ALSACAT:

cnes
CENTRE NATIONAL D'ETUDES SPATIALES

geipan

Madam, Sir,

You were a direct witness, on French territory, of an aerospace phenomenon that intrigued you and you want to understand what you saw.

In order to be able to answer your questions, the National Center for Space Studies and its specialized service GEIPAN offer you a two-step approach:

• On the website www.geipan.fr, first consult the UAP identification guide where you may find an explanation for your observation.
• If did not find an explanation, fill in the following questionnaire which will allow us to open an investigation.

• The questionnaire is individual and must be completed by the direct witness
• The questionnaire should be about only one observation at a time

Your testimony is crucial and perhaps unique. It will consist of writing a story about your observation, answering specific questions, making drawings and sketches or attaching photographs to further refine your description.

It is imperative that you follow the instructions mentioned at each step so that we can gather as much information as possible about the observed phenomenon.

You should not be afraid to tell us about it, nor feel ridiculous, we are used to collecting this type of testimony.

The conclusions of our investigation will be sent to you personally. Once anonymized, your testimony will be published on our website (www.geipan.fr), "Case search" tab in the menu bar.

We thank you in advance for your contribution to our work.

The head of GEIPAN

GEIPAN
Centre national d'études spatiales
DCT/DA/GEIPAN
18 Avenue BELIN 31401 TOULOUSE CEDEX 9
05 61 27 48 01 - geipan@cnes.fr

Your observation

We will ask you to provide as much information as possible about your observation. The most important thing is not to omit anything: it is often the details that solve the investigations. Do not hesitate to give as much information as possible, even if your memories are incomplete or certain elements seem unimportant to you. If you are no longer very sure of this or that detail, let us know your doubts, but, once again, do not omit anything. We must be able to visualize everything you have seen, as if to remake the film of your observation. Use the end of this page to record your sighting and continue on free paper as much as you wish:

Your free account of the observation:

. . . We are on 12/29/2013, it is around 5:40 (in the morning) when I go to my terrace to smoke a cigarette. As usual I look at the sky. I was watching clouds move with the wind when suddenly I saw a light appear between two clouds. Then the clouds occulted this light but 3 seconds after the light reappeared, and this time I could observe something static and silent which had the shape of a slightly tilted disc very scintillating light yellow color during approximately 2 seconds at 5:45 exactly. Then the object disappeared behind the clouds again. I went to get my Smartphone to be able to film but I waited 15 minutes in vain. I am sure it was neither the moon, nor a star, nor a plane because two minutes after the apparition, I saw a plane flying in the distance, which was moving and blinking. It happened above Cernay, a small town in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace (France). I live in the nearby village of Steinbach, which is a little high up.

CNES/GEIPAN Standard GEIPAN questionnaire V3.5-June-2013 page: 3

Observation conditions of the phenomenon

Please provide all the information requested.

What were your occupations just before your sighting?

I was on my terrace smoking a cigarette.

Precise address of the place of observation (street, city...):

68700 Cernay in the Haut-Rhin in Alsace

Where exactly were you? (Please indicate if you were in a building and on what floor, if you were looking through a window, and how fast you were driving if you were in a vehicle.)

I was on the terrace of my bedroom on the 1st floor of my house, there are no windows.

Date of sighting: 12/29/2013 Precise start time (in local time): 5:45 a.m.

Duration of observation or end time (in hours, minutes, seconds): 2 seconds

Did other witnesses see the same phenomenon as you? If yes, how many? no I was alone

If necessary, please ask them to contact us using the contact details given on the last page of this document.

What relationship do you have with these people (parents, friends, colleagues, neighbours)?

The observation was made in a way: continuous

(cross out or delete the useless mention)

If the observation was made discontinuously, specify why it was interrupted and resumed:

How did this sighting end?

The clouds obscured the luminous disc, I waited fifteen minutes without seeing anything again.

CNES/GEIPAN Standard GEIPAN questionnaire V3.5-June-2013 page: 4

Did you see the phenomenon directly with your eyes? YES

(cross out or delete the useless mention)

Was the phenomenon observed through an instrument (spectacles or sunglasses, binoculars, camera, video camera, telescope, etc.)? If yes, please specify the model:

No

Weather conditions (clear sky, clouds, wind, thunderstorm, haze, fog, rain, snow, change of conditions during observation):

Clouds and very light wind

Astronomical conditions (remember the position of the Moon, the Sun, the presence or absence of stars or planets, etc.):

My terrace faces south because the sun rises on the left and sets on the right.

Equipment on or active during observation (headlights, radio, TV, lights...):

Only city lights in the distance.

Noise during observation (TV or radio on, passing vehicles, aircraft engine, thunder...):

No noise, very silent.

CNES/GEIPAN Standard GEIPAN questionnaire V3.5-June-2013 page: 5

Description of the phenomenon

In your descriptions, do not hesitate to make comparisons with known objects.

Number of phenomena (single, multiple or single then splits...):

unique

Shape:

Disc shape, saucer

Color:

Light yellow

Brightness (compared to known stars like Venus and the Moon, or lighting from a street lamp, car lights, house lights, etc.):

Very scintillating, relatively intense light then slightly diminished

Presence of a trail or a halo? If so, what color?

No

Apparent size (express the dimensions of the phenomenon in relation to a familiar object and/or in millimeters counted on a graduated ruler carried at arm's length):

On a graduated ruler carried at arm's length, it could measure about 150 millimeters

Noise coming from the phenomenon (hissing, buzzing, detonation, comparison with a known noise...):

No noise

Distance between you and the UAP (the observed phenomenon), roughly estimated (specify if the object passed in front of or behind an element of the landscape):

The distance could be about 4 kilometers, the object passed behind clouds

CNES/GEIPAN Standard GEIPAN questionnaire V3.5-June-2013 page: 6

Direction of appearance of the UAP (north, south, southwest, etc.; or specify a local visual or geographical landmark, the direction of a place, etc.):

Above Cernay, seen from Steinbach towards Mulhouse, so to the south

Direction of disappearance of the PAN (north, south, southwest, etc.; or specify a local visual or geographical landmark, the direction of a place, etc.):

Same place

Height of appearance of the UAP in relation to the horizon (the horizon = 0°, the zenith = 90°):

20° from the horizon

Height of disappearance of the UAP in relation to the horizon:

20° from the horizon

Trajectory of the phenomenon (straight line, rising, falling, with or without change of direction, curve, etc.):

Static

Portion of the sky covered by the UAP during the observation (ex: a quarter of the sky or 30° to 40° in relation to the horizon, etc.):

Static

Effect(s) on the environment (trace(s) on the ground, effect(s) on living beings or material):

CNES/GEIPAN Standard GEIPAN questionnaire V3.5-June-2013 page: 7

Reconstruction of your observation

In order for us to reconstruct the "movie" of your observation, we must have as much information as possible. Concretely, this implies that we understand everything, from the beginning to the end of your observation, and that we know the direction of movement of the phenomenon as well as its altitude. This step is crucial.

We offer three complementary methods:

1. Take a photo of the environment as it was during the phenomenon, as if the camera were your eyes during the observation. Feel free to draw what you observed directly on the photos.
2. Make one or more sketches of your observation (see next page) from your point of view, including the environment. Give as many elements as possible to allow us a good understanding of the scene. You are completely free of the sketches you send us. But color accuracy is important, especially if the level of contrast between the observed phenomenon and the environment is low. Try to be as precise as possible, even if it means writing on the sketch. No drawing skills required. The main thing is to let us understand what you saw schematically. You can use the following page for this purpose.
3. Reconstruct your observation on one or more shots. If you can, present your observation with a top view. For this you can print a map of your place of observation on Google Map (http://maps.google.fr) or Geoportail (http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil) and report your different positions and observation directions there.

How do I "caption" a photo or map with comments?

If you are used to using drawing or image editing software (Photoshop, GIMP, Illustrator, etc.), we advise you to use these tools, then to send a file in jpg, png or pdf format.

If you cannot access this type of material, print a map of the location and/or a photo, draw over it and attach it to the paper file; or scan or photograph the result and send it to us in jpg, png or pdf format.

CNES/GEIPAN Standard GEIPAN questionnaire V3.5-June-2013 page: 8

Now what?

Describe the emotions you felt during and after the observation:

During the observation I was both scared and amazed at the same time

After the observation I could not believe my eyes, I was amazed

What did you do after your sighting? Did you talk about it? How did your interlocutors react? Did you do any research to understand what you saw?

How do you interpret what you observed? Did you think of a known phenomenon? What are the elements that support your interpretation? If you don't know, have you given up on understanding? If yes, when and why?

I think it was a UFO, because it did not have the usual appearance, shape and size for a star in the sky or an airplane.

Before your observation, what interest did you have in strange aerospace phenomena? Did you have a specific opinion on the topic? Which one? What were you basing it on?

CNES/GEIPAN Standard GEIPAN questionnaire V3.5-June-2013 page: 10

I am very interested in the topic, I inform myself a lot. I pretty much agree with the ancient astronaut theory.

Did this observation change your opinion about unidentified aerospace phenomena? If so, explain what you think now:

Do you think science will provide an explanation for your observation?

Maybe some day

CNES/GEIPAN Standard GEIPAN questionnaire V3.5-June-2013 page: 11

Summary

If you have already testified about this UAP, please tell us with which authority, organization or person by deleting or crossing out the unnecessary mentions in the list below, and by completing the information requested (several contacts possible):

- Gendarmerie (mention the brigade and the date): ........................
- Police (mention the police station and the date): ........................
- GEIPAN (mention the name of the contact and the date): ........................
- Private investigator (mention the name of the contact and the date): ........................
- Ufologist (mention the name of the contact and the date): ........................
- Journalist (mention the name of the contact and the date): ........................
- Internet (mention the site and the date): ........................

Please specify in the list below the documents that you have attached or completed.

(check or remove unnecessary mentions)

[ ] Quiz
[ ] Sketch of the observed phenomenon (number: 1)
[ ] Photograph(s) of the environment (number: 1)

CNES/GEIPAN Standard GEIPAN questionnaire V3.5-June-2013 page : 12

You still have to complete the publication authorization below, which will allow us to display your anonymized testimony on our website.

Permission to publish your information

(In case of refusal, cross out or delete one and/or the other of the following formulas.)

• I authorize GEIPAN to publish in the media (press, television, Internet) certain parts of this testimony (text, possibly retouched photos, drawings, diagrams, videos).

I, [-] the undersigned certify the sincerity of the information provided above.

Made in Steinbach .......................................
On 29/12/2013 .....................................

Signature

This questionnaire is to be returned:

• By e-mail with all the digitized documents to geipan@cnes.fr

or

• By mail to the following postal address, after having made a copy that you will keep:

GEIPAN
Centre national d'études spatiales
DCT/DA/GEIPAN
18 avenue Édouard Belin,
31401 TOULOUSE CEDEX 9

We thank you for taking the time to testify.