ALSACAT-2009-08-20-STRASBOURG-1
The SPICA Alsatian ufology association published on the web and in their bulletin for January 2010, that someone had reported a UFO sighting in Strasbourg, of August 20, 2009, at an exact time that the person does not know but which was between 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
The person said that in the clear sky that night, from his window in Strasbourg overlooking the west, he/she had, although in town, an acceptable view of the main stars.
He/she suddenly saw two bright spots emitting "flashes" in recurring ways at a frequency of the order of 1 flash every 1 to 2 seconds. Being used to see the planes approaching the Entzheim airport at this place, the person notes that the two dots were clearly higher in the sky, and, strangely enough, they moved in a zigzag, by round trips without any coherence.
It seemed to him/her that the distance traveled in these trips and returns was much greater than that between the traffic lights at the wingtips of a distant plane.
During 7 to 10 minutes, the two dots moved towards the south, he/she located them somewhere between Strasbourg and the Vosges. After disappearing from his field of vision for 5 minutes, the dots reappeared, moving this time to the north. During this move, one of the two points dots ceased to flash to stay fully lit, with a yellow light. At this point, the two dots went north following a linear trajectory, as if the lit dot was trying to catch up with the one that was blinking.
The witness reports that there was "no hallucinatory speed to note" and that "if there had not been the incoherent zigzag movement, the displacement was comparable in terms of speed to what one sees with conventional airliners."
| Date: | August 20, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Time: | Between 10:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. |
| Duration: | 7 to 10 minutes. |
| First known report date: | January 2010 |
| Reporting delay: | Day, 5 months. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Strasbourg |
| Place: | From home window in the city, UFO in the sky. |
| Latitude: | 48.580 |
| Longitude: | 7.740 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 5 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | ? |
| Witness(es) types: | ? |
| Reporting channel: | On the Web. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | From home window in city, UFO in the sky. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night |
| UFO observed: | Yes |
| UFO arrival observed: | No |
| UFO departure observed: | ? |
| Entities: | No |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | Puzzled. |
| Witnesses interpretation: | Not planes. |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Possible satellites. |
[Ref. spa1:] UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION "SPICA":
Source: SPICA Forum
Title: Ufo Strasbourg August 20, 2009
Message: Hello everyone, The evening of Thursday, August 20, 2009 between 10:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (I do not have the exact time unfortunately) I was able to see 1 strange phenomenon in the Alsatian sky. That night the sky was very clear and from my Strasbourg window overlooking the west I had an acceptable view (for a city) on the main stars. Suddenly I saw two bright spots emitting flashes in a recurring manners [sic] at a frequency of the order of 1 flash every 1 to 2 seconds. I usually see flying planes approaching Entzheim at this place, but these 2 points were significantly higher in the sky and extremely strange they moved in zigzag, to go back and forth without any coherence. Thus from one flash to another their position could vary from one go to one return where a plane moves linearly. It seemed to me that the gap between the round trips was quite important, in all cases much more than the flashes of 2 wings signaling on a distant plane. During 7-10 min. the 2 points moved south, I would situate them somewhere between Strasbourg and the Vosges. After disappearing from my field of vision for 5 minutes, they reappeared, this time moving north. During this move, one of the two points stopped issuing flashes to stay fully lit - yellow light. At that moment the 2 points went to the north following a linear trajectory... one would have thought that the lit point tried during all the maneuvers to catch the one that flashed. Last detail, there was no hallucinating speed to note... if there had not been the incoherent movement in zigzag, the displacement was comparable in terms of speed to what we see with classics airliners. If someone saw the same thing, give me your point of view.
Thank you
[Ref. spa2:] UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION "SPICA":
Strasbourg (67) 20 août 2009 entre 22h30 et 23h30 Source: Forum SPICA
Hello everyone, The evening of Thursday, August 20, 2009 between 10:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (I do not have the exact time unfortunately) I was able to see 1 strange phenomenon in the Alsatian sky. That night the sky was very clear and from my Strasbourg window overlooking the west I had an acceptable view (for a city) on the main stars. Suddenly I saw two bright spots emitting flashes in a recurring manners [sic] at a frequency of the order of 1 flash every 1 to 2 seconds. I usually see flying planes approaching Entzheim at this place, but these 2 points were significantly higher in the sky and extremely strange they moved in zigzag, to go back and forth without any coherence. Thus from one flash to another their position could vary from one go to one return where a plane moves linearly. It seemed to me that the gap between the round trips was quite important, in all cases much more than the flashes of 2 wings signaling on a distant plane. During 7-10 min. the 2 points moved south, I would situate them somewhere between Strasbourg and the Vosges. After disappearing from my field of vision for 5 minutes, they reappeared, this time moving north. During this move, one of the two points stopped issuing flashes to stay fully lit - yellow light. At that moment the 2 points went to the north following a linear trajectory... one would have thought that the lit point tried during all the maneuvers to catch the one that flashed. Last detail, there was no hallucinating speed to note... if there had not been the incoherent movement in zigzag, the displacement was comparable in terms of speed to what we see with classics airliners. If someone saw the same thing, give me your point of view.
[Ref. rnc1:] "RESEAU NATIONAL CIVIL DE SURVEILLANCE DU CIEL":
20/08/2009 - 22h30 - Bas-Rhin (67) - 2 points lumineux
De: Forum SPICA
Source: http://www.spica.org/faq.php?lng=fr&pg=&id=3
Citation:
Hello everyone, The evening of Thursday, August 20, 2009 between 10:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (I do not have the exact time unfortunately) I was able to see 1 strange phenomenon in the Alsatian sky. That night the sky was very clear and from my Strasbourg window overlooking the west I had an acceptable view (for a city) on the main stars. Suddenly I saw two bright spots emitting flashes in a recurring manners [sic] at a frequency of the order of 1 flash every 1 to 2 seconds. I usually see flying planes approaching Entzheim at this place, but these 2 points were significantly higher in the sky and extremely strange they moved in zigzag, to go back and forth without any coherence. Thus from one flash to another their position could vary from one go to one return where a plane moves linearly. It seemed to me that the gap between the round trips was quite important, in all cases much more than the flashes of 2 wings signaling on a distant plane. During 7-10 min. the 2 points moved south, I would situate them somewhere between Strasbourg and the Vosges. After disappearing from my field of vision for 5 minutes, they reappeared, this time moving north. During this move, one of the two points stopped issuing flashes to stay fully lit - yellow light. At that moment the 2 points went to the north following a linear trajectory... one would have thought that the lit point tried during all the maneuvers to catch the one that flashed. Last detail, there was no hallucinating speed to note... if there had not been the incoherent movement in zigzag, the displacement was comparable in terms of speed to what we see with classics airliners. If someone saw the same thing, give me your point of view.
Thank youi
[Ref. spa3:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA":
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRASBOURG | Thursday 20 August 2009 at 10:30 p.m. | luminous dot Unidentified |
white None |
Unsolved -lack of info |
|
I cannot give a definite explanation. However, some remarks can be made.
The zigzag appearance of the movement may be due to a natural atmosphere shake. This well-known and not too rare phenomenon can give a zigzag movement appearance to satellites.
The apparent change of direction can be explained as well. Sometimes satellites intersect. If it happens that they are no longer visible from a point of their trajectory, because they pass in the shadow of the earth for example, one can have the impression of satellite literally making a U-turn I did observe this once myself.
Here, it even happens that the "dots" disappeared from the witness's vision during 5 minutes; it is therefore not at all sure that the same "dots" came back, it could have been others.
Since there is no precise hour, it is of little use to check which satellites might have been seen. In one hour, the candidates are quite numerous.
Possible satellites.
* = 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, 2018 | Creation, [spa1], [spa2], [rnc1], [spa3]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 12, 2018 | First published. |
