Sighting in Rixheim, July 26, 2009

From their terrace, the witness was watching the starry sky at around 22:20. For 7 to 8 seconds they followed a white point of light moving in a straight line from south to north, between 25° and 35° above the horizon, which they took for a satellite. The witness looked away for a second or two, and on looking back was surprised to find that the light was no longer on its path. A point of light then reappeared and began a turn to the west, toward Habsheim aerodrome, lasting 2 to 3 seconds. It then took up a straight course at high speed and passed directly overhead. No particular noise was heard. The observation lasted 10 to 12 seconds, and the report gives its end as 23:48. The witness remained puzzled by the change of direction and the sharp acceleration without any sound.

Nothing proves that it was one and the same point of light. The investigation nonetheless ruled out several explanations. There was no radar trace of aircraft in the area between 23:30 and 00:00. Jupiter was too low on the horizon. The satellite COSMOS 1151-Rocket did pass over, but at 57° elevation. GEIPAN classified the case D: although not very strange, the phenomenon remains unexplained. The D1 rating reflects the single witness account and the impossibility of estimating the phenomenon's distance.