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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 Zimmerbach, on July 13, 2010:

Case number:

ALSACAT-2010-07-13-ZIMMERBACH-1

Summary:

On June 22, 2013, Christian Valentin, a former journalist who wrote in 2012 a very interesting book on the history of UFO sightings in Alsace, published on his blog an account a report of an observation on Tuesday, July 13, 2010, just after midnight.

He says that at their home in Zimmerbach, Mr. and Mrs. K. had finished dining with a couple of friends when Mr. K. moved to the French window overlooking the terrace and heard a tenuous but insistent "hissing" sound. He came out on the terrace to identify the sound and saw to his right in the completely clear sky, a luminous object approaching down, and stopping above the opposite house.

It looked like a fire object, orange colored, of elongated shape with a length of 3 to 4 times its width.

He called his wife and their friends, who were all amazed at the sight. Mrs. K. asked her husband to take a picture, and the time to get the camera, two pictures were taken. The first was of the object was starting up after its immobility phase, the second picture a few seconds later, before the complete disappearance of the phenomenon.

The digital photograph gives the date of July 14, 2010 and the hours as 00:12 a.m..

The couple had estimated the apparent size of the object as slightly longer and wider than the thumb at stretched arm's length when it was stationary and the closest to them.

The observation lasted, according to Mr. K., between 1 minute 15 and 1 minute 30.

Fifteen minutes or so later, when the couple and their friends had returned inside, their female guest took a look through the blinds of the window of the north side of the kitchen, and saw that that the object was back. The four hurriedly came outside and Mr. K. found that the phenomenon exactly reproduced the initial trajectory without the stationary phase, following in some way a "V" in the sky.

He filmed with some difficulties the object, that moved away at high speed and disappeared in the sky.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date: July 13, 2010
Time: 00:12 a.m.
Duration: ~80 seconds.
First known report date: June 22, 2013
Reporting delay: 3 years.

Geographical data:

Department: Haut-Rhin
City: Zimmerbach
Place: In fron of their home, UFO in the sky.
Latitude: 48.072
Longitude: 7.235
Uncertainty radius: 1 km

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses: 4
Number of known witnesses: 1 or 2
Number of named witnesses: 2
Witness(es) ages: Adults or aged.
Witness(es) types: A married couple and a couple of friends.

Ufology data:

Reporting channel: Ufologist journalist Christian Valentin.
Type of location: Outside their home in vaillage, UFO in the sky.
Visibility conditions: Night.
UFO observed: Yes
UFO arrival observed: No
UFO departure observed: Yes
Entities: No
Photographs: Yes.
Sketch(s) by witness(es): No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): No.
Witness(es) feelings: ?
Witnesses interpretation: ?

Classifications:

Hynek: NL
ALSACAT: Chinese lanterns.

Sources:

[Ref. cvn1:] CHRISTIAN VALENTIN:

LUMINOUS PHENOMENON IN ZIMMERBACH

Published June 22, 2013 by Christian VALENTIN

Tuesday night July 13, 2010, at their home in Zimmerbach, Mr. and Mrs. K. dine with a couple of friends. Midnight has just passed and the meal is finished when Mr. K. moves to the French window overlooking the terrace and perceives a tenuous but insistent "hissing". He goes out on the terrace to identify the sound and saw to his right in the completely clear sky a luminous object approaching down to stop vertically above the opposite house.

The phenomenon has the appearance of an elongated orange fire object. Its length is between 3 and 4 times its width.

The witness called his wife and their friends, amazed at the sight. Mrs K. asks her husband to take a picture. The time to get the camera are two shots will be taken. The first of the object while starting up after its immobility phase, the second a few seconds later, before the complete disappearance of the phenomenon.

The digital camera dates the shooting very precisely to the 07/14/2010 at 0:12 a.m..

When it was stationary and the closest from the witnesses, the couple believes the apparent size of the object was slightly wider and longer than the outstretched thumb at arms length. The observation lasted, according to Mr. K., between 1mn15 and 1mn30.

A quarter of an hour later, while the K. couple and their friends had returned inside, their female guest takes a look behind the blind on the side of the north at the kitchen window to see that the object had returned. The four witnesses came out again hurriedly and Mr. K. notes that the object exactly reproduces the initial trajectory without respecting the stationary phase, following in some way a capital V in the sky. With his camera, the main witness filmed with some difficulties the movement of the object moving away at high speed and disappearing in the sky.

Photo.

The first photograph, taken on 07/14/2010 at OH:12 a.m..

Discussion:

Map.

The phenomenon was - the report suggests it and the picture proves it - Chinese lanterns.

Photo.

Above: photo by the witness.

Photo.

Above: Chineese lantern.

There is no need for a long search of the celebration that prompted a launch of Chinese lanterns: this is the Natinal Day and it is just pas midnight.

The "whistling sound" that made Mr. K.. go outside was likely a firecracker's sound.

Evaluation:

Chinese lanterns.

Sources references:

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

File history:

Authoring:

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

Changes history:

Version: Create/changed by: Date: Description:
0.1 Patrick Gross July 24, 2015 Creation, [cvn1].
1.0 Patrick Gross July 24, 2015 First published.

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This page was last updated on July 24, 2015.