ALSACAT-2003-08-05-LAMPERTHEIM-1
The Alsatian ufology association SPICA reported on their website an observation and photographs that occurred in the night of August 4 to 5, 2003, in Lampertheim.
The witness was sleeping under the stars to enjoy the cool of the night, and at 04:45 a.m., local time, he woke up and saw a bright spot which, by opening his eyes, gave him the impression to cross a part of the sky, and then it became motionless.
Then well awake, he observed that light, which in about an hour had moved 10° in the sky from east to west.
With the photos made by the witness, and because he had kept ground landmarks, the SPICA was able to establish the exact azimuths of the light in each photo, in addition, because the photos were taken with a digital camera, they had the exact time of each photo.
With all this data, the SPICA established using astronomical ephemeris that each of the positions corresponded to Mars.
As Mars was closest to Earth it ever was for 73,000 years, and very bright, the SPICA expected that many people with little knowledge of astronomy would report the planet as a strange light or even a UFO, especially when it rose with its light crossing a thick layer of Earth's atmosphere, causing to their own surprise apparent "jumps" due to the natural movement of the eyes.
| Date: | August 5, 2003 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 04:45 a.m. |
| Duration: | 1 hour or more. |
| First known report date: | 2003 |
| Reporting delay: | Days, weeks. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Lampertheim |
| Place: | Outdoors, UFO in the sky. |
| Latitude: | 48.651 |
| Longitude: | 7.697 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 3 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | ? |
| Witness(es) types: | ? |
| Reporting channel: | Listing of sightings by the regional ufology group SPICA. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | Outdoors, UFO in the sky. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes |
| UFO arrival observed: | No |
| UFO departure observed: | ? |
| Entities: | No |
| Photographs: | Yes. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Mars. |
[Ref. spa1:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:
|
Photo taken by the witness
On the night from August 4 to 5, 2003, the witness was sleeping under the stars to enjoy the cool of the night.
Around 4:45 am, local time, he wakes up and sees a bright spot which, by opening eyes, gave him the impression of having crossed a part of the sky, and then is fixed. Awake, he observed that light; which in the space of an hour, moves 10° in the sky from east to west. With photos made by the witness, and as he kept landmarks on the ground, we could establish the exact azimuths of each photo, moreover, since the photos were made with a digital camera, we had the exact time of each photo. Using all his data, we were able to establish with astronomical ephemeris, that each of the positions corresponded to Mars.
Mars is currently closest to Earth, this since 73000 years, and very bright, we expect that many people, having little astronomical knowledge, might report seeing that star as intriguing or even as a UFO. Indeed, when it rises, we see it through a large layer of Earth's atmosphere. Even us were surprised by the jumps that it made in the sky at that time. These jumps are due to the natural movement of our eyes.
[Ref. jbo1:] JUAN-VICENTE BALLESTER-OLMOS:
This ufologist lists that on 05/08/2003 there was a UFO photo case explained as "Astronomical, Mars" in Lampertheim, Bas Rhin (France).
The source is given as: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/association.spica/ufologieenquete.htm
[Ref. spa2:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAMPERTHEIM | Tuesday 5 August 2003 at 04:00 | luminous dot Planetary astronomy |
red Planetary astronomy |
Solved |
|
Case solved.
Mars.
* = 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 | September 10, 2015 | Creation, [spa1], [jbo1], [spa2]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | September 10, 2015 | First published. |
