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.

Case of Erstein, on August 16, 2000:

Case number:

ALSACAT-2000-08-16-ERSTEIN-1

Summary:

The "Ovnipage" website published an observation report from a witness who had contacted the webmaster, requesting anonymity.

This witness had indicated that on August 16, 2000, at 09:50 p.m. local time, he made an observation in Erstein in the Bas-Rhin, during about 6 seconds, of something that had moved in straight line from the Southeast to the North-East at a "slow" speed, the "speed of a bicycle."

The witness suddenly saw appear in the Pegasus constellation three bright spots "placed in a triangle."

The two spots at the bottom were brighter than the third. The space between the two brightest spots was a "thumb to index gap." The witness saw the sky between the spots. The phenomenon disappeared as if by extinction.

The webmaster of the website informed that all air traffic at Entzheim in the Bas-Rhin was diverted to Colmar Houssen in the Haut-Rhin due to landing strip repairs.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	August 16, 2000
Time:	09:50 p.m.
Duration:	6 seconds.
First known report date:	August 25, 2000
Reporting delay:	Hours, 9 days.

Geographical data:

Department:	Bas-Rhin
City:	Erstein
Place:	?
Latitude:	48.424
Longitude:	7.663
Uncertainty radius:	2 km

Witnesses data:

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

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	Contacted the webmaster of the "Ovnipage" UFO website.
Type of location:	?
Visibility conditions:	Night
UFO observed:	Yes
UFO arrival observed:	Yes
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:	?

Classifications:

Hynek:	NL
ALSACAT:	Probable satellites.

Sources:

[Ref. ope1:] WITNESS REPORT ON THE "OVNIPAGE" WEBSITE:

A636 France: Observation in Alsace

The witness who sent me the observation, wishes to remain anonymous.

Date: 08/16/2000

Time (local):09:50 p.m.

Duration: 6s approximately

Trajectory:straight line SE to NE

Speed: slow ( speed of a passing bicycle)

Place: ERSTEIN 67

Description: the witness saw suddenly appear in the Pegasus constellation 3 luminous dots placed in triangle.The 2 dots at the bottom were brighter than the 3rd°.The space between the 2 brightest spots was the space thumb-big finger.The witness saw the sky between the different dots. The phenomenon disappeared like if it was turned off

Note: one must know that all the aerial traffic from ENTZHEIM 67 (because of works of repair of the landing strip) was routed to COLMAR HOUSSEN 68

[Ref. ipi1:] WITNESS REPORT ON THE "IPANI" WEBSITE:

A636 France: Observation in Alsace

The witness who sent me the observation, wishes to remain anonymous.

Date: 08/16/2000

Time (local):09:50 p.m.

Duration: 6s approximately

Trajectory:straight line SE to NE

Speed: slow ( speed of a passing bicycle)

Place: ERSTEIN 67

Note: one must know that all the aerial traffic from ENTZHEIM 67 (because of works of repair of the landing strip) was routed to COLMAR HOUSSEN 68

[The "Ipani" webmaster did not credit the source.]

[Ref. uwb1:] "UFOWEB" WEBSITE:

2000/035 : Observation in Erstein department 67 on 08/16/00

The witness saw suddenly appear in the Pegasus constellation 3 luminous dots placed in triangle.The 2 dots at the bottom were brighter than the 3rd°.The space between the 2 brightest spots was the space thumb-big finger.The witness saw the sky between the different dots. The phenomenon disappeared like if it was turned off

Duration of observation: 6 seconds.

Source Ovnipage

UPDATED 08/25/00

Note: The web page starts with this caution warning; "WARNING: The information published in this section are given for information only. The possibilities of misinterpretations, hoaxes... are not ruled out."

[Ref. uwb2:] "UFOWEB" WEBSITE:

CITIES	DEPT	LATITUDES	LONGITUDES	YEARS
Erstein	67	53,802	5.915	2000

[Ref. uwb3:] "UFOWEB" WEBSITE:

Erstein		August 16, 2000 09:50 p.m.	Departement 67	Bas-Rhin
Erstein		August 16, 2000 09:50 p.m.	Latitude	Longitude
Witnesses	Objects	Shapes	53,802	5.915
1	3	Points	48° 25' 22''	07° 39' 42''
Type	Duration	Colors	Source
	6s		Ovnipage
The witness suddenly saw appearing at 09:50 p.m. in the Pegasus constellation 3 luminous dots placed in a triangle. The 2 dots at the bottom were brighter than the third. The space between the 2 brighter dots was the space between the thumb and the big finger. The witness saw the sky between the different dots. The phenomenon disappeared as if it had been turned off. Duration of the observation: 6 seconds.

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

City	Date and hour of observation	General shape Identification	General color Hypothesis	Conclusion
ERSTEIN	Wednesday 16 August 2000 at 21h50	luminous dot Unidentified	white Satellite	Strong hypothesis

Discussion:

One may smile at the mention that the three spots were "placed in a triangle." Three spots form a triangle by definition when it comes to their placement, they never form a rectangle, for example. But we should especially note that the witness, instead of imagining a "triangular UFO" as those made popular after the Hudson River and Belgian UFO flaps, said he saw the stars between the spots; which were therefore not lights attached to an opaque body.

Therefore I immediately think about the famous American satellites NOSS (Naval Ocean Surveillance System) that fly by three. Everything in the report matches, such as the "slow" flight, the straight line flight, disappearance etc. Four clusters of three NOSS-2 satellites were launched between 1990 and 1996, one of these triads could be what the witness saw. At the indicated hour, the satellites in their orbits would be lighted by the sun before moving to shade, while it is night on the ground.

Evaluation:

Probable satellites.

Sources references:

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

[ope1] * Witness report received and published on the Ovnipage website, France, not dated, at http://mephistope.homegnu.org/serveur/new-doc-html/o-v-n-i/ovnipage.htm
[ipi1] * Witness report republished on "Archives - AOUT 2000", on the IPANI ufology website, France, not dated, at http://ipani.free.fr/Archives/2000-Aout.html
[uwb1] * "Les observations en France en 2000", web page by the UFOweb ufology website, France, August 25, 2000, at http://ufoweb.free.fr/archives-2000.htm
[uwb2] * "67", listing by the UFOweb ufology website, France, circa 2003, at http://ufoweb.free.fr/67.htm
[uwb3] * Ufology website UFOweb, France, circa 2003, at http://ufoweb.free.fr/erstein.htm
[spa1] * "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
Editeur:	Patrick Gross

Changes history:

Version:	Create/changed by:	Date:	Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	December 18, 2014	Creation, [ope1], [ipi1], [uwb2], [uwb1], [uwb3].
1.0	Patrick Gross	December 18, 2014	First published.
1.1	Patrick Gross	June 11, 2015	Addition [spa1].

This page was last updated on June 11, 2015.