ALSACAT-2009-10-18-HEILIGENSTEIN-1
On December 20, 2009, a testimony was deposited on a website and picked up by others, about an observation on October 18, 2009, at about 09:15 p.m..
A person and a friend just took a walk on a path leading to the wine "on the right", leaving the village of Heiligenstein, on the D35 road.
They walked for about 30 meters on this road, when moved by some instinct he did not understand, the author of the testimony suddenly turned around and saw in the sky two large luminous disc surrounded by a large circle of light.
Seeing that he had stopped to look up, his friend also turned around and saw in amazement the same thing.
For a second, they thought these were weird drifting clouds that reflected light of cities, but it could not be that, because the sky was totally clear.
They even clearly distinguished the Milky Way, and given the proximity of the Entzheim airport thirty kilometers northwest of the phenomenon, they managed to easily make the difference between planes flying to and from the airport, and these lights, the size of the whole with the circle being comparable to three soccer fields.
Indeed, the UFO flew at a time over the village soccer field, and he was quite larger than the soccer field.
The lights were heading north, along the D35, above the forest towards Ottrott. They followed each other in parallel, one behind the other, keeping the same distance without change in appearance.
The front light was shaped like a disc, the light that followed was difficult to describe in words, and the circle was the style of the rings of Saturn he had the opportunity to see in astronomy books.
The color of the lights was white but not dazzling. When it was flying over the forest, one could see like a beam that lit trees in its path, like the moon does. The phenomenon kept the same speed.
They thought they heard a slight hissing sound at the passage of the phenomenon.
They were able to observe the phenomenon for about 15 minutes, trying to keep with its pace, walking and running, and traveling about 500 meters, but they were outperformed by the lights, and the flying object shifted to the west where it flew over Bernardswiller, lost intensity and disappeared, perhaps because of the city lights.
They stayed there for over an hour but did not see it again.
The author added for the disbelievers that neither his friend nor he had drunk a drop of alcohol, and that they do not smoke, "not even tobacco!"
| Date: | October 18, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Time: | ~09:15 p.m. |
| Duration: | 15 minutes. |
| First known report date: | December 20, 2009 |
| Reporting delay: | 2 months. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Heiligenstein |
| Place: | At ~30 meters into a path leaving the D35 road to the right towards the vines, UFO in the sky. |
| Latitude: | 48.423 |
| Longitude: | 7.449 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 500 m |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 2 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | ? |
| Witness(es) types: | ? |
| Reporting channel: | ? |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | Wine path near village, 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: | Puzzled. |
| Witnesses interpretation: | Not a plane. |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Satellite, rocket and rocket fuel dump. |
[Ref. rnc1:] WEB REPORT:
ufo Heiligenstein
witness report taken from the GRPA website this morning
In the evening of Sunday October 18, 2009, at approximately 09:15 p.m., myself and a friend we just walked on a vineyard path that is located on the right at the exit of the village of Heiligenstein (67140) on the D35, we had just waled about 30 meters on that path, when, moved by whatever instinct, I suddenly looked back and I saw in the sky 2 large luminous discs surrounded by a huge luminous circle. Seeing that I had stopped and was looking up, my friend looks back and also discovers in amazement the same thing ! During a second we thought that these were odd drifting clouds that reflected the lights of the cities, but it could not be that because the sky was entirely clear. We even clearly distinguished the Milky way, and, due to the proximity of the airport of Entzheim (67960) located at about thirty kilometers in the north west of the phenomenon, we could easily make the difference with the planes that flew towards and off the airport, and these lights whose size was comparable to 3 football fields. Indeed the u.f.o. at one time flew over the football field of the village and it was much larger ! The lights were heading north along the D35 above the forest in direction of Ottrott (67530). They followed each other in paralel one behind the other keeping the same distance without changing their aspect. The light in the front had the shape of a disc, the one that followed is hard to describe with words, and the circle was in the stwle of Saturn's rings (which I already had the opportunity to see in astronomy books). It also seemed to us that we heard a slight whistling sound when the phenomenon passed by. The color of the lights was white but not dazzling. We could see, when it flew above the forest, like a beam that lighted the trees as it passed like the moon does. The phenomenon kept the same speed. We managed to observe it during approximately 15 mn, we tried to follow it walking and running, thus moving on about 500 meters, but the lights were more ahead, and the flying object turned to the West flying above Bernardswiller (67210) where it lost its intensity and disappeared; maybe because of the lights of the city? We stayed in the area for more than an hour but we did not see it again. I add for the disbelievers that neither I not my friend had been drinking any alcohol and that we did not smoke, not even tobacco !
kerlouange
[Ref. rnc2:] WEB REPORT:
What I saw in the sky one night in Alsace!
by falcon333
On the evening of Sunday, October 18, 2009 at about 21:15 myself and a friend we had to borrow a wine walk that path located on the right at the exit of the village of Heiligenstein (67140) on the D35, we had just 30 yards on that path when driven by some unknown instinct, I suddenly turned around and I saw in the sky two large bright disc surrounded by a huge bright circle. Seeing that I was arrested the head in the air, my friend turns around and finds himself in amazement as the same thing as me! For a second we thought curious drifting clouds that would reflect the light of the cities, but it could not be that because the sky was completely clear. We even distinguish clearly the Milky Way, and, given the proximity to the airport Entzheim (67960) located thirty kilometers northwest of the phenomenon, we could easily tell the difference between the planes flying to and from the airport, and these lights including the size of the set with the circle was comparable to 3 football fields. Indeed, lo.vni flew at a time the soccer field in the village and it greatly exceeded! The lights were heading north along the D35 over the forest towards Ottrott (67530). They are followed in parallel one behind the other in keeping the same distance without changing its appearance. The front light was shaped like a disc, which resembled the flame followed issued by a rocket taking off, the circle was the style of the Saturn rings that I had occasion to see in books astronomy. He also seemed to hear a slight hiss in passing phenomenon. The color of the lights was white but not dazzling. You could see when he was flying over the forest, like a beam that lit the trees on his way as does the moon. The phenomenon kept the same speed. We have observed for about 15 minutes, we tried to follow him walking and running and traveling about 500 meters, but the lights went before us, and the flying object has shifted to Bernardswiller flying west (67210), where he lost in intensity and disappeared; perhaps because of the city lights? we remained in the area over an hour, but we did see him again.
Who experienced something similar?
[Ref. afn1:] SITE WEB "E-ALSACE":
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 | 2:54 p.m.
Not a UFO, but two UFOs, unidentified flying objects, crossed the skies of Alsace. Their passage in the Colmar region is detailed on the Internet.
The Internet helps disseminate immediate information, but also to check whether it is a hoax. Sunday, October 18 many people watched the passage of unidentified flying objects in the sky. They immediately communicated their testimonies on various Internet news websites specialized in the area of spatial observation.
[Ref. spa2:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA":
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEILIGENSTEIN | Sunday 18 October 2009 at 11:15 | Circular, round or disc (2D) Unidentified |
white None |
Unsolved -lack of info |
|
|
Above: general view of the mentioned places.
|
Above: the D35 road (red line), and possible positions (blue dots) of the witnesses if they were North of the village, on a wine way "to the right" of the D35 at "about 30 meters". Note the proximity of the soccer field (yellow dot), indicating a huge size for the whole phenomenon when taking account of the situation.
|
Above: another position was possible for the witnesses, if they were in the South of the village.
The excessive angular size and the multiplicity of possible position in the north of the village makes me think this position without ambiguity and with a reasonable angular size for the phenomenon was probably the correct witnesses position.
Obviously, all this is just a report filed anonymously on the web, so there is nothing to "prove" the authenticity of the reported sighting.
If the story is not invented, I see only one ordinary - more or less - explanation that matches a bit what was been described.
Readers located in France had reported to the staff of the popular astronomy magazine Ciel & Espace that they had observed at that same date at about 09:15 p.m. also, a luminous phenomenon in the sky often described as having the looks of a comet.
The magazine had discovered that it was the launch of the military "weather" satellite DMSP F18 from the United States. An Atlas rocket fired from Vandenberg AFB in California at 06:12 p.m. - French time - had followed a path passing over France, among other countries.
Above France, the upper stage of the rocket had been fired at 09:10 p.m. for 3 minutes, to put the satellite into orbit. There then had been a fuel dump, which could constitute the "circle" described by these witnesses.
|
Above: the explanation, by Ciel & Espace.
|
Caption by Ciel & Espace:
Here is one of the few pictures showing the DMSP F18 satellite pass.
The object appears spun due to the exposure time of 13 seconds.
This remarkable picture was taken through a thin layer of clouds,
by Quentin DEHAIS, a 16 year old living near Le Havre.
Satellite, rocket and rocket fuel dump.
* = 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 |
| Editeur: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | August 25, 2014 | Creation, [rnc1], [rnc2], [afn1], [spa2]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | August 25, 2014 | First published. |
