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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 Masevaux, on June 3, 2012:

Case number:

ALSACAT-2012-06-03-MASEVAUX-1

Summary:

"Hervé" reported his 15 minutes observation of June 3, 2012, at about 00:30 a.m. or 01:00 a.m. to the UFO website "OVNI-France":

He said his nephew had come to his home to make his first astronomical observations because the moon was almost full. There was not much to see so Hervé pointed the telescope towards Saturn and Mars and then sought Andromeda; which was not easy because of the moonlight.

Then he saw an orange light comparable to a star.

He did not wonder about it and continued his search in the telescope's viewfinder. Then he looked up and where the first light had been, saw four orange-colored dots that were not there previously.

Both observed these four lights and two others came up from behind the mountain, moving slowly.

He pointed his telescope on those lights, while the nephew was trying to film them. By the telescope, he saw three bright spots but not much more, and his nephew failed to film it because it was too dark and they were too far away.

The lights gradually decreased in intensity, except for one which he said was the first they saw. By the telescope eyepiece, he saw the latest light; which also seems to decrease in intensity, to also disappear.

Both were very excited by this observation and continued to scrutinize the stars in search of other appearances.

They saw a "flash of light like lightning" but without the thunderous noise.

Sometime later, the nephew noticed another light above of another mountain, lower, but viewed with a 25x100 binocular it was the same kind of orange light. The time to point the telescope, it was gone.

He noted another fact which he said to be negligible and probably explainable: lights in the mountain forest. He thinks it was probably a four-wheeler on a forest path. He thinks he should report it anyway as it had also attracted their attention.

He states that the viewing direction was towards the Hundsruck Pass or Bourbach-le-Haut, viewed from Masevaux - this means in was in their Northeast.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date: June 3, 2012
Time: ~00:30 a.m. or ~01:00 a.m.
Duration: 15 minutes.
First known report date: 2014
Reporting delay: Hours, 2 years.

Geographical data:

Department: Haut-Rhin
City: Masevaux
Place: From Masevaux, UFO in the sky.
Latitude: 47.774
Longitude: 6.995
Uncertainty radius: 1 km

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses: 2
Number of known witnesses: 1
Number of named witnesses: 0
Witness(es) ages: ?
Witness(es) types: Male.

Ufology data:

Reporting channel: By the web to the UFO website "OVNI-France.fr"
Type of location: Valley town, UFO in the sky.
Visibility conditions: Night
UFO observed: Yes
UFO arrival observed: No
UFO departure observed: Yes
Entities: No
Photographs: Failed attempt.
Sketch(s) by witness(es): No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): No.
Witness(es) feelings: Very excited.
Witnesses interpretation: ?

Classifications:

Hynek: NL
ALSACAT: Probable Chinese lanterns.

Sources:

[Ref. ofe1:] WITNESS WEB REPORT:

06/03/2012 - (Dep.68) - Orange-colored and moving light

Date : 06/03/2012

Department : 68 (Haut-Rhin)

Localization : masevaux

Hour : 1h

Numbers [sic] of witnesses : 2 people

Type of observation : NL : Nocturnal Lights

Approximate duration of the observation : 15 minutes

What was seen: orange-colored and moving light

Description of the facts :

At about 0:30 my nephew comes to my home to do his first astronomical observation for the moon is almost full there is not much to see so I tip him on Saturn and Mars and then I search for Andromeda (not easy with the light of the moon) that's when I see an orange light comparable to a star!

I do not ask myself any questions and continue my search with the telescope viewfinder i look up and there I see 4 orange-colored dots where there was absolutely nothing previously!

we observed these 4 lights then two others came rising from behind the mountain and was moving slowly I pointed my telescope on the lights while my nephew was trying to film them in the viewfinder I see three bright spots but not much more and my nephew could not film them because too dark and too far away

the lights gradually decreased in intensity except for one which I think was the first that appeared, seen in the eyepiece the lasts one also appears to decrease in intensity until it disappeared

we are both very excited by this observation and continued to scrutinize the stars in search of another appearance

we saw a flash of light like lightning but no thunder

and after some time and my nephew noticed another light at the top of another mountain, but lower for the binoculars (for the connoisseur 25-100) it was the same orange light by the time to point the telescope it had disappeared

Another fact which are negligible and are probably explainable, lights in the mountainous forest (probably a 4-wheelers on the forest road but I think it should be noted that his view also draw our attention)

this was seen from masevaux towards the hunsruck pass or bourbach le haut

herve

Discussion:

Map.

What does the witness describe? Chinese lanterns...

Of course, diehards might protest that I do not provide "scientific proof" it was Chinese lanterns and they may want to believe that this was perhaps an alien spaceship or a "paranormal phenomenon" taking the looks of Chinese lantern...

Chinese lantern.

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.

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 June 16, 2015 Creation, [ofe1].
1.0 Patrick Gross June 16, 2015 First published.

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This page was last updated on June 16, 2015.