ALSACAT:

31-03-2014 - (Dép.67) - Green ball surrounded by a white luminous halo leaving a trail of yellow orange color

Date: 31-03-2014

Department: 67 (Bas-Rhin)

Localization: Gertwille 67140

Hour: 22h36

Numbers [sic] of witnesses: 2 persons

Type of observation: NL: Nocturnal Lights

Approximate duration of the observation: 10 seconds

What was seen: Green ball surrounded by a white luminous halo leaving a trail of yellow orange color

Description of the facts:

On the evening of March 31, 2014, me and my friends were walking towards Gertwiller 67140 on a road known as "of the Lords" along the railroad from Barr to Gertwiller when my sidekick called my attention to a ball of white light that moved in the sky. It went from white to a strong green light surrounded by a white halo and leaving behind a long wide trail yellow orange. You could hear as it passed by a noise like a buzz. Its size is much greater than that of an airliner. This comparison is objective since we often get to see planes taking off from the airport of Strasbourg-Entzheim. The "ball" seemed to be at high altitude because it was largely higher than the Mount Sainte Odile peaking at 764 meters. It came from the southwest and moved towards the northeast. We observed this "ball" less than 10 seconds; The sky was cloudy but we could see a few stars. When the phenomenon disappeared, I watched the hour on my mobile, it was 10:36 p.m.. This very impressive and beautiful "ball" must certainly have been a meteor.

Archangel

meteorite March 31, 2014

question asked on 03/31/2014 by Marie, from Gerstheim

Good evening, I saw, on March 31, 2014, at about 10:30 p.m., an impressionnante meteorite. It was clearly visible from Alsace and it was there during almost 10 second in the sky. It had a trail of fire, the edge of this trail was green. What do you know about this meteorite ? Where does it come from ? I'd like to get as much information as possible. Thank you

---

answer on 03/31/2014, by Didier Jamet

it was what astronomers call a bolide, or also a fireball. It is actually a very large shooting star. The green trail is die to the ionisation od the molecules of the atmosphere, especially oxygen. To know where it comes from, it would be necessary to determine its trajectory; which may become possible if cameras managed to recor traces of its passing.

31-03-2014 23:35:53 | Dramar

Also Seen in the Haut Rhin at about 10:30 p.m.. Impressive to see, bug magnificent

31-03-2014 23:45:30 | Thafournel

I also saw it in the bas RHIN in drachenbronn 67160 at about 10:40 p.m. i saw a large green luminous ball with a large trail of fire in the sky it lasted several seconds, but very nice sad I couldn't film it.
good evening

31-03-2014 23:50:38 | Tatiana

Also seen on the side of Mulhouse it was magnificient but very impressive at about 10:30 p.m.

31-03-2014 23:51:16 | Nico

Good evening,

i have no psychiatric history, i do not smoke, and seldom drink. My eyes are very fine.
Yet I doubted my mental state because i was the only one who saw it, i took pictures but not of very good quality, but one nevertheless sees this ball of light very well.

So even if I hoped it would be iron man lol I'm happy that I'm not the only one who saw it and I will be able to show my friends that I'm not crazy
thanksssssssss

31-03-2014 23:55:27 | Nico

PS : Seen in strasbourg

01-04-2014 00:01:01 | christian girard

seen also from Hindlingen between Dannemarie and Seppois le Bas; same observations and friends saw it from Erstein and Rheinfelden
good evening

01-04-2014 00:21:12 | Victor

Good evening,

I observed the same phenomenon that you describe in Strasbourg (Robertsau). I didn't believe my eyes at first, thinking of fireworks... But it does not produce any sound and it really had the trajectory of a shooting star... Happy to hev been the witness of such a meteorite !
I'm also very curious to know where it comes from :)

01-04-2014 00:27:00 | marco

Seen in issenheim near Guebwiller at about 10h30 pendant 10-15 seconds .. a true ball of fire!

01-04-2014 00:27:49 | chloé

i also saw at about 10:35 p.m. in Strasbourg (cronenbourg) with a friend we thougt we dreamd but wer not crazy !!!!

01-04-2014 00:36:14 | Kamel

Seen from neuf-brisach (haut-Rhin)

Never saw that in my life vie!!! it was exceptional, this huge white ball with a trail that lasted long seconds and was going to the east!

01-04-2014 00:38:58 | dorian

Good evening isaw this marvelous thing pass in the sky of blue green color followed of fire this was beautiful to see but I cant realize i saw that thing . It happened in the vicinity of 10:30 p.m. as whished wed like to know what it is exactly and where does this phenomenon come from thanks :)

01-04-2014 00:43:47 | Yomi

Hello everybody , for a while i didnt want to believe what i had just seen !!!!Its good that i again found this website , haha i admi t also that after this flame that turned off o my eyes i was fritened if there had been a impact after that!! I live next to the moselle Luxembourg.. But very very happy i saw such an impresive phenomenon

01-04-2014 00:46:30 | Bruno

Seen in the full middle of Strasbourg, u thought the end was near ...but no !

01-04-2014 00:49:29 | dorian

Ps: I saw it from selestat (alsace)

01-04-2014 01:03:47 | sandrine

Seen this ball of fire with a green and blue trail in cernay at about 10:30 p.m.. impressive becase quite low in the sky. and it did not seem to have crashed, but changed into a star !!? is this possible ?.. anyway it was very beautiful..

01-04-2014 01:32:24 | jojo

pareil truc de ouuuuuufffffff en alsaceeee chokéééé

01-04-2014 01:43:13 | mike

Good evening jai vue cette enorme boulle of fire a22h45 a lauterbourg alsace je suis encore sous le choc

01-04-2014 02:32:45 | Damien

I saw it also from epinal (88) it was magnificent i didnt even thought to filme and its lasted 10 second

01-04-2014 05:33:44 | Jérémy

I saw it in soufflenheim at about 10:30 p.m., really magnificient !!!!

01-04-2014 06:42:39 | dedel

Seen in soultz at 10:30 p.m.. I had never seen that its very impressive. But magnificent all the same and proud i saw it.

01-04-2014 07:23:20 | jean-sébastien

See also from Lunéville (54) - A magnificent and unreal display! Happy to read I was not the only one to observe it!

01-04-2014 07:24:19 | Marie

Hello,

We saw it last night at about 10:35 in the Val-de-Ruz (Neuchâtel, Switzerland) pass from west to east then above Chaumont. Incredible and magnificent observation that we had the chance to see in family.

01-04-2014 09:34:54 | Alexandra

Seen in seltz in the bas-Rhin ;) i also thought ot a meteorite.. On the moment not raessured at all ^ ^

01-04-2014 09:38:07 | wally

We also saw it pass by at about 10:20 p.m. in our sky of the village we live in at 10km from Benfeld. Very niice surprise and never saw such a phenomenon in 40 years.

01-04-2014 09:42:48 | Céline

Spotted in Altkirch at about 10:34 p.m.. magnificient, a bit scary all the same : I listened for impacte after having lost "the thing" from sight!

01-04-2014 09:58:43 | Loic

Seen from Tavey in the Haute-saône also at 10:30 its true that it was quite impressive...

01-04-2014 10:12:28 | Luc

Hello,

My testimony may be useful to localizer the trajectory of the object:

I was in Metz, rue des Allemands at about 10:30 p.m., on 03/31/2014. The luminescent thing passed at my vertical, and I was able to follow it during seven seconds.

Therue des Allemands at this place has an West/East axis, it is quite narrow, allowing to observe only the portion of sky that is between the two buildings on each side of the street. On the other hand, it is continued on a straight line for more than 100 meters, which gives a very tight viewing space but quite clear in this axis.

With a friend, we were awestruck. I gently pulled her arm : i immediately thought about the russian meteor last year, and I expected to experience the shock wave !

Intense light but not blinding, surrounded of an emerald colored ring that was more in the tail of the object. The altter was short, its dimension did not exceed that of the body but maybe this description is flawed by the angle if the observation. No trail behind it.

I had never observeda similar phenmomenon ! impressive, and terribly exciting, although a bit sad at the modest place we have in the universe.

01-04-2014 10:14:16 | Thierry

I was watching TV in Molsheim (Bas-Rhin). Its luminosity by the window caught my attention. I had the time to stand up from the armchair, to go up to the window, to pull the curtain for better seeing, then to open the window and to admire it for still another 2 seconds approximately befire it ended its course in the direction of Strasbourg in the East. It seemed to ma to have been slowe than the usual shooting stars, this is why the duration of the observation was quite long.

01-04-2014 10:17:08 | Thibaut

Heloo seen last nigt at about 10:32 in Strasbourg Neuhof, a light green ball during 5 to 7 seconds , trajectory neudorf airfield Germany , it was impressive !

01-04-2014 10:19:36 | Eka

Seen also from Eschau and impressed by the proximity and duration of the phenomenon. I thing I was able to see the shape of the meteorite so close it had seemed to me. I'd like to be able to see it again without the fright and surprise to be able to enjoy 100% of the beauty of the display.

01-04-2014 10:56:32 | Phil

Also seen in Metz at about 10h30 , very beautiful display .

01-04-2014 11:25:17 | Minnea

Also seen in Ingersheim at about 10:35 as I was walking my dog. Direction west-east. it was beautiful. I thought that little green men finally came to get me. and then, i told to myself it was a meteor.

01-04-2014 11:29:45 | Niko

hi everybody,

seen in Hindisheim at abouts 10:30 for 5 seconds , it was magical!!!!!

01-04-2014 11:38:53 | Florian

Seen in Mulhouse at about 10:30. Simply magnificent, the nicest thing i had seen crossing the sky.

01-04-2014 11:47:08 | Christian

Hello, i am an amateur astronomee and had the chance to observe this bolide yesterday from Schiltigheim.

At 22:31, about 30° above the horizon in the North-East quarter
trajectory of the bolide west -> east.
I saw it appear above Casiopea [sic] and could follow it until Arcturus!

The head was very dazzling , i'd say -15 magnitude at least (or strong[er])
Tail of the object starting on a superb green to end in crimson red.
i think the tail was 15° or evenr 20° long.

really superb.

01-04-2014 12:03:13 | Frank

Seen in Aschaffenburg (Allemagne) exactement 22h33, direction Nordouest-Sudest. A video from Ulm (Germany): www.sternhimmel-ueber-ulm.de/scratch/M20140331_203341_2.WMV

01-04-2014 12:10:38 | nicolas

Seen in cernay (68700) at about 10:30, frankly magnificent ,of all my life until now ,never saw an extraordinary thing !!!!!

01-04-2014 12:11:39 | Jordy

Seens in Custines in Lorraine also .

01-04-2014 13:25:33 | CéliaYolo

Seen also in Strasbourg. Impressive !

01-04-2014 13:44:06 | Colette

I also saw this green ball in Strasbourg, Robertsau. Happy to learn i did not dream !

01-04-2014 13:53:00 | ju Cawdrey

coming back from Berne near Olten in Switzerland Thought it was an asteroid Beautiful

01-04-2014 14:01:46 | fanny

Seen in Metz not far from the Pompidou center at about 10:30 i flipped a lot and nobody saw it lol

01-04-2014 14:14:32 | bunny

magnificent, extraordinary, i was with two friends, so i did not hallucinate ! an immense ball of fire with a superb trail of crimson color from West to East in Raedersheim .In our life we had never seen a thing so nice in the sky.

01-04-2014 14:20:17 | Saori Jo, Ghislaine and Sandra

We were three friends coming out of our Tai-Chi class in a Zen attitude, when at 10:35 approximately in Niederbronn, passed above our heads what strongly resembled a meteorite. a luminous mass followed by two long trails of orange color. Pity for those who saw it like us, because today my friends with whom I was are goinf to tell it at work and will be called two April's fool pranksters poor girls. Like France 3 [TV] who takes the opportunity to do a nice one starting from this real fact. arggggh !!!! Anyway it was a pure magical oment that we will never forget. We has emotion and fright too we must admit it.

01-04-2014 15:02:11 | Juanita

Hello my mate Juan also saw it in strasbourg but he is very shy so i post it for him lol

01-04-2014 15:08:28 | donato

Seen between entre soultz and bollwiller magnificent.....but careful they are among ud ......^^_

01-04-2014 15:39:48 | Guy

Same things from Gertwiller 67140 It changed from the white to a strong green light surrounded of a white halo leavinf behind it a large and long yellow orange trail. One could hear when it passed like a buzzing sound. We observed this bolde for less than 10 seconds ; the sky was cloudy but a few stars were visible. When the phenomenon disapeared, i looked at the watch on my cellphone, it was 10:36.

01-04-2014 17:14:00 | wuma

i was lazily looking the big dipper and this ball of green fire with this magnificent trail called by by my strasbourg window. A ufo !!! I guessed it was a meteorite,its too nice

01-04-2014 18:20:48 | Billy

Amateur astronomer and musicien, member of the Confrérie des Gardiens de la meteorite d'Ensisheim (yes, yes, it exists!), i was leaving rehearsal in Soultz (68) with the drummer of the band when the phenomenon occurred. I observed lots of shooting stars and even another bolide one night above Mulhouse about 15 years ealrier,this one meteorite had an exceptional luminosity : magnitude quite above -10 (the more its in the negative the brighter it it), green color and spectacular trail of gas. I lost it behind houses above the eastern horizon. An unforgettable display!

01-04-2014 18:33:09 | lucas

Seen from Cernay (haut-rhin) at about 10h30 magnificent !!

01-04-2014 18:44:40 | Lionel Dagnicourt

Seen this monrning April 1st at 6:17 ball with gaseous green trail at the vertical of the village of Le pont (vallée de joux) in Switzerland, according to my estimate it could have passed above the Geneva lake towards Italy..but I'm not sure. Its speed...oh my, like a shooting Star. Lionel

01-04-2014 19:45:59 | Cedric

Idem, seen the meteorite yesterday night, on March 31, 2014, at 22:35 exactly from Kaysersberg (68)

I'd say the trajectory was roughly Munster => Ribeauvillé Real distance and size : impossible to define...

If you ever hear of a newspaper article of picture in the next day about that, I would be interested to know how this small meteorite ended :)

Thanks

01-04-2014 19:53:04 | jacques

Seen also in Kaysersberg during 7 to 8 seconds at 22:31 in a west-east axis.
ball of fire with a very luminous tail
Very beautiful and impressive.
It is the first time I see such a phenomenon.

01-04-2014 20:10:49 | Doerenbecher Alain

01-04-2014 alain

Rixheim(East Mulhouse)

magnificient display of a bolide moving from West to East at about 10: 35 on 01/31/14. About 30° on NNE horizon.

Visions too rare unfortunately.

01-04-2014 21:08:21 | JOELLE

Good evening,i was also able to observe this superb phenomenon hier soir avec deux amies in the sky de Taintrux Vosges elle se dirigeait vers l'Alsace coté col du Bonhomme .Il was 22h30 à ce moment là.

01-04-2014 21:14:43 | Laura

Ouuuahhh so it was that !! I also saw it at about 10:30 above the Neudorf and indeedit was heading to Germany... It seemed so close .... Magical !!

01-04-2014 21:49:11 | Eric

Also saw it in the Meuse in Étain at about 10h30 in the same west-east axis. blue-green ball with a very nice trail. Display of a rare beauty.

01-04-2014 21:57:25 | winter

i saw meteroite in ingwiller at about 10:35 ; a part of the sky became red!

01-04-2014 22:36:54 | eric

Seen in Ungersheim near guebwiller at 10:30 p.m.

01-04-2014 23:23:36 | Cath

i was able to follow this large ball of fire during several seconds
In Eckwersheim, Strasbourg north at about 10:30
It was indeed going from the morthwest to the southeast, it headed to the south of the Black Forest, Germany
Very impressive, very luminous and silent....
If you know more about its origine...its trajectory in the universe...
It must have passed very near to our planet...didn't it ?

01-04-2014 23:25:54 | Da Silva

I have seen also in TALANGE next to Metz in lorraine at about 11:40 p.m.

01-04-2014 23:30:24 | quentin

Seen behind the town hall of strarsbourg, nice green light 3 seconds of observation ,nice experience , trajectory roughly koenigsoffen-neuhof super is someone has photos ?

02-04-2014 00:44:33 | Meissa

Good evening me I saw it while coming back from Metz direction Boulay at about 10h !!j i was on the highway i was with my daughters who were very frightened and thought it was a star that was fallingfrom the sky !!

02-04-2014 08:42:46 | Florentine

Me too i saw it, i came out of SOultz-ss-foret at about 10:30 by car, nice ball of fire yellow-green that slowly diminished intil it disapeared. Impressive and magnificent. Thanks to Didier Jamet for the explanations on the matter.

02-04-2014 11:47:21 | jason

Hello, me too seen from Ostwald at about 10:30 pm!

02-04-2014 14:02:39 | Clément.F

Hello, I saw it in Deyvillers (Vosges) at about 10:30 when it passed from white to green then white again, the chang of color gave the impression it was getting bigger thus closer, I thought it was going to fall in the area. I observed it for about 10 seconds and it was going at a very impressive pace, now I understand why on feels helpless if an asteroid came in direction of the earth, anyway very happy to have seen such a beautiful phenomenon.

02-04-2014 14:07:52 | resweber

Seen between Ballersdorf and Altkirch in the Haut Rhin. I made a wish : since the size of theshooting star, it should come true !!!

02-04-2014 15:38:30 | David.H

Hello, I also saw this huge shooting star in Essert, very near to Belfort. On the moment I believed it was a plane and then I looked up to the stars : on seeing the trails and the colors, i told to myself that it was not a meteorite (I saw the one that fell in russia last year and made a lot of damaged). Without thinking it was a shooting star, i nevertheless made a wish, so happy to have seen such a big phenomenon. and about ten second later, ended crossing the sky.

02-04-2014 17:40:20 | Pascal.W

Seen also from the Vosges ST DIE sector.

02-04-2014 19:52:19 | Ashton

Seen from Vermes near Delémont.. Direction west-east.. What is the closest observatory?

02-04-2014 20:15:59 | Jacky. H

Good evening, i was also suprized by this bolide at about 10:20 in the west of Strasbourg. magnificient ball of fire with a greenish trail, moving at the speed of a plane! I am sorry I did not take a photo, I was so awestruck by this phenomenon. Tonight in the Zapping of Canal [TV show] they showed a car damaged by a meteorite... was this the end of our bolide?

02-04-2014 21:35:32 | French

I did not see the start of the trajectory of the bolide and the public lighting did not allow me to locate the trajectory with precision. Nevertheless, I consider that the bolide must have had a very flat angle relative to the atmosphere sinc it crossed a good part of itat a slightly decreasing height. First I thuoght it was a space junk reentry of a satellite debris given the slowliness of the phenomenon. But i was still faster than the ISS for example that crosses the sky. That dais, I had no idea of its distance, thus its own speed. The color was very peculiar, kinf like mercury vapor lamp. The light was steady, no jumps, brighter than Venus. Direction North-East, passage under the Big Dipper.

02-04-2014 23:12:44 | Michel

hello, as a superman fan , i thought some kryptonite was falling to the earth ( who knows ? ), in conclusion a magnificent spectacle...

03-04-2014 00:00:05 | manu

Happy to read these messages. Same I saw a sharp light that fell from the sky at good speed on the side of Nancy at about 10:30. Impressed, I talked about it to my relatives, who were skepical

03-04-2014 08:56:51 | SAUVAGE JEAN-LUC

I well saw this huge luminous blue green ball that seemed to move more in an horintal manner than a vertical manner in the approximate direction west-east.

It was 10:34 p.m. on the clock of my freebox .Its dimension was much larger than that of the shooting stars usually observed .

Thinking of the projector of an helicopter in night manoeuvre , i went out on my terrace and the observed phenomenon was totally silent . Its very high speed only aloowed me to observe it for a few seconds . I live in Saint Dié des vosges

03-04-2014 09:12:11 | Stéphane

Seen also in Amnéville in the Moselle. Everybody laughed at me whan I told about it. It was not an april's fool joke...

03-04-2014 10:58:49 | Marine

I saw a shooting star last nigt (02.04) after 11 p.m. in Schiltigheim ! :-)

03-04-2014 19:54:27 | PEYNAUD

I was able tpo see, from my balcony in Mulhouse, a shooting star of a particular luminosity, surrounded of a halo, crossing the sky from West to East during about five seconds.

03-04-2014 23:10:47 | Elisabeth de Montigny

Good evening,

Monday, March 31 at about 10:30 p.m.: we were a dozen friends coming out of a dancing class in Uttenheim (Bas-Rhin) and we all witnessed this display : huge white shooting star with trail of green, blue and red color and end of a very luminous white : it was magnificient and so weird! Happy to learn we weren't the only ones!

04-04-2014 08:52:38 | manuela

hello like the previous message by luc i observed the same thing i have a big window this luminous ball rushed from behind the tress i could follow it with my eyes it seemed to be in front of my window then it disaperard it had very slow speed ,without bruit , withoutan traille strange

04-04-2014 21:34:48 | fridom

Seen also from BERGHOLTZZELL at 10:35 p.m., like a large ball of fire that passed slowly towards the east, i opened the window expecting a big sound impact, but nothing.

04-04-2014 23:26:11 | Bénédicte

seen also from Gérardmer at 10:30 p.m. large ball green trail going towards Alsace!

08-04-2014 10:46:53 | Manon

Saw i also at about 10:30 p.m. on March 31 in GERMANY, in Wiesbaden.

I thought it was a shooting star very bright an[d] that lasted very long but no. thanks for the explanations.

12-08-2014 23:04:48 | Pascal

Seen in the East of Strasbourg, ball of fire with long trail on August 12, 2014 at 10:50 p.m.