ALSACAT-2016-08-09-WISSEMBOURG-1
A man reported, on the observation date, to the GEIPAN (the French, official, study and information group on "Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena") that on August 9, 2016, around half past midnight, while he was returning home on his bike, being at the exit of Wissembourg to go towards Riedseltz, on the old road which runs along the expressway, he had observed two lights which seemed to follow each other above the clouds, as if they were "playing" together with circular and linear hunting and chasing movements.
They were white in color, with another more powerful white light in the middle, their shape was clearly round, but he does not claim they were balls "because above the clouds they looked round (circular) but I didn't see if they had a volume."
They were very clearly visible despite the clouds. They would move from time to time in the direction of the Col du Pigeonnier, and then to almost above him, and in the other direction, towards Ingolsheim.
The man indicated that he had already seen lights in this region "because there are nightclubs in Germany that use projectors", but he believed that it was something else because "the projectors have a more scattered light and one sees where it comes from" and the lights did not move, according, in this manner or at this speed. He also believed that these lights were above the clouds and not below, "unlike the famous nightclub projectors where you can see that the clouds are illuminated from below."
He thought they were a hundred meters away from him when they passed at the closest from him.
He watched this merry-go-round for over a minute, then the lights went out "suddenly like turning off a light bulb."
The GEIPAN gives the most probable explanation: that of nightclub projectors, "Skytracers". The cloud layer, the behavior of the two lights justify this. The man had evoked them, having already seen disco lights, but the reasons for eliminating them that he gave do not really hold.
| Date: | August 9, 2016 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 00:30 a.m. |
| Duration: | 1 to 2 minutes |
| First known report date: | August 9, 2016 |
| Reporting delay: | Hours. |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Wissembourg |
| Place: | Outside on country path exit of Wissembourg to Riedseltz. |
| Latitude: | 49.0167 |
| Longitude: | 7.9682 |
| Uncertainty radius: |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | Young adult, adult or aged. |
| Witness(es) types: | Man. |
| Reporting channel: | Reported to the GEIPAN. |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | Country path. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night, cloudy. |
| UFO observed: | Yes |
| UFO arrival observed: | ? |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes |
| Entities: | No |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | Yes. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | Yes. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | Puzzled. |
| Witnesses interpretation: | Not discotheque projectors. |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Probable discotheque projectors. |
[Ref. gei1:] GROUPE D'ETUDES ET D'INFORMATIONS SUR LES PHENOMENES AEROSPATIAUX NON IDENTIFIES (G.E.I.P.A.N.):
WISSEMBOURG (67) 09.08.2016 |
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| Observed on: | 08/09/2016 |
| Region: | Alsace |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
| Class: | B |
| Résumé: | WISSEMBOURG (67) 08/09/2016. Observation of moves in the covered night sky of two white lights: probable misinterpretation with a skytracer. |
| Description: |
On 0Wissembourg around 12:30 a.m. (and not on the 8th indicated on the questionnaire), a witness in the town of Wissembourg (and not Riedseltz) observed two white lights in the sky which seemed to follow each other above the clouds in circular and linear paths. The lights seem to come from above the cloud. They disappear instantly. Only one testimony is collected. One hypothesis is favored: the observation of a skytracer (Light spot coming from the ground and reflected by the atmosphere. See the investigation report). Many details of the observation strongly suggest this type of misinterpretation: lights in pursuit, rapid movements, circular pursuit, repetitive movements etc... (the witness says "circular hunting and linear tracking, repeating itself like a "game" without actually being in the same place, there was a slight lag on each pass). We can also note that the weather was overcast, which is favorable to this type of misinterpretation. We can meet various configurations: visibility of the impacts alone, of the beams alone, of both at the same time. It is the meteorological conditions which determine the visibility and the visibility distance and this explains the random or even fleeting nature of the phenomena. The witness's objection to this hypothesis is twofold: - The displacement type. These may vary depending on the materials and themes. A witness cannot know all the possibilities. - The light seems to come from above the cloud and not from the ground. It is probable that the witness only had the experience of impacts with traces of rising beams thus giving the certainty that the lighting came from the ground. When the rising beams are not visible, we can indeed think that the light is coming from above the clouds. The witness's expression ("these being illuminated from above, I mean that we could see part of the clouds below, unlike the famous spotlights in nightclubs where we can clearly see that the clouds are illuminated from below") indirectly reflects the somewhat diffuse character of the spot ("part of the clouds is below") typical of these blunt impacts of beams on clouds. A search for festivities that took place in the area of??the observation site during the night of 08 to 0Wissembourg shows the presence of the Open Air Acropolis in Surbourg (67), a fiesta that took place in the parking lot of the Acropolis hall on the evenings of 06, 07 and 08 August 2016, which is located 14 km southwest of the observation site, that is to say in the direction of observation of the UAPs. This last festive evening was accompanied by an orchestra. It was not possible to know whether a skytracer was used on this occasion. Therefore, the hypothesis of sighting a skytracer remains only probable, due to the characteristic description, but not certain. The case is classified B, probable misinterpretation with a skytracer. |
| Report: | investigation report.pdf |
Details of the testimony |
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| Witness | |
| Date of the observation | 08/09/2016 |
| Document number | |
| Age | Adult (between 10 and 60) |
| Profession | 2. Craftsmen, salesmen and company direc |
| Sex | Male |
| Reaction | |
| Credibility | |
| Conditions | |
| Environment | Buit territories - Insudstrial or commercial areas and c |
| Weather conditions | Cloudly or clouded |
| Hour of the observation | 00:30:00 |
| Reference frame | Sky |
| Distance between phenomenon and witness | <100m (close) |
| Start of the observation | Start of observation by phenomenon |
| End of the observation | End of observation by witness |
| Localization | |
| Angle of site | Other (comparison, landmarks, etc.) |
| Direction of observation | Numbered |
| Heading | Not specified |
| Trajectory | Curved - Circular, arc of circle |
| Nature of the observation | Descriptive terms (lights, shape, etc.) |
| Charactéristic of the observation | Fires and punctual lights, Moves |
| Glubal shape | 2D - Round |
| Color | White |
| Apparent size | 0.3 < x < 0.8° (~moon, ~ball) or "Middl |
| Apparent speed | Fast |
| Noise | None, Total silence |
| Effect on the environment | |
| Number | 2 |
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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:
- The questionnaire is individual and must be completed by the direct witness
- The questionnaire should only concern one observation at a time
Your testimony is crucial and perhaps unique. It will consist of giving an account of 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 or feel ridiculous, we are used to collecting this type of testimonies.
The conclusions of our investigation will be communicated to you personally. Once anonymized, your testimony will be published on our website (www.geipan.fr), "Case research" tab in the menu bar.
We thank you in advance for your contribution to our work.
The head of GEIPAN
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - COORDINATES ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 1
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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 allow investigations to be resolved. So don't hesitate to give as much information as possible, even if your memories are incomplete or certain elements seem unimportant to you. If you are not quite sure of a particular detail, let us know your doubts, but, again, do not leave anything out. We need to be able to visualize everything you have seen, as if to remake the film of your observation.
Use the end of this page to recount your sighting and continue on loose paper as much as you want:
Monday to Tuesday around midnight and a half, while I was returning home by bike, so exit wissembourg towards riedseltz (old road next to the expressway), I observed two lights that seemed to follow each other above the clouds, when I said follow it seemed to me rather as if they were "playing" together with circular and linear hunting and chasing movements, they were very visible despite the clouds, I would say for the size and the luminosity ( I did a test with my 4 led flashlight) if I put my pred flashlight on a wall it would make a nice concentrated light of 4 cm in diameter. They moved from time to time in the direction of the col du pigeonier, so a few km towards the mountain until almost above my head ... and in the other direction let's say at least towards ingolsheim a few km in the other direction. .). I have seen lights in this area before because there are discos in germany that use projectors, but the projectors have a more scattered light and you can see where it is coming from and do not move that way or at this speed, more as I saw these lights quite closely I found, I also noticed that these lights seemed to be above the clouds, these being illuminated from above, I mean that we could see part of the clouds below unlike the famous projectors of discotheques where we can clearly see that the clouds are illuminated from below ... for the distance they must have been approximately (according to the distance between me and the schafbush.... ) at a hundred meters from me (at the minimum of their displacement) I observed this phenomenon for about more than a minute and I saw them disappear before continuing my journey, they suddenly disappeared as if one was turnng off a light bulb, they disappeared at a time when they were nt very close to me again at 200, 300 meters? White in color with another more powerful white light in the middle, the shape was clearly round, I do not say ball, because above the clouds they looked round (circular) but I did not see if they had a volume..
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - COORDINATES ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 2
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Please provide all the information requested.
What were your occupations just before your observation?
Computer repair
Precise address of the observation site (street, town, etc.):
if you go on google maps I was at the exit of the ZA on the dirt road next to the D263 towards riedseltz
Where exactly were you? (Please indicate if you were in a building and on what floor, if you looked through a window, and how fast you were going if you were in a vehicle.) By bike, but from the start I stopped for better watch
Date of observation:08 / 08/2016 ..... Precise start time (in local time): 00.30 .. ......
Duration of the observation or end time (in hours, minutes, seconds): .................
00.31 or even 00.32
did other witnesses see the same phenomenon as you? If yes how much? ... no ...
If necessary, please ask them to contact us at the coordinates indicated on the last page of this document.
How do you relate to these people (parents, friends, colleagues, neighbors)?
The observation was made in a manner: continuous
(cross out or delete unnecessary mention)
If the observation was made discontinuously, specify why it was interrupted and
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - COORDINATES ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 3
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how did this observation end?
By the disappearance of the two objects
Did you see the phenomenon directly with your eyes? YES
(cross out or remove unnecessary mention)
Was the phenomenon observed through an instrument (eyeglasses or sunglasses, binoculars, camera, video camera, telescope, etc.)? If so, please specify the model:
no
Weather conditions (clear sky, clouds, wind, thunderstorm, mist, fog, rain, snow, change in conditions during observation):
cloudy
Astronomical conditions (remember the position of the Moon, the Sun, the presence or not of stars or planets, etc.):
cloudy
Equipment on or active during the observation (headlights, radio, TV, lights ...):
no
Noises during observation (TV or radio on, passing vehicles, airplane engine, thunder, etc.):
no, no noise
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - COORDINATES ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 4
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In your descriptions, do not hesitate to make comparisons with known objects.
Number of phenomena (single, multiple or single then divides ...):
two objects moving at high speed (much faster than projectors)
Shape:
circular
Color:
white
Brightness (in comparison with known stars like Venus and the Moon, or the lighting of a street lamp, car lights, house lights, etc.):
very clear with a brighter point in the center
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):
at arm's length if I spread my fingers it would measure around 4cm
Noise coming from the phenomenon (hissing, buzzing, detonation, comparison with a known noise ...):
no none
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):
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - COORDINATES ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 6
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phenomenon as close as possible to me between the geisberg and the path where I was
Initial UAP position in the sky (start of observation):
100 to 130 ° approximately at the location indicated on the screenshot
Indicate a cardinal point (North, South ...), or an azimuth in degrees with respect to North, or a local visual or geographical reference (building, village)
Indicate a height in degrees from the horizon, or from an element of the landscape (eg: 2 times higher than the steeple of the church)
Final position of the UAP in the sky (end of the observation):
as close as possible to me between the geisberg and the path where I was
Indicate a cardinal point (North, South ...), or an azimuth in degrees with respect to North, or a local visual or geographical reference (building, village)
Indicate a height in degrees from the horizon, or from an element of the landscape (eg: 2 times higher than the steeple of the church)
Trajectory of the phenomenon (straight line, rising, falling, with or without change of direction, curve, etc.):
circular chase and linear tracking, repeating like a "game" without actually being in the same place, there was a slight shift in each pass
Portion of the sky covered by the UAP during the observation (ex: a quarter of the sky or 30 ° to 40 ° from the horizon, etc.):
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - COORDINATES ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 7
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Effect(s) on the environment (ground trace(s), effect(s) on living beings or material):
I don't know
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - CONTACT DETAILS ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 8
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In order for us to be able 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:
How to "dress" a photo or a card with your comments?
If you are used to using drawing or image editing software (Photoshop, GIMP, Illustrator, etc.), we recommend that you use these tools, then we send a file in jpg, png or pdf format.
If you cannot access this type of hardware, print a map of the places 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.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - COORDINATES ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 9
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Use this page to draw your sighting.
You are entirely free to draw up this sketch.
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - CONTACT DETAILS ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 10
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Describe the emotions you felt during and after the observation:
Despite this being my first phenomenon, nothing special
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?
Oh no, I came home and went to bed, but it intrigues me..
What interpretation do you give to what you observed? Have you thought of a known phenomenon? What are the elements that justify your interpretation? If you don't know, have you given up on understanding? If so, when and why?
I hope to find solutions which could confirm or deny the fact that I think they were NOT disco projectors.
Before your observation, how interested were you in strange aerospace phenomena? Did you have a specific opinion on the subject? Which? What were you basing it on?
They have interested me for a very long time, although some reports are clearly exaggerated and reveal more beautiful stories
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - COORDINATES ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 11
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Did this observation change your view of unidentified aerospace phenomena? If so, explain what you think now:
I'm not sure, but for once I saw something that I can't explain (it's not the moon or stars, or a plane) but it was moving really weirdly...
Do you think that science will provide an explanation for your observation?
If there are no other witnesses, I don't think a plausible explanation is found
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - COORDINATES ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
page: 12
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If you have already testified about this UAPN, please tell us to which authority, organization or person by deleting or striking out the unnecessary mentions in the list below, and by completing the requested information (several choices are possible):
Do you authorize us to publish this last information? YES
(it may possibly identify you if your identity appears on that Website)
I would like on the other hand not to be identified thanks
Please specify in the list below the documents you will have attached or completed.
(check or delete unnecessary mentions)
() Questionnaire 1
() Sketch of the observed phenomenon (number: .0 ......)
() Map (s) or plan (s) (number: .... 1 ...)
() Photograph (s) of the sighting (number: .. 0 .....)
() Video (s) of the observation (number: .. 0 .....)
() Photograph (s) of the environment (number: .. 0 .....)
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW N ° 78-17 OF 6 JANUARY 1978 RELATING TO COMPUTING, FILES AND FREEDOMS, AND DECREE N ° 78.774 OF
JULY 17, 1978, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF CONTROL AND CORRECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA.
REQUESTS MUST BE SENT IN WRITING TO GEIPAN - COORDINATES ON THE LAST PAGE
V3-8 / JANUARY 2015
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You still have to fill the publication authorization below, which will allow us to display your anonymized testimony on our website.
(In case of refusal, cross out or delete one and / or the other of the following formulas.)
I, the undersigned ....... certify the sincerity of the information provided above.
Done at RIEDSELTZ ..............
On 09,08,2016 .............
Signature
If you are completing this form by computer, insert your scanned signature or type
This questionnaire is to be returned:
- By e-mail with all the digitized parts to geipan@cnes.fr
or
- By mail to the following postal address, after making a copy that you will keep:
GEIPAN
National Center for Space Studies
DCT / DA / GEIPAN
18 avenue Edouard Belin,
31401 TOULOUSE CEDEX 9
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Toulouse, 04/16/2018
DCT / DA / Geipan
INVESTIGATION REPORT
WISSEMBOURG (67) 08.08.2016
OBSERVATION CASE
During the night of August 8 to 9, 2016 at 12:30 am, a resident of RIEDSELTZ (67) returns home by bike when he observes 2 white lights, with another white light in the middle, chasing each other.
The witness completed a Land Questionnaire (QT) which he sent by email to GEIPAN on August 9. An acknowledgment of receipt is sent the same day.
Extract from QT, page 3:
"Monday to Tuesday around midnight and a half, while I was returning home by bike, so exit wissembourg towards riedseltz (old road next to the expressway), I observed two lights which seemed to follow each other above the clouds, when I said to follow it seemed to me rather as if they were "playing" together with circular and linear hunting and chasing movements, they were very clearly visible despite the clouds, I would say for the size and the luminosity (I did a test with my 4 led flashlight) if I put my pred flashlight on a wall it would make a nice concentrated light 4 cm in diameter. They moved from time to time in the direction of the col du pigeonier, so a few km towards the mountain until almost above my head... and in the other direction let's say at least towards ingolsheim a few km in the other direction..). I have seen lights in this area before because there are discos in germany that use projectors, but the projectors have a more scattered light and you can see where it is coming from and do not move that way or at this speed, more as I saw these lights quite closely I found, I also noticed that these lights seemed to be above the clouds, these being illuminated from above, I mean that we could see a part of the clouds below unlike the famous projectors of discotheques where we can clearly see that the clouds are illuminated from below ... for the distance they must have been approximately (according to the distance
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between me and the schafbush....) a hundred meters from me (at least from their displacement) I observed this phenomenon for about more than a minute and I saw them disappear before continuing my road, they suddenly disappeared as if you were turning off a light bulb, they disappeared at a time when they were again very close to me at 200, 300 meters? White in color with another more powerful white light in the middle, the shape was clearly round, I do not say ball, because above the clouds they looked round (circular) but I did not see if they had a volume.."
DATE OF OBSERVATION CHECK: Although the witness dates the case of August 8, 2016, he clearly specifies at the beginning of his free account that the case takes place on the night of "Monday to Tuesday". The exact date of the case is therefore August 9.
SITE OF OBSERVATION CHECK: According to the indications provided by the witness on page 10 of the QT, the sighting did not take place from the commune of Riedseltz (67), but on the territory of the commune of Wissembourg (67), where the witness had just repaired a computer. He was returning home, in Riedseltz, via the dirt road bordering the D263 on the right, in the direction of the town indicated. The witness provided three site maps to precisely locate the place of observation, which was at a place called Gutleuthof (Annexes 1, 2 and 3). It should be noted that the witness was stopped when he made his observation. He was unable to take a photo.
According to the witness's indications, the UAP was visible towards the southwest, but made different routes: it moved "from time to time in the direction of the col du pigeonier", "and in the other direction let's say at least towards ingolsheim". When the UAP was closest to the witness, it was in the direction of Geisberg. The witness believes that the UAP was situated between him and the Schafbush. These elements make it possible to draw up a map of the places. The Geisberg is just northwest of the observation site, Schafbusch to the west, the Col du Pigeonnier to the west-northwest and Ingolsheim to the southwest (Appendix 4).
No other witnesses could be found.
The level of strangeness of the case being considered low and its degree of urgency moderate, the file was sent to a remote investigator on July 5, 2017.
Weather situation: the closest meteorological station that has kept archive dated the night of August 8 to 9, 2016, is that of Seltz (67) located 16 km south-east of the observation site. The data shows no rain at the time of observation. The wind was almost zero. The outside temperature was 14.6 ° C. The humidity level of 94% indicates the very likely presence of haze, especially since the temperature was close to the dew point (Appendix 5).
Satellite images show that the sky was heavily cloudy in the North-East of France (Appendix 6).
These data confirm the witness's statements indicating the presence of clouds: "above the clouds", "despite the clouds", "cloudy".
Astronomical situation: a reconstruction on Stellarium for Haguenau (67), a town 25 km south of the place of observation, on August 9, 2016 at 12:30 am, shows the absence of the Moon in the sky. Only one planet visible to the naked eye is present, namely Saturn (magnitude 0.57) at 6 ° height in the southwest
The other remarkable stars are the stars of the summer triangle (Vega, Deneb and Altair) high in the South, Arcturus at 15 ° high in the West, and finally Capella, at 12 ° high in the North- East (Annex 7).
It should be remembered, however, that the sky was very cloudy and the stars were not visible.
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Aeronautical situation: the witness does not mention having seen an airplane during the observation, which is normal due to the presence of clouds.
A reconstruction on planefinder.net shows that no plane was visible from Wissembourg at the time of observation.
Astronautical situation: nor does the witness mention seeing a satellite during the observation, which is once again normal.
A reconstruction on Calsky shows that the ISS was not visible at the time indicated by the witness, but that it nevertheless made a visible passage towards the West between 12:17 a.m. and 12:19 a.m. (Appendix 8).
No Iridium flash occurred at the time of observation.
The sighting comes at a time of year when many satellite passages are visible at night.
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3.1. SYNTHESIS OF THE COLLECTED ELEMENTS
WITNESS #1
| # | QUESTION | ANSWER (AFTER INVESTIGATION) |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Commune and department of observation of témoin (ex: Paris (75) ) | Wissembourg (67) |
| A2 | (opt) if unknown commune (during a trip): Commune of the sart of the trip; Commune of the End of trip | |
| A3 | (opt) if trip: name of the Ship, of the road or Flight / plane number | |
| Conditions of observation of the phenomenon (for each witness) | ||
| B1 | Occupation of the witness before the observation | Repairing a computer |
| B2 | Precise address of the place of observation | 49.01672° Nord, 7.96827° Est |
| B3 | Description of the place of observation | exist of the ZA country path next to the D263 in direction of Riedseltz |
| B4 | Date of observation (DD/MM/AAAA) | 09/08/2016 |
| B5 | Hour of the start of the observation (HH:MM:SS) | 00:30 |
| B6 | Duration of the observation(s) or end hour (HH:MM:SS) | 00:00:31 or even 32 |
| B7 | Other witnesses? If yes, how many? | no |
| B8 | (opt) If yes, what relationship with the other witnesses? | |
| B9 | Continuing of interrupted observation? | continuing |
| B10 | If interrupted, why was the observation interrupted? | |
| B11 | What caused the end of the observation? | By the disappearance of the two objects |
| B12 | Phenomenon observed directly? | YES |
| B13 | UAP observed with an instrument? (which one?) | no |
| B14 | Weather conditions | cloudy |
| B15 | Astronomical conditions | cloudy |
| B16 | On or activated gear | no |
| B17 | Known sources of external noises | No, no noise |
| Description du phénomène perçu | ||
| C1 | Number of observed phenomena? | Two objects moving at high speed (much faster than projectors) |
| C2 | Shape | circular |
| C3 | Color | White |
| C4 | Luminosity | Vers bright with a luminous dot in the center |
| C5 | Trail or halo? | no |
| C6 | Apparent size (maximum) | At outstreched arm if I spread my fingers it would measure about 4 cm |
| C7 | Noise coming from the phenomenon? | No none |
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| C8 | Distance estimated (if possible) | at the closest of me between the Geisberg and the path where I was |
| C9 | Azimuth of appearance of the UAP (°) | 100 à 130° approximately at the place indicated on the screenshot |
| C10 | Height of appearance of the UAP (°) | Not indicated |
| C11 | Azimuth of disappearance of the UAP (°) | at the closest of me between the Geisberg and the path where I was |
| C12 | Height of disappearance of the UAP (°) | Not indicated |
| C13 | Trajectory of the phenomenon | Circular chase and linear pursuit, being repeated like a "game" without being really at the same place there was each time a slight drift |
| C14 | Portion of the sky crossed by the UAP | Not indicated |
| C15 | Effect(s) on the environment | I do not know |
| For the next itams, just indicate whether the witness answered these questions | ||
| E1 | Reconstitution on map and sketch/photo of the observation? | YES |
| E1 | Emotions felt by the witness durign and after the observation? | YES |
| E2 | What did the witness do after the observation? | YES |
| E3 | What interpretation does he give to what he observed? | YES |
| E4 | Interest for UAP's before the observation? | YES |
| E5 | Did the opinion of the witness about UAP's change? | YES |
| E6 | Does the witness think that science will explain UAP's? | YES |
One hypothesis is favored: the observation of a skytracer (light spot coming from the ground and reflected by the atmosphere).
Many details of the observation strongly suggest this type of misinterpretation: lights in pursuit, rapid movements, circular pursuit, etc... We can also note that the weather was cloudy, which is favorable to this type of misinterpretation.
We can meet various configurations: visibility of the impacts alone, of the beams alone, of both at the same time. It is the meteorological conditions which determine the visibility and the visibility distance, and this explains the random or even fleeting nature of the phenomena (the projectors of a nearby discotheque may be only rarely visible when another elsewhere produces frequent effects at tens of kilometers away).
The witness's objection to this hypothesis is twofold:
- The displacement type. These may vary depending on the materials and themes. A witness cannot know all the possibilities.
- The light seems to come from above the cloud and not from the ground. It is probable that the witness has only experience of impacts with traces of rising beams thus giving certainty that the lighting is coming from the ground. When the rising beams are not visible, we can indeed
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think that the light is coming from above the clouds. The expression of the witness ("these being illuminated from above, I mean that one could see part of the clouds below, unlike the famous projectors of discotheques where one can clearly see that the clouds are illuminated from below.") indirectly reflects the somewhat diffuse character of the spot ("part of the clouds is below") typical of these blunt impacts of beams on clouds.
The observation day is rather unusual for a skytracer, because the observation takes place during the night from Monday to Tuesday, but it should be remembered that it takes place in the middle of summer.
A search on Google Maps shows that several discotheques are located in an area close to the place of observation (Annex 9). However, a check of the opening hours of these establishments shows that none of them were open at the time of observation.
A search for the festivities that took place in the area of the observation site during the night of August 8 to 9, 2016 shows, the presence of the Acropolis Open Air in Surbourg (67), a fiesta that took place in the parking lot of the Acropolis room on the evenings of August 6, 7 and 8, 2016. This last festive evening was accompanied by an orchestra (Appendix 10).
It is interesting to note that Surbourg is located 14 km southwest of the place of observation, that is to say in the direction of observation of the PANs.
When contacted, the management of the Acropolis was not able to provide the name of the orchestra that played on the evening of August 8, 2016 or to know whether a skytracer was used on this occasion.
Therefore, the hypothesis of sighting a skytracer remains only probable, due to the characteristic description, but not certain.
4.1. SUMMARY OF ASSUMPTIONS
| ASSUMPTION | EVALUATION * | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Skytracer | |||
| ITEM -all |
ARGUMENTS FOR - perfectly typical description of a skytracer ballet on a completely overcast sky - presence of a party with orchestra 14 km away in the direction of observation |
ARGUMENTS AGAINST or MARGIN OF ERROR - no certainty on the use of a skytracer that evening |
FOR / AGAINST 0.75 |
* Reliability of the hypothesis estimated by the investigator: certain (100%); strong (> 80%); significant (60% to 80%); medium (40% to 60%); low (20% to 40%); very low (< 20%); zero (0%)
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One hypothesis is favored: the observation of a skytracer (light spot coming from the ground and reflected by the atmosphere)
Many details of the observation strongly suggest this type of misinterpretation: chasing lights, fast movements, circular chases, repetitive movements, etc. (the witness said "circular chase and linear tracking, repeating like a" game "without actually being in the same place, there was a slight shift in each passage") We can also note that the weather was cloudy, which is favorable to this type of mistake.
We can meet various configurations: visibility of the impacts alone, of the beams alone, of both at the same time. It is the meteorological conditions that determine the visibility and the visibility distance, and this explains the random or even fleeting nature of the phenomena.
The witness's objection to this hypothesis is twofold:
- The displacement type. These may vary depending on the materials and themes. A witness cannot know all the possibilities.
- The light seems to come from above the cloud and not from the ground. It is probable that the witness has only experience of impacts with traces of rising beams thus giving certainty that the lighting is coming from the ground. When the rising beams are not visible, we can indeed think that the light is coming from above the clouds. The expression of the witness ("these being illuminated from above, I mean that we could see part of the clouds below, unlike the famous projectors of discotheques where we can clearly see that the clouds are illuminated from below. ") Indirectly reflects the somewhat diffuse character of the spot (" part of the clouds is below ") typical of these blunt impacts of beams on clouds.
A search for the festivities that took place in the area of the observation site during the night of August 8 to 9, 2016 shows the presence of the Acropolis Open Air in Surbourg (67), a fiesta that took place in the parking lot of the Acropolis room on the evenings of August 6, 7 and 8, 2016, which is located 14 km southwest of the observation site, that is to say in the direction of observation of the NAPs. This last festive evening was accompanied by an orchestra.
It was not possible to know if a skytracer was used on this occasion.
Therefore, the hypothesis of sighting a skytracer remains only probable, due to the characteristic description, but not certain.
The case is classified B, probable misinterpretation with a skytracer.
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5.1. CLASSIFICATION
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GEIPAN give an accurate comment. Quite obvious disco lights, though not totally proven as they did not find the exact event during which they were used.
Having observed various types of discotheque projectors (laser or bulbs) myself, I can say this:
The spot where they come from on the ground cannot always be located. The beam is actually rarely visible, only the lighting on a cloud layer is visible, most of the time.
The maneuvers that the two lights perform are not at all discarding the explanation, quite the opposite. Discotheque projectors moves can be programmed to perform such moves.
The sensation of speed of the maneuvers reported by the witness is not unusual at all either. Many models of disco lights use quite agile motorization, resulting in impressive apparent speed of the light(s) they project.
Lastly, even if one does not find the exact event and location at the source of this show, one should bear in mind that there is always the possibility that disco lights are used at places and dates where no show is occurring: buyers can test them before real use, quite simple.
Probable discotheque projectors.
* = 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 |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | July 3, 2021 | Creation, [gei1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | July 3, 2021 | First published. |
