ALSACAT-1968-08-15-ITTENHEIM-1
It seems that according to the Sélestat issue of Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace for Tuesday, August 20, 1968, there was a sighting on August 15, 1968, at 9 p.m. in Ittenheim in the Bas-Rhin.
One Mr. Florent Marchand, from Ittenheim, from his terrace overlooking the West, reportedly saw a bright object "that had nothing of a star as it changed position, horizontally and upward."
The witness stated that he had first thought of an illusion related to the movement of the clouds, but he had no doubt anymore when, with his binocular, he took a fixed bearing on his elbows.
The color of the luminous object reportedly alternated between the blue and the red. Less than a quarter of an hour later, the "apparatus" went towards the West to "disappear."
The observation was apparently reported by Mr. Marchand to the Gendarmerie of Wolfisheim.
| Date: | August 15, 1968 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 11 p.m. |
| Duration: | ? |
| First known report date: | August 20, 1968 |
| Reporting delay: | 5 days. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Ittenheim |
| Place: | From home terrace to the West, UFO in the sky. |
| Latitude: | 48.604 |
| Longitude: | 7.595 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 0.5 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 1 |
| Witness(es) ages: | ? |
| Witness(es) types: | Male. |
| Reporting channel: | Police and regional Press. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | From home terrace to the West, UFO in the sky. |
| 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 star, Arcturus. |
[Ref. ldl1:] UFOLOGY MAGAZINE "LUMIERES DANS LA NUIT":
|
67 RHIN (BAS) in Strasbourg ITTENHEIM
August 15, 1968, 11 p.m. 11:10 p.m.
F - yes
From my west-facing terrace, I saw a luminous object that was not a star, coming from the south, in the direction of Mount Saint-Odile, heading north. It moved curiously downward, forward, backward, sometimes still, continuing its progression north. It appeared round, with alternating light, prism color. At the start it was clearly oriented from south to north. Subsequently it moved away to the west. It must have had a diameter of 6 m to 7.50 m. The sighting lasted about 12 minutes.
(observation of Mr. Marchand).
Comments by Mr. Fontanié. - The object was also seen at Mount Saint-Odile, Obernai, Wasselonne. The air base A. R. 124 did not detect anything on the radar and however the object remained several hours in a radius of 30 km approximately. There are many geological faults in this area. Approximate route: St-Odile, Obernai, Marlenkeim [sic, Marlenheim], Wasselonne to Sarrebourg.
Mr. Fontanié and many others shall be apologized to for the delay in their transmissions, unfortunately for lack of space. We keep thinking about it, it is a real headache for us.
[Ref. lcn1:] LUC CHASTAN - "BASE OVNI FRANCE":
General features
| Num Base: | 1343 |
| Department: | Bas Rhin (67) |
| Place of observation: | Ittenheim |
| Latitude: | 48.6 |
| Longitude: | +7.6 |
| Date of observation: | 15 August 1968 |
| Hour: | 23:10 hours |
| Duration (HH:MM:SS): | N.C. |
| Weather: | No weather indication |
| Type of observation: | Visual: Distant |
| Nbr of witness(es): | undetermined number |
| Official investigation: | No |
Features of the object
| Nbr of object: | 1 |
| Type of object: | Luminous Ball |
| Size: | 5 to 10 meters |
| Color: | Change of color |
| Luminosity: | Not specified |
| Visual characteristics: | No indication |
| Speed: | not defined |
| Movement/Displacement: | In straight line |
| Object on the ground: | No |
| Instantaneous disappearance: | No |
Observation
Several witnesses observeds [sic] during a long time, a round object of a diameter estimated as 7 meters. It was blinking of changing colors. It moved in straight line.
Sources
Les Universons by Poher Claude ** http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/universons/
[Ref. cnu1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "CNEGU":
|
F/00/67/ 68 08 15 (01)
On Thursday, August 15, 1968, Mr. Marchand observed from his home in Ittenheim (67) for 12 minutes at 11 p.m. local time, a luminous object to the west. Coming from the south (Mont St Odile) it moves irregularly, sometimes immobile, towards the north then towards the west. Other witnesses from Obernai, Wasselonne reportedly saw it.
Source: source M. Fontanié in LDLN nr 2 May 1970 "Contact Lecteurs" p. 13
[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:
15 August 1968 23:10
Ittenheim, Alsace, France
One object, about 20 feet across, was observed for over six minutes (Marchand).
Hynek rating: NL
Vallee rating: FB1
The sources are indicated as: "Poher, Claude, Etudes Statistiques Portant sur 1000 Temoignag [sic], Author, undated."
[Ref. cvn2:] CHRISTIAN VALENTIN:
Former journalist Christian Valentin published in 2012 a very interesting book telling the story of UFO sightings, flying saucers sightings, in Alsace, from the beginning to 1980.
In this book, he reports that there was a sighting on August 15, 1968, in Ittenheim in the Bas-Rhin reported in the Sélestat issue of Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace for Tuesday, August 20, 1968.
At 11 p.m., Mr. Florent Marchand of Ittenheim saw from the terrace overlooking West a luminous object that was not a star because it changed position, horizontally and upward.
Christian Valentin quotes:
"I first thought it was an illusion related to the movement of the clouds, but I had no doubt when with my binocular I took a fixed bearing on my elbows. The color of the luminous object alternated between blue and red. Less than a quarter of an hour later, the vehicle sped toward the West to disappear."
He indicates that the observation was reported to the Gendarmerie of Wolfisheim by Mr. Marchand.
[Ref. spa1:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA":
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITTENHEIM | Thursday 15 August 1968 at 11:10 p.m. | Circular, round or disc (2D) Unidentified |
Several colors None |
Unsolved -lack of info |
[Ref. ubk1:] "UFODATENBANK":
| Case ID | 19680815 |
| Global case number: | 19680815-0014-UDB |
| Date of observation (Day) | 15 |
| Date of observation (Month) | 8 |
| Date of observation(Year) | 1968 |
| Hour of observation | |
| Zip Code | |
| Place of observation | Ittenheim |
| County | |
| Federal state | |
| Country | France |
| Witnesses | |
| Hynek Classification | |
| Vallee Classification | |
| Ruthledge Classification | |
| Henke Classification | |
| Evaluation | |
| Identification | |
| Investigations | |
| Status of the investigation | |
| Domain | UFO-Datenbank |
| Case added by | |
| Latest change by: | |
| Investigator in charge of the case | |
| Source | DUFOA-Deutschland - SiDat - 1996-2002 |
| State of the information | 25.04.2015 22:16 |
| Accesses to this record | 2 |
| Link to Openmap | http://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?q=Ittenheim,France |
| Link to the observation | http://www.ufo-db.com/WfrmSetupSichtung.aspx?uid_Sichtung=e1dcc2aa-4917-4bfc-944a-a1ef20b2ebb2 |
| Summary for guests | The facts and possibly other documents will be published in time. We thank you for your patience. |
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There is a case located in Ittenheim in Claude Poher's computerized file, but taking place in 1974 - in any event in the version available to me.
There are significant differences between the version found in the Press of the time by [cvn2] and the version given by [lcn1], for example on the movement.
That evening, the star Arcturus was visible in the heaven there, in the West (283°), low on the horizon (14°), with an apparent magnitude of 0.05. In the list of the brightest stars in visual appearance from Earth, Arcturus is just the third - the Sun being excluded.
The witness first thought of a star; which suggests that it was at least a little like a star. A low star may appear to have changing colors, and make small movements caused by the disturbances in the atmosphere. The binocular, with elbows support, is not likely to cancel that movement, but rather to enhance its appearance.
I obviously cannot guarantee that this witness saw Arcturus, but the low strangeness of the observation makes me strongly doubt that he saw an alien spaceship.
Possible star, Arcturus.
* = 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 | August 16, 2014 | Creation, [lcn1], [uda1], [cvn2]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | August 16, 2014 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | June 12, 2015 | Addition [spa1]. |
| 1.2 | Patrick Gross | January 25, 2018 | Addition [ubk1]. |
| 1.3 | Patrick Gross | May 19, 2021 | Addition [ldl1]. |
| 1.4 | Patrick Gross | January 13, 2023 | Addition [cnu1]. |
