Source: email to SPICA

I live in Griesheim Près Molsheim, on Saturday, 01/28/2012 at 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. I distinguish in the sky 5 shapes strongly resembling stars, but the branches of the upper and lower parts were long and much shorter on the sides, 6-pointed star, very bright orange color, they slowly moved from the West to the East and finally disappeared behind the clouds, by reporting these facts to a colleague at work this morning, he claims to have seen the same thing also above Griesheim, but by Friday evening the 01/27/2012 he was coming to Strasbourg by the highway and took the Rosheim exit, when he sees these 5 "fireflies" of bright orange color on the left side of the Highway, which refers to Griesheim.

Thanks to let me know if other witnesses come forward.

Cordialement

[Ref. spa2:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:

City	Date and hour of observation	General shape Identification	General color Hypothesis	Conclusion
GRIESHEIM	Friday 27 January 2012	luminous dot Unidentified	orange None	Unsolved -lack of info

Discussion:

On June 17, 2015, I commented:

"Unfortunately I found no other source and no more information."

"All I can say is that most "orange luminous dots" mistaken for UFOs in Alsace in the 2000's reveal to be Chinese lanterns."

"Let's note a similar sighting the next day in Griesheim too."

On September 1st, 2015, I found the witness report [spa1]; which confirms the possibility of Chinese lanterns, in both cases reported.

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] * "Observations d'OVNIS", web page on the website of the SPICA Alsatian ufology association, France, not dated, page deleted, copy from my personal archive.
[spa2] * "DEPARTEMENT 67 - BAS-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_67.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	June 17, 2015	Creation, [spa2].
1.0	Patrick Gross	June 17, 2015	First published.
1.1	Patrick Gross	September 1, 2015	Addition [spa1]. Explanations changed from "Possible Chinese lanterns, insufficient information." to "Probable Chinese lanterns". Summary changed except paragraph 1. Discussion updated.

This page was last updated on September 1, 2015.