ALSACAT-1952-07-08-SELESTAT-1
The regional newspaper Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace of July 10, 1952 reported that a quarter of an hour after an observation in Mommenheim, there was another one in Sélestat around 10 p.m.:
Several people had seen "in the sky a luminous object that moved from northeast to southwest with extreme speed." Its size "was at least twice that of a large aircraft at a similar altitude," and its shape resembled "a long cigar whose front part was luminous and of a sulfur green color."
This "cigar" was followed by a series of four to five "glowing yellow balls," the whole moving "with great speed" and "disappeared within a few seconds."
| Date: | July 8, 1952 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 10:00 p.m. |
| Duration: | Several secondes. |
| First known report date: | July 10, 1952 |
| Reporting delay: | Hours, 2 days. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Sélestat |
| Place: | From the city. |
| Latitude: | 48.261 |
| Longitude: | 7.452 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 2 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: | In city. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes. |
| 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: | Probable 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)
|
The description is that of a meteor, with a few fragments.
This is reinforced by the fact that there was a nearly simultaneous case in Mommenheim, and another one, without a specific time, in the evening, in Thann.
Moreover, these three observation locations are aligned and span a distance of 113 kilometers:
|
Probable météore.
* = 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. |
