ALSACAT-1952-07-08-MOMMENHEIM-1
The regional newspaper Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace for July 10, 1952 reported that around 9:45 p.m., several residents of Mommenheim who were in the street suddenly saw a flat and luminous disc; which was moving quickly in the sky, ascending vertically from bottom up.
The newspaper specified that all the people present made the same observation, and that their accounts were consistent.
The newspaper also reported a so-called "similar" sighting a quarter of an hour later in Sélestat.
| Date: | July 8, 1952 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 09:45 p.m. |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | July 10, 1952 |
| Reporting delay: | Hours, 2 days. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Mommenheim |
| Place: | From a street. |
| Latitude: | 48.757 |
| Longitude: | 7.646 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 1 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | Several. |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | ? |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | Adults. |
| Witness(es) types: | Residents. |
| Reporting channel: | Newspaper "Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace" |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | Village street. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | ? |
| Entities: | No. |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Possible meteor. |
[Ref. dnal:] NEWSPAPER "DERNIERES NOULLES D'ALSACE":
|
SELESTAT. -- The appearance of mysterious flying objects in the sky of Alsace has already been reported on several occasions. The testimonies of the witnesses seem to be more or less consistent. But are these "saucers" or flying "cigars"? Are they simply meteorological phenomena? Without seeking to settle the matter, let us content ourselves with recounting the facts.
The first reports come from the region of Sélestat. On Tuesday around 10 p.m., several people saw in the sky a luminous object moving from northeast to southwest with extreme speed. Its size was at least twice that of a large airplane at a similar altitude. As for its shape, it resembled a long cigar, the front part of which was luminous and sulfur-green in color. The "cigar" itself was followed by a series of four to five glowing yellow spheres. The whole thing moved at great speed and disappeared within a few seconds.
***
MOMMENHEIM. -- A quarter of an hour earlier, several residents of Mommenheim witnessed a similar sighting. These people were in the street when they suddenly saw a flat, luminous disc moving rapidly across the sky, ascending vertically from bottom to top. All those present made the same observation and their accounts agree. (954)
|
Sélestat is 56 kilometers in straight line in the South-Southeast of Mommenheim.
The "thing" seen was certainly not a "meteorological phenomenon" but more simply a meteor, possibly.
The upward movement would indicate that it came from the horizon; unfortunately, we are not told about the duration of the observation, nor the direction.
The thing seen in Sélestat would have been observed a quarter of an hour later; but it is typical of the time to have rather approximate times, which is also indicated in the Sélestat report: "around" 10 p.m.
This is reinforced by the fact that there was another case, without a specific time, in the evening, in Thann.
Moreover, these three observation locations are aligned and span a distance of 113 kilometers:
|
Possible meteor.
* = 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 | July 3, 2025 | Creation, [1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | July 3, 2025 | First published. |
