ALSACAT-1987-11-15-HAUT-RHIN-1
In their ufology bulletin La Ligne Bleue Survolée? #17 of 1987, the ufology group Cercle Vosgien Lumières Dans la Nuit quoted a dispatch from Agence France Presse or a press article of November 16, 1987, headlined "Unidentified flying object in the Haut-Rhin sky", saying:
Mulhouse (AFP) -- Many people said that they had observed yesterday around 6:30 p.m. in the sky of the Upper Rhine, a luminous object of oblong shape and ending in a comet's tail.
The object which moved from East to West, then disintegrated into three small orange balls. It is assumed to be the disintegration of a satellite or a rocket stage.
| Date: | November 15, 1987 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 6:30 p.m. |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | November 15, 1987 |
| Reporting delay: | Hour, 1 day. |
| Department: | Haut-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | ? |
| Place: | ? |
| Latitude: | 47.859 |
| Longitude: | 7.236 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 50 km. |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | Numerous. |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 0 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | ? |
| Witness(es) types: | ? |
| Reporting channel: | Press agency AFP. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | ? |
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| 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: | ? |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Probable rocket debris. |
[Ref. lbs1:] UFOLOGY BULLETIN "LA LIGNE BLEUE SURVOLEE?":
|
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 16 - REGIONAL NEWS
"UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT IN THE HAUT-RHIN SKY"
Mulhouse (AFP) -- Many people said that they had observed yesterday around 6:30 p.m. in the sky of the Upper Rhine, a luminous object of oblong shape and ending in a comet's tail.
The object which moved from East to West, then disintegrated into three small orange balls. It is assumed to be the disintegration of a satellite or a rocket stage.
The re-entry of space debris is of course the explanation that best fits the poorly detailsreport.
The cadisate I found was a "Proton-K Blok-DM-2" Russian rocket that was launched on December 10, 1987, to put the Raduga 21 commincation satellite in orbit.
The New York Times for December 14, 1987, Section A, page 21, told of a re-entry on DEcember 12, 1987, over the USA:
People from Montana to Mississippi reported vivid streaks of light in the night sky Saturday after a disintegrating rocket that had been used to launch a Soviet satellite burned up in the atmosphere. It put on a fireworks show with "spectacular, beautiful colors."
[...]
The light show was caused by the re-entry of the Soviet rocket used to launch the Raduga 21 communications satellite Thursday, said Maj. Alex Mondragon of the United States Space Command in Colorado Springs, Colo.
As the "Proton-K" was a three-stages rocket, here topped with a "Blok DM-2" part, it is quite possible, I think, that not all parts entered the atmosphere at exactly the same date, so I think it is possible that debris of this rocket could explain this report.
Probable rocket debris.
* = 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 12, 2023 | Creation, [lbs1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 12, 2023 | First published. |
