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 Niederhergheim, in the end of August 2008:

Case number:

ALSACAT-2008-08-00-NIEDERHERGHEIM-1

Summary:

"Vaclav 68", 27-year-old, member of a ufology forum, filed on this forum on November 7, 2008, that he had made the same observation that another one from 2008.

He said that at the end of August, during night fishing session in the pit of Niederhergheim with two friends who were also witnesses, he saw three lights and "a smaöer one more active" that wandered in a "sector limits of this 3 lights."

The observation started around 09:30 p.m. and lasted until 11:30 p.m. or so, with "extinction and strong reappearance shortly after."

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	End August 2008
Time:	09:30 p.m.
Duration:	2 hours.
First known report date:	November 7, 2008
Reporting delay:	3 months.

Geographical data:

Department:	Haut-Rhin
City:	Niederhergheim
Place:	In the gravel pit of Niederhergheim.
Latitude:	47.974
Longitude:	7.449
Uncertainty radius:	1.5 km

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	3
Number of known witnesses:	1
Number of named witnesses:	0
Witness(es) ages:	27
Witness(es) types:	Male.

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	By the web to the ufology forum "Les Mystères des OVNIS".
Type of location:	From a gravel pit.
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:	?

Classifications:

Hynek:	NL
ALSACAT:	Probable Chinese lanterns.

Sources:

[Ref. myo1:] "LES MYSTERES DES OVNIS" WEB FORUM:

Vaclav68
Male Age: 27
Number of messages: 11
Registered on: 11/02/2008
Localization: Alsace/Haut-Rhin
Job: Transport/Logistics
Hobbies: Sport Sciences/astronomy

Re: 2008: 11/10 UFO: above Vendenheim in Alsace Fri, November 7th, 2008, 7:05 p.m.

Good evening to all this is to say that in the end of August I made exactly the same observation during the night fishing session in the pit of Niederhergheim (Haut - Rhin between Colmar and Mulhouse). I was with 2 friends (witnesses).

Always 3 Lights and always a little more active in a sector limit of this [sic] 3 lights.

The observation start [sic] around 09:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. approximately.

Extinction and strong reappearance shortly after.

In short this video (for me) is not a hoax, these are increasingly frequent observations.

The witness was then asked by a forum member to deposit his testimony on the form provided for that purpose; which he will not do.

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

City	Date and hour of observation	General shape Identification	General color Hypothesis	Conclusion
NIEDERHERGHEIM	2008 at 21h30	luminous dot Unidentified	white None	Unsolved -lack of info

Discussion:

Since the witness is certain that his sighting is exactly the same as in Vendenheim, we should conclude that he saw Chinese lanterns.

And, indeed, these are cause of "increasingly frequent observations".

Evaluation:

Probable Chinese lanterns.

Sources references:

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

[myo1] * Comment on the ufology forum Les Mystères des OVNIS, France, November 7, 2008, at http://www.forum-ovni-ufologie.com/t4789-2008-le-11-10-ovni-au-dessus-de-vendenheim-en-alsace
[spa4] * "DEPARTEMENT 68 - HAUT-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_68.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	March 13, 2016	Creation, [myo1], [spa4].
1.0	Patrick Gross	March 13, 2016	First published.

This page was last updated on March 13, 2016.