ALSACAT-2015-06-24-BRUNSTATT-1
The witness reported to the French official UAP study group GEIPAN, by filling their sighting report form, that on June 25, 2015 - he corrected this by email very quickly as being actually June 24, 2015 - at dusk around 09:45 p.m., he was in his living room on a 3rd floor of a building in Brunstatt, watching television, when his gaze was suddenly drawn to the outside by a phenomenon composed of several lights more or less bright hovering over the hill and the treetops.
He came out on his balcony to see better, counted a dozen lights that followed one another and were "particularly close" to each other. They went from East to West bypassing his building. He noted that there was no sound that could signal an engine; he said he had turned off his TV when he went out on his balcony.
He was amazed by the colors, which seemed to him to be a shade of green, red and white. The lights were oval, he gives it a size of "soccer ball." He says he heard about "Chinese lights" (Chinese lanterns) but "honestly I do not think I watched a laucnh of Chinese balloons."
He tried to take pictures but "panicked when shooting", only managing to take the lights of houses downhill. He indicates that the observation lasted about fifteen minutes.
He indicates that the lights went around his building and disappeared behind him. The sky was clear. The brightness was of a "beautiful intensity" but did not dazzle. He estimates the elevation of the lights at 20° at the beginning of observation and between 30 and 45° at the end of observation.
He had been awed by the lights, and it was when he spoke about it at his workplace the next day that he was told about "Chinese lights".
GEIPAN has types this case "B", a likely observation of LED light balloons or Chinese lanterns. The multiple colors had them favor LED balloons, because Chinese lanterns most often have a dominant yellow-orange color because of the flame which is source of the light.
| Date: | June 24, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Time: | ~09:45 p.m. |
| Duration: | 15 minutes. |
| First known report date: | July 15, 2015 |
| Reporting delay: | Weeks. |
| Department: | Haut-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Brunstatt |
| Place: | 3rd floor building rear balcony on avenue d'Altkirch, UFO in the sky. |
| Latitude: | 47.728 |
| Longitude: | 7.323 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 20 m |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 1 |
| Witness(es) ages: | Adult. |
| Witness(es) types: | Male resident. |
| Reporting channel: | Official GEIPAN sighting report form. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | 3rd floor building balcony in urban area, UFO in the sky. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night, rare clouds. |
| UFO observed: | Yes |
| UFO arrival observed: | Yes |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes |
| Entities: | No |
| Photographs: | Attempted but failed. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | Puzzled, amazed. |
| Witnesses interpretation: | No idea, not Chinese lanterns. |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Chinese lanterns. |
[Ref. gei1:] GROUPE D'ETUDES ET D'INFORMATIONS SUR LES PHENOMENES AEROSPATIAUX NON IDENTIFIES (G.E.I.P.A.N.):
| BRUNSTATT (68) 06/24/2015 | |
| Observed on: | 06/24/2015 |
| Region: | Alsace |
| Department: | Rhin (Haut) |
| Class: | B |
| Summary: | BRUNSTATT (68) 06/24/2015. Observation of the silent displacement of ten colored luminous phenomena in the sky: probable observation of luminous balloons with LED or Chinese lanterns. |
| Description: |
On June 24, 2015, around 9:45 p.m. (June 25 date is mentioned by mistake on the questionnaire by the witness) a person, watching TV, has his eyes attracted to the outside by the displacement of a dozen bright colored lights hovering above the hill and the treetops. No noise is heard during the observation of about fifteen minutes. Only one testimony is collected. The observation of flying lights crossing the sky in a few minutes, a weekend night, is clearly reminiscent of light balloons (LED balloons or Chinese lanterns), probably released nearby at the end of a private party ( Feast of St. John?). The witness indicates in his story a displacement towards the West, but the sketch indicates a displacement of the NNE towards SSO (see the reconstitution cartographic). The displacement is observed globally from North to South, which is compatible with the wind from North West to North at Mulhouse-Bâle (at 9 p.m.: light north wind from 7 to 11 km / h moving westward at 11 p.m.: Météociel. The GEIPAN classes this case "B" as likely observation of LED light balloons or Chinese lanterns. The multiple colors and the long duration of the phenomenon is rather suggestive of LED balloons, because Chinese lanterns most often have a dominant yellow-orange color because of the flame which is the source of light. |
| Report: | None. |
| Details of the testimony | |
| Witness | |
| Date of the observation | 06/24/2015 |
| document number | |
| Age | Adult (more than 18) |
| Profession | |
| Sex | Male |
| Reaction | |
| Credibility | |
| Conditions | |
| Environment | Urban Landscape |
| Weather Conditions | Rare Clouds |
| Hour of the observation | Numbered: 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. |
| Reference frame | Sky or clouds |
| Distance between phenomenon and witness | |
| Start of the observation | start of the observation by phenomenon |
| End of the observation | End of the observation by phenomenon |
| Localization | |
| Angle of the site | |
| Direction of observation | North |
| Heading | North |
| Trajectoiry | Straight line |
| Nature of the observation | Descriptive terms (lights, etc) |
| Characteristic of the observation | |
| Global shape | Oval, ballon de rugby |
| Color | Red |
| Apparent size | |
| Apparent speed | |
| Noise | Silent |
| Effect on the environnement | |
| Number | |
|
From: []
Sent: Thursday July 16, 2015 03:04 p.m.
To: Geipan
Subjectt: RE: V/Observation BRUNSTATT (68) 06 25 2015 - ERROR IN THE DATE
Hello,
After viewing the pictures that gave nothing, I just realized a significant error on my part in the report I sent to you.
Indeed, the photos mention the date of June 24, 2015 and not June 25, 2015 as mentioned in my report.
Thank you for taking note and rectify it.
Thank you in advance,
[]
|
Madam, Sir,
You have been a direct witness, on the French territory, of an aerospace phenomenon which has intrigued you, and you wish to entrust this observation to GEIPAN for analysis.
First of all, we suggest you to visit our website www.geipan.fr. The consultation of the identification guide of the UAPs may allow you to quickly find an explanation for your observation.
Otherwise, we invite you to complete this questionnaire.
Important: the questionnaire should not be filled in if you have not made a direct observation (an object found on a photo or a film AFTER the shooting is not a case of observation).
Your testimony is capital and unique. It will consist of telling the story of your observation, answering specific questions, making drawings and sketches or attaching photographs to further refine your description.
It is imperative that you adhere to the instructions mentioned at each step so that we can gather as much information as possible about the observed phenomenon. You must not be afraid to tell us about it, nor feel ridiculous, we are used to collecting this type of testimony.
The conclusions of our investigation will be transmitted to you personally. Once anonymized, your testimony will be published on our website (www.geipan.fr), "Case Search" tab in the menu bar.
We thank you in advance for the contribution you make to our work.
The head of GEIPAN
[]
CONFORMEMENT A LA LOI N° 78-17 DU
6 JANUARY 1978 RELATIVE A L’INFORMATIQUE, AUX FICHIERS ET AUX LIBERTES, ET AU DECRET N° 78.774 DU 17 JUILLET 1978, VOUS DISPOSEZ D'UN DROIT DE CONTROLE ET DE RECTIFICATION DE VOS DONNEES PERSONNELLES.
REQUESTS HAVE TO BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN – ADDRESS ON LAST PAGE
V3-8/JANUARY 2015
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We will ask you to provide as much information as possible about your observation. The most important thing is to leave nothing out: it is often the details that make it possible to solve the investigations. Do not hesitate to give the maximum of information, even if your memories are incomplete or that certain elements seem to you not important. If you are not sure about this or that detail, tell us your doubts, but, again, do not omit anything. We need to be able to visualize everything you've seen, like re-running the movie of your observation.
Use the end of this page to tell the story of your observation and continue on free paper as much as you want:
Your free account of the observation:
Thursday 05/25/2015 - at dusk
I was in my living room in front of my TV when suddenly my field of vision was attracted to the outside of my home (3nd floor of a building of 4 floors) by a phenomenon composed of several lights more or less bright hovering above the hill and the treetops. Following this event, I went to my balcony to deduce the following things. The lights (about ten) followed each other and were particularly close to each other. They were heading from East to West bypassing my building. I also noted that there was no noise seeming to be of an engine. However, I often hear and see the helicopter of Rega helicopter taking the same axis and almost the same height to go to the nearby hospital. Regarding these lights, I was amazed by the colors, it seems to me a shade of green, red and white. Regarding the appearance, oval. For the diameter, seen from my balcony, comparison between a point representing an airplane light in the sky at night, I would say a football. I also heard about Chinese lights but honestly I do not think I observed a launch of Chinese balloons.
FYI, I wanted to take photos but I panicked when shooting. It happens that below the hill there is housing and the only lights that I managed to catch with my cellphone are these.
Finally, the display lasted about fifteen minutes.
CONFORMEMENT A LA LOI N° 78-17 DU
6 JANUARY 1978 RELATIVE A L’INFORMATIQUE, AUX FICHIERS ET AUX LIBERTES, ET AU DECRET N° 78.774 DU 17 JUILLET 1978, VOUS DISPOSEZ D'UN DROIT DE CONTROLE ET DE RECTIFICATION DE VOS DONNEES PERSONNELLES.
REQUESTS HAVE TO BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN – ADDRESS ON LAST PAGE
V3-8/JANUARY 2015
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Please provide all the requested information.
What were your occupations just before your observation?
In front of the TV
Specific address of the place of observation (street, city ...):
[] 68350 BRUNSTATT - FRANCE
Where exactly were you? (Please indicate if you were in a building and on which floor, if you were looking through a window, and how fast you were driving if you were in a vehicle.)
2nd floor - from my sofa then from my balcony
Date of the observation: 25/06/2015 Precise start time (in local time): around 21h45
Duration of the observation or end time (in hours, minutes, seconds): +/- 15 mn
Did other witnesses see the same phenomenon as you? If yes how much? no
If so, please ask them to contact us using the contact details on the last page of this document.
How do you relate to these people (parents, friends, colleagues, neighbors)?
The observation was made in a continuous way
(delete or delete the word "useless")
If the observation was done intermittently, specify why it was interrupted and resumed:
How did this observation end?
In panoramic vision, the phenomenon came from east to west to bypass and disappear behind my building
CONFORMEMENT A LA LOI N° 78-17 DU
6 JANUARY 1978 RELATIVE A L’INFORMATIQUE, AUX FICHIERS ET AUX LIBERTES, ET AU DECRET N° 78.774 DU 17 JUILLET 1978, VOUS DISPOSEZ D'UN DROIT DE CONTROLE ET DE RECTIFICATION DE VOS DONNEES PERSONNELLES.
REQUESTS HAVE TO BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN – ADDRESS ON LAST PAGE
V3-8/JANUARY 2015
page: 4
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Have you seen the phenomenon directly from your eyes? YES
(delete or delete the "useless" word)
Has the phenomenon been observed through an instrument (eyeglasses or sunglasses, binoculars, camera, camera, telescope ...)? If yes, please specify the model:
NO
Weather conditions (clear skies, clouds, wind, storm, mist, fog, rain, snow, changing conditions during observation):
clear sky
Astronomical conditions (remember the position of the Moon, the Sun, the presence or not of stars or planets, etc.):
No apparent moon, the sun setting behind the building not in my field of vision
Equipment on or active during the observation (lights, radio, TV, lights ...):
Yes, TV
Noise during observation (TV or radio on, passing vehicles, airplane engine, thunder ...):
When I went out on the balcony, I turned off my TV set.
No apparent noise
REQUESTS HAVE TO BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN – ADDRESS ON LAST PAGE
V3-8/JANUARY 2015
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In your descriptions, do not hesitate to make comparisons with known objects.
Number of phenomena (single, multiple or single and then divides ...):
Multiple that follow each other at low altitude and low constant speed
Shape:
Oval
Color :
a shade of green, red and white
Brightness (in comparison with known stars like Venus and the Moon, or the lighting of a lamppost, car lights, house lights, etc.):
Beautiful intensity that does not disturb the view
Presence of a drag or a halo? If so, what color?
no
Apparent size (express the dimensions of the phenomenon in relation to a familiar object and / or in millimeters counted on a graduated scale carried at arm's length):
Seen from my balcony, comparison between a dot representing a light plane in the sky at night, I would say a soccer ball
Noise coming from the phenomenon (hissing, buzzing, detonation, comparison with a known noise ...):
No
Distance between you and the PAN (the observed phenomenon), estimated roughly (specify if the object passed in front of or behind an element of the landscape):
REQUESTS HAVE TO BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN – ADDRESS ON LAST PAGE
V3-8/JANUARY 2015
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Between 1 and 3 km above the hill and the treetops
Initial position of PAN in the sky (start of observation): Indicate a cardinal point (North, South ...), or an azimuth in degrees from the North, or a local visual or geographic cue (building, village)
East to West
Indicate a height in degrees relative to the horizon, or in relation to an element of the landscape (ex: 2 times higher than the church steeple)
at first I would say 20 °
Final position of PAN in the sky (end of observation): Indicate a cardinal point (North, South ...), or an azimuth in degrees from the North, or a local visual or geographical cue (building, village)
West
Indicate a height in degrees relative to the horizon, or in relation to an element of the landscape (ex: 2 times higher than the church steeple)
At the end I would say between 30 ° and 45 °
Trajectory of the phenomenon (straight line, rising, descending, with or without change of direction, curve, etc.):
Straight line bypassing my visual field
Portion of the sky covered by the PAN during the observation (eg a quarter of the sky or 30 ° to 40 ° with respect to the horizon, etc.):
No opinion
Effect (s) on the environment (trace (s) on the ground, effect (s) on living beings or equipment):
none
REQUESTS HAVE TO BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN – ADDRESS ON LAST PAGE
V3-8/JANUARY 2015
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In order for us to reconstruct the "film" of your observation, we need to have as much information as possible. Concretely this implies that we understand everything, from the beginning to the end of your observation, and that we know the direction of movement of the phenomenon as well as its altitude. This step is crucial.
We offer three complementary methods:
How to "dress" a photo or a map with your comments?
If you are used to the use of drawing or image editing software (Photoshop, GIMP, Illustrator, ...), we advise you to use these tools, then send us a file in jpg, png or pdf format .
If you can not access this type of material, print a map of the place and / or a photo, draw over it and attach it to the paper file; or scan or photograph the result and send it to us in jpg, png or pdf format.
REQUESTS HAVE TO BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN – ADDRESS ON LAST PAGE
V3-8/JANUARY 2015
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1 BUILDING A
2 BUILDING B (MY BALCONY)
Start of the observation
3 BUILDING C
End of the observation
REQUESTS HAVE TO BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN – ADDRESS ON LAST PAGE
V3-8/JANUARY 2015
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Describe the emotions you felt during and after the observation:
Wonderment
What did you do after your observation? Have you spoken about it? How did your interlocutors react? Have you done any research to understand what you saw?
Yes, the next day I talked about it at work and that's when I was told about these famous "Chinese" lights
What interpretation do you give to what you have observed? Have you thought of a known phenomenon? What are the elements that justify your interpretation? If you do not know, did you give up understanding? If so, when and why?
There is certainly an explanation to this vision but which one?
Before your observation, what interest did you have in strange aerospace phenomena? Did you have a clear opinion on the subject? Which one? What was it based on?
No comment
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V3-8/JANUARY 2015
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Has this observation changed your view on unidentified aerospace phenomena? If yes, explain what you think now:
Is it an optical illusion, an atmospheric phenomenon or other things, I saw it but doubt subsides.
Do you think that science will give an explanation to your observation?
I hope so
REQUESTS HAVE TO BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN – ADDRESS ON LAST PAGE
V3-8/JANUARY 2015
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If you have already testified about this UAP, please tell us to which authority, organization or person by removing or barring useless entries in the list below, and completing the requested information (several possible contacts):
- Gendarmerie (mention the brigade and the date): ....
- Police (mention the police station and the date): ...
- GEIPAN (mention contact name and date): ....
- Private Investigator (mention name of contact and date): ...
- Ufologist (mention the name of the contact and the date): ....
- Journalist (mention contact name and date): ...
- Internet (mention website and date): ....
Do you authorize us to publish this latest information? NO
(it can possibly make it possible to identify you if your identity appears on that website)
Thank you to specify in the list below the documents that you joined or filled.
(tick or delete the words that are not applicable)
(X) Questionnaire
( ) Sketch of observed phenomenon (number: ...)
( ) Map (s) or map (s) (number: ...)
( ) Photograph (s) of observation (number: ...)
( ) Video (s) of observation (number: ...)
(X) Photograph (s) of the environment (number: 3)
REQUESTS HAVE TO BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN – ADDRESS ON LAST PAGE
V3-8/JANUARY 2015
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I know the place very well, having been resident in Brunstatt (50 m from the "rue des hirondelles" visible on the map of the witness) and having made my shopping at the "Super U" almost in front of the place of observation for years including that year. And I can say that there is no lack of previous UFO sightings explained by Chinese lanterns in Brunstatt. One of them was highly publicized in the region.
I personally watched between 2005 and 2018 a dozen of passages, or releases, of Chinese lanterns in the urban areas of Mulhouse and Mulhouse itself. I missed two chances at least to see them on Brunstatt itself.
For this observation, I note the doubts of the witness about the explanation by Chinese lanterns. GEIPAN proposed another solution that I quite agree with. GEIPAN says the color is not the usual orange color of the Chinese lanterns. I would like to note that there are also "colored" Chinese lanterns, of all kinds of color. But none can change color during flight to my knowledge.
Another point is that the "lanterns" stay in the air for about 5 minutes only, or just a little more. I am not aware of models that would stay aloft for a quarter of an hour - but we can not exclude this totally either.
Thus, balloons equipped with LEDs are a better explanation.
"LED ballons", generally "reusable", can easily be bought on the Internet and stores.
Normal inflatable balloon are illuminated by a device which is attached to the mouth, concisting in a battery holder and one or more small LED lamps. The LED can be set to be off, with continuous light, fast flashing, or slow flashing, with a simple slider. When the light weakens, the batteries can be changed. The price of such a balloon is around 4 to 6 €uros. Unlike Chinese lenterns, they can hold the air 15 minutes or even much more.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015, was indeed the Fête de Saint-Jean (St. John's feast), much celebrated in Alsace, and also Father's Day. A wedding party, a birthday party, are also opportunities for such releases.
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Chinese lanterns.
* = 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 23, 2018 | Creation, [ge1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 23, 2018 | First published. |
