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.

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Case of Colmar, on March 9, 2012:

Case number:

ALSACAT-2012-03-09-COLMAR-1

Summary:

Someone reported on the popular science web portal "Futura Science" that he saw two "glowing objects" above Colmar on March 9, 2012 at 07:15 p.m.

The first was going from north to south, at an "average speed", the witness stating: "It looked like a plane on fire... But a second object on the same trajectory appeared 3 seconds after the first one..."

The witness asked if others have seen it and added that he filmed it with his mobile phone.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	March 9, 2012
Time:	07:15 p.m.
Duration:	?
First known report date:	March 1, 2014, or earlier.
Reporting delay:	Hour, 2 years?

Geographical data:

Department:	Haut-Rhin
City:	Colmar
Place:	?
Latitude:	48.081
Longitude:	7.354
Uncertainty radius:	3 km

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	1
Number of known witnesses:	1
Number of named witnesses:	0
Witness(es) ages:	?
Witness(es) types:	?

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	On the web to popular science website.
Type of location:	City?
Visibility conditions:	Evening
UFO observed:	Yes
UFO arrival observed:	?
UFO departure observed:	?
Entities:	No
Photographs:	Yes, not published.
Sketch(s) by witness(es):	No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es):	No.
Witness(es) feelings:	?
Witnesses interpretation:	?

Classifications:

Hynek:	NL
ALSACAT:	Probable Chinese lanterns.

Sources:

[Ref. fse1:] WITNESS REPORT ON THE "FUTURA SCIENCE" WEB FORUM:

Glowing objects above Colmar, Alsace 3/9/2012 07:15 p.m.

Good evening,

I observed on 3/9/2012 at 07:15 p.m., 2 glowing objects above Colmar in Alsace, going from the north to the south, average speed. You would have sais a plane on fire... But a 2nd objects on the same trajectory than the first appeared 3 seconds after the 1st...

Did someone observe this phenomenon ??? I filmd it with my IPhone if needed...

Thanks for your answers .

Discussion:

This happens at nightfall, the night was complete just 10 minutes later.

Since the mid-2000s, it is very common to release Chinese lanterns in Alsace, at wedding parties for example.

I am unable for now to "scientifically prove" that this observation is explained by Chinese lanterns, but I do not think anyone could prove that this was something alien or something paranormal. The sighting report, quite sketchy, without position, duration, sizes, color, etc., opposes nothing to an explanation by Chinese lanterns.

Above: a Chinese lantern.

Evaluation:

Probable Chinese lanterns.

Sources references:

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

[fse1] * Message posted on the Astronomy and Astrophysics forum of the Futura Science website, France, not dated, found 2014, at http://forums.futura-sciences.com/astronomie-astrophysique/528866-objets-incandescents-dessus-de-colmar-alsace-9-3-2012-19-15-a.html

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	April 4, 2014	Creation, [fse1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	April 4, 2014	First published.

This page was last updated on April 4, 2014.