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 Bischoffsheim, on July 28, 2004:

Case number:

ALSACAT-2004-07-28-BISCHOFFSHEIM-1

Summary:

On their website, the Alsatian ufology association SPICA informed that they had received a testimony for an observation lasting about 15 minutes, dated Wednesday, July 28, 2004, at 10 a.m., of a stationary black round-shaped object, viewed from Obernai in the direction of Strasbourg in the northeast.

The SPICA also informed that photos had been taken; which they expected to receive, and that they had opened an investigation.

SPICA had phoned the witness, Pascal, who then sent his "pictures of a 'UFO'". He indicated that it was by chance that he managed to observe from 05:40 a.m. to 05:55 a.m. on Wednesday, July 28, 2004, a black round "object", fixed in a cloudless blue sky, from the bridge of the Bischoffsheim exit on the motorway from Obernai to Molsheim.

The object seemed to be above Strasbourg, but before the mountains of the Black Forest that are visible on the photographs.

He added that he drove again at this place at 06:15 a.m., and the object was not there anymore.

He managed to take the photos because, going on holiday, he luckily had his Canon PowerShot A80 digital camera with him. His pictures were published in small size, they are visible below in this case file.

In 2015, in a list of UFO observations in the Lower Rhine by the SPICA, the result of their investigation appeared: it was a balloon.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	July 28, 2004
Time:	05:40 a.m.
Duration:	~15 minutes.
First known report date:	2004
Reporting delay:	Hours, weeks.

Geographical data:

Department:	Bas-Rhin
City:	Bischoffsheim
Place:	From the D500 exit to Bischoffsheim, UFO in the sky.
Latitude:	48.485
Longitude:	7.508
Uncertainty radius:	100 m

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	?
Number of known witnesses:	?
Number of named witnesses:	?
Witness(es) ages:	?
Witness(es) types:	?

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	Listing of sightings by the regional ufology group SPICA.
Type of location:	From motorway, UFO in the sky.
Visibility conditions:	Night
UFO observed:	Yes
UFO arrival observed:	Yes
UFO departure observed:	Yes
Entities:	No
Photographs:	No.
Sketch(s) by witness(es):	No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es):	No.
Witness(es) feelings:	Puzzled.
Witnesses interpretation:	?

Classifications:

Hynek:	DD
ALSACAT:	Balloon.

Sources:

[Ref. spa2:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:

A ufo photograph on July 28, 2004 is currently being studied by our association. It was observed for 15 minutes at 5:40 a.m. by a witness going on vacation. We will come back to this phenomenon in our next issue. At the last minute, a new case is under study.

[Ref. spa3:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:

Source : SPICA

Witness report rceived at the association

Date : Wednesday, July 28
Hour : 10 in the morning
Shape : black stationary round shaped object
Duration : about 15 minutes
Direction : observation from Obernai (67) in the direction of Strasbourg N-E
Note : 4 pictures taken

We await for the photos, an investigation is being conducted

[Ref. spa1:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:

Here is the witness report

Following our telephone conversation, please find attached photos of a "UFO".

It was by chance that I manage to observe from 5:40 to 5:55 Wednesday, July 28, 2004 a fixed round black "object" in a blue cloudless sky from the bridge at the exit of Bischoffsheim on the highway from Obernai to Molsheim. It seems to be above Strasbourg, but before the mountain of the Black Forest we distinguish in the picture.

When I passed this place a 6:15, there was absolutely nothing visible where this object stood.

I was leaving at that time on holidays and luckily I had brought my digital camera of CANON PowerShot A 80 type.

I remain available for other information that you would need,

Thank you for your help and I hope to hear from you very soon

Pascal

Below the photos by the witness

[Ref. spa4:] "SPICA" UFOLOGY ASSOCIATION:

City	Date and hour of observation	General shape Identification	General color Hypothesis	Conclusion
BISCHOFFSHEIM	Wednesday 28 July 2004 at 05:40	ball, balloon or melon (3D) Aeronautical balloon	black Aeronautical balloon	Solved

Discussion:

"Case closed."

Evaluation:

Balloon.

Sources references:

* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.

[spa2] * Ufology bulltin SPICA News, of the SPICA ufology and astronomy association, France, #5, page 27, September 2004.
[spa3] * News page of the ufology group SPICA, Alsace, France, not dated, was on their website, disappeared, saved in my personal archive.
[spa1] * News page of the ufology group SPICA, Alsace, France, not dated, was on their website, disappeared, saved in my personal archive.
[spa4] * "DEPARTEMENT 67 - BAS-RHIN", listing of UFO sighting reports by the Alsatian ufology group SPICA, Alsace, France, not dated, found in May 2015, at http://www.spica.org/Page_Listing_67.htm

File history:

Authoring:

Main author:	Patrick Gross
Contributors:	None
Reviewers:	None
Editor:	Patrick Gross

Changes history:

Version:	Create/changed by:	Date:	Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	September 11, 2015	Creation, [spa3], [spa1], [spa4].
1.0	Patrick Gross	September 11, 2015	First published.
1.1	Patrick Gross	June 11, 2021	Addition [spa2].

This page was last updated on June 11, 2021.