ALSACAT-2009-09-25-GUNSTETT-1
On a web page of the Alsatian SPICA ufology Association, there was an account of an observation of, says the author "nothing terrifying" but which "may overlap with other testimonies."
The place was Gunstett in the Bas-Rhin, the time 08:58 p.m., the date September 25, 2009. The phenomenon was located in the constellation Hercules near the star HD157087, at AD: 17h20m, declination + 25 ° 32 ', azimuth 243 ° is West South West, elevation + 53 ° 51'.
These were two fixed "flashes", with no apparent movement of satellite or plane, 2 seconds apart, at the same location, both with a magnitude of -3, each lasting about 1/2 second, and being of white color.
The witness says he is quite used to differentiating satellites and planes and to follow their movement "even if we are more in the axis", he said that it had "nothing to do with an Iridium or any other satellite", that there were "no signs of port / starboard flashes of any plane."
He checked with a tracking application the possibilities of an Iridium satellite flash and found no match.
| Date: | September 25, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 08:58 p.m. |
| Duration: | 3 seconds. |
| First known report date: | September 26, 2009 |
| Reporting delay: | 1 day. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Gunstett |
| Place: | ?, UFO in the sky. |
| Latitude: | 48.914 |
| Longitude: | 7.763 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 1 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | Adult. |
| Witness(es) types: | ? |
| Reporting channel: | ? |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | ?, UFO in the sky. |
| 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: | Not a plane, not a saellite, not Iridium flash. |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Probable satellite flashes. |
[Ref. spa1:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:
|
Here is a quick report observed last night [sic]. Nothing terrifying but who knows, it may overlap with other testimonials.
Location: Gunstett
Local time: 08:58 p.m.
Direction: near the star Delta Her (To be precise, close to the star HD157087 in Hercules)
Equatorial coordinates of the phenomenon: AD: 17h20m Dec: + 25 ° 32 '
Azimuth: 243 ° (West South West)
Height: + 53 ° 51 '
Phenomenon observed:
2 fixed flashes (no apparent movement of satellite or aircraft) spaced 2 seconds at the same place. Magnitude -3 for both flashes. Each flash for about 1/2 second. White flash
No sign of an airplane (I am quite used to differentiate satellites and plane and to follow the movement even if one is more in the axis)
Nothing to do with an Iridium or any other satellite.
No signs of port / starboard flashes of a possible aircraft.
Here are the Iridiums for the last 48 hours: no sign
24 Sep
21:46:42
-2
12°
2° (N )
34.3 km (E)
-6
Iridium 22
25 Sep
06:50:54
-5
50°
169° (S )
7.0 km (W)
-8
Iridium 70
25 Sep
21:40:30
-0
13°
1° (N )
50.2 km (W)
-6
Iridium 25
26 Sep
05:35:57
-6
19°
14° (NNE)
6.7 km (E)
-6
Iridium 18
26 Sep
06:44:51
-2
50°
169° (S )
18.7 km (E)
-8
Iridium 64
[Ref. rnc1:] "RESEAU NATIONAL CIVIL DE SURVEILLANCE DU CIEL" WEBSITE:
|
09/25/2007 - 08:58 p.m. - Bas-Rhin (67) - 2 fixed flashes
Date: 09/25/2007
Hour: 08:58 p.m.
Place: Gunstett (Bas-Rhin - 67)
Observer: Not communicated
Source: http://www.spica.org/faq.php
Reported on: Not communicated
STORY:
Quote:
Here is a quick report observed last night [sic]. Nothing terrifying but who knows, it may overlap with other testimonials.
Location: Gunstett
Local time: 08:58 p.m.
Direction: near the star Delta Her (To be precise, close to the star HD157087 in Hercules)
Equatorial coordinates of the phenomenon: AD: 17h20m Dec: + 25 ° 32 '
Azimuth: 243 ° (West South West)
Height: + 53 ° 51 '
Phenomenon observed:
2 fixed flashes (no apparent movement of satellite or aircraft) spaced 2 seconds at the same place. Magnitude -3 for both flashes. Each flash for about 1/2 second. White flash
No sign of an airplane (I am quite used to differentiate satellites and plane and to follow the movement even if one is more in the axis)
Nothing to do with an Iridium or any other satellite.
No signs of port / starboard flashes of a possible aircraft.
Here are the Iridiums for the last 48 hours: no sign
24 Sep
21:46:42
-2
12°
2° (N )
34.3 km (E)
-6
Iridium 22
25 Sep
06:50:54
-5
50°
169° (S )
7.0 km (W)
-8
Iridium 70
25 Sep
21:40:30
-0
13°
1° (N )
50.2 km (W)
-6
Iridium 25
26 Sep
05:35:57
-6
19°
14° (NNE)
6.7 km (E)
-6
Iridium 18
26 Sep
06:44:51
-2
50°
169° (S )
18.7 km (E)
-8
Iridium 64
[Ref. tve1:] "VERITAS EUROPE" FORUM:
Re: Ufos monthly cases: January to December 2007
« Answer #1305 on: September 28, 2007 à 11:45:43 »
09/25//2007 Gunstett (67)
Here is a quick report observed last night [sic]. Nothing terrifying but who knows, it may overlap with other testimonials.
Location: Gunstett
Local time: 08:58 p.m.
Direction: near the star Delta Her (To be precise, close to the star HD157087 in Hercules)
Equatorial coordinates of the phenomenon: AD: 17h20m Dec: + 25 ° 32 '
Azimuth: 243 ° (West South West)
Height: + 53 ° 51 '
Phenomenon observed:
2 fixed flashes (no apparent movement of satellite or aircraft) spaced 2 seconds at the same place. Magnitude -3 for both flashes. Each flash for about 1/2 second. White flash
No sign of an airplane (I am quite used to differentiate satellites and plane and to follow the movement even if one is more in the axis)
Nothing to do with an Iridium or any other satellite.
No signs of port / starboard flashes of a possible aircraft.
Here are the Iridiums for the last 48 hours: no sign
24 Sep
21:46:42
-2
12°
2° (N )
34.3 km (E)
-6
Iridium 22
25 Sep
06:50:54
-5
50°
169° (S )
7.0 km (W)
-8
Iridium 70
25 Sep
21:40:30
-0
13°
1° (N )
50.2 km (W)
-6
Iridium 25
26 Sep
05:35:57
-6
19°
14° (NNE)
6.7 km (E)
-6
Iridium 18
26 Sep
06:44:51
-2
50°
169° (S )
18.7 km (E)
-8
Iridium 64
source: www.spica.org
|
The "Iridium flashes" that are "excluded" here is about the fact that the structure of the satellites of the Iridium network comprises three very reflective rectangular antennas, which send sunlight back to earth by "flashes", as a beam of light about 10 km in diameter at the surface of the Earth. These "flashes" are relatively brief and potentially very intense. The brightness coming from the satellite seems at first rather weak, then increases, then decreases again until no longer visible.
As the orbital parameters of these satellites are perfectly known, it is possible to determine precisely for a given place the hours and brightness of their "flashes". This is what the author of the report did.
What the author of the report did not do is to do the same thing for the other reflective satellites. Indeed, it is not only the satellites of the Iridium network that cause this phenomenon. Worse still, there are "out of control" Iridium satellites and only some software report their "flashes", and poorly known, or unknown, military satellites that can be sent into orbit long before the tracking software authors are up to date.
In other words, even if this or that application seems to not mention the possibility of an "iridium flash", we cannot completely exclude an explanation of this kind. The principle to adopt should be that if the report describes a "flash" of a satellite, it is probably just that.
Here we have not one but two successive "flashes". This is characteristic of an "out of control" satellite spinning much faster than it did initially when it was under control.
Probable satellite flashes.
* = 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 |
| Editeur: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | March 21, 2018 | Creation, [spa1], [rnc1], [tve1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | March 21, 2018 | First published. |
