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Catalogue retro 1978
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This document is a special issue of 'Les Chroniques de la C.L.E.U.', titled 'CATALOGUE ANNÉE 1978', published by the 'COMMISSION LUXEMBOURGEOISE D'ETUDES UFOLOGIQUES'. It is a reissue augmented by CNEGU in 2007. The publication serves as a detailed catalog of unidentified aerial…
Magazine Overview
This document is a special issue of 'Les Chroniques de la C.L.E.U.', titled 'CATALOGUE ANNÉE 1978', published by the 'COMMISSION LUXEMBOURGEOISE D'ETUDES UFOLOGIQUES'. It is a reissue augmented by CNEGU in 2007. The publication serves as a detailed catalog of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) sightings reported in France during 1978, organized chronologically by month.
January 1978
The catalog begins with January 1978, detailing several sightings. In Troisfontaines, a witness observed a strange object with green and red lights, and another witness reported seeing three bright white lights, one of which followed him. In Chamouilley, an orange, banana-shaped object was seen moving and transforming before accelerating rapidly. In Dijon, a luminous object was observed for ten minutes. Another sighting in Troisfontaines involved an object with green and red lights. A witness in Guebling also reported three UFOs with white lights, one of which followed him for two kilometers.
February 1978
February 1978 saw a variety of observations. In Barville, a witness reported seeing a large oval-shaped platform moving up and down. In Mulhouse, a flat object with headlights and a triangle was observed. A red, cigar-shaped light was seen moving rapidly over Burgundy, identified by witnesses as not atmospheric or an aircraft. In Rupt-aux-Nonains, a luminous yellow-canary object shaped like a vertical crescent was observed. Near Reims, seven people saw a white, tube-like object moving rapidly, with a green halo.
March 1978
March 1978 included sightings such as a bolide observed over Châtenois. In Téterchen, two stationary objects resembling aluminum rectangles with red-orange triangles were observed near a high-tension pylon; they later ascended and moved away, leaving a geometric burn mark. In Rainville, a luminous object composed of two white spheres connected by a red bar was seen. Another sighting in Rainville described two white, round masses with an orange beacon, connected by a light, observed at low altitude.
April 1978
April 1978 featured a conical green and red object moving rapidly over Nancy. In Vandoeuvre, a long, luminous cigar-shaped object was observed and photographed. Two luminous white 'balls' were seen following a car near Sommedieue. Near Epinal, a cigar-shaped object with a yellow halo was observed for four seconds. In the Saint-Dié region, a UAP with two distinct parts was observed at high altitude, shining brightly and moving slowly. In Saint-Dié, a luminous object was observed for an hour. In Neufchâteau-Tardenois, a red-orange luminous ball, described as 'throwing rays', was observed moving. In Besançon, a luminous phenomenon was observed.
May 1978
May 1978 included a round, red object observed in Genlis. In the early morning hours, a witness in Schweighouse-Thann heard a whistling sound and observed an anomalous white light illuminating his surroundings, despite the absence of a full moon and cloudy weather. The light intensified, followed by darkness and silence. Near Ancerville-Güe, a bright orange sphere was observed, and two Mirage IV aircraft were seen in the vicinity. In Barville, a luminous ball, larger and seemingly more distant than a previous sighting, was observed.
June 1978
June 1978 reported a white luminous ball near Bettancourt-la-Ferrée that descended rapidly, performed maneuvers, and disappeared into the clouds. In Tichey-Saint-Loup, a white, hat-shaped luminous craft was observed. The crew of a Boeing 707 observed a jellyfish-shaped object at high altitude near Luxeuil, which ascended rapidly. Another Boeing 707 crew observed a similar jellyfish-shaped object. In Champagnole, a white, bean-shaped phenomenon was observed. In Vernois-sur-Mance, two witnesses observed a white Concorde-like aircraft. Another witness in Vernois-sur-Mance observed a similar white aircraft. In Besançon, a luminous phenomenon was observed. In Morteaux, a white rectangular object was observed.
July 1978
July 1978 included a luminous glow observed from Dôle to Longvic. Near Arnancourt, four friends observed a luminous white sphere moving in an S-trajectory. In the Nancy region, two large, triangular objects with a matte metal color and a central white circle were observed, moving slowly before one accelerated rapidly and disappeared. In Strasbourg, a triangular object with a black dot was observed for half an hour. Three farmers observed a dazzling orange cigar-shaped object moving across the sky. A student photographed an object in the Bierre-les-Semur region. In Novy-Chevrières, a large, yellow object resembling a star but with unusual characteristics was observed.
Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance
The recurring themes in this catalog are the diverse shapes, colors, and behaviors of unidentified aerial phenomena. The publication meticulously documents witness accounts, often providing detailed descriptions of the objects and their movements. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious investigation and documentation of these phenomena, presenting the data without immediate judgment, although some entries include possible explanations or cross-references to other cases. The emphasis is on collecting and presenting factual reports from various sources, including newspapers, investigations, and witness correspondence.
This document is a compilation of unidentified flying object (UFO) or unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) sightings reported in France between July and October 1978, primarily from the Ardennes region and surrounding areas. It functions as a catalog of individual incidents, each with a reference number, date, location, witness description, and source.
July 1978 Sightings
The July 1978 reports begin with an observation near Etain, where two witnesses saw a helicopter following an object. A subsequent report details an encounter near Novy-Chevrieres on July 21st, where a witness observed a small white ball that changed colors (pink to yellow) and then moved away. Later, a red ball, the size of a ping-pong ball, was seen above a high-voltage line. On July 27th, multiple witnesses reported observing objects in the shape of cigars or triangles, emitting an orange glow, visible for 10 minutes in locations including Talan, Dijon, and Longvic. Another report from July 27th describes a very bright white light, encircled by an orange-red color, seen near Asfelds. The month concludes with a significant sighting on July 28th near Montigny-le-Roi, where a witness observed three large, luminous yellow-orange balls, appearing as big as the full moon, moving slowly and horizontally before diminishing and disappearing without noise.
August 1978 Sightings
August 1978 saw continued reports. On August 4th, a long, elongated object with a yellow-orange light was observed over Dijon. A report from August 8th details three inhabitants of Reuille-Vergy seeing a luminous disk over Détain, whose intensity increased before it disappeared, leaving a red trail. On August 9th, near Pongivart, a bright white light surrounded by orange-red was observed, which disappeared and reappeared. A witness in Longvic on August 13th observed a brilliant ball for 20 minutes, which changed to red and moved in arabesques. On August 18th, near Saulcy, a fire-like phenomenon, described as a small, multicolored descending object, was observed after an airplane passed. This event was repeated for four consecutive nights and was witnessed by gendarmes. A report from August 29th mentions two silent UFOs observed over Essey, one large and the other red and light green, launching flashes.
September 1978 Sightings
September 1978 included numerous sightings. On September 5th, in Mulhouse, witnesses reported luminous balls coming from the North, flying silently at low altitude and ascending rapidly. These objects were described as resembling flat plates topped with a hemisphere, about 25 meters in diameter. On September 8th, near Epinal, a large, brilliant red object, possibly a cigar shape over 100 meters long, was seen. On September 12th, a luminous yellow object with a green outline was observed hovering over Brottes for about 20 minutes before disappearing. September 13th saw a report of a luminous rocket disintegrating over Laxou and Belfort, leaving a trail of red points. Another report from September 13th describes a perfectly spherical, bright orange luminous ball that moved vertically and then horizontally before disappearing. On September 15th, a witness in Uchey heard a sound resembling a blowtorch near a landed object, though the object itself was not seen. On September 14th, a witness in Epinal observed two bright "stars" that moved towards each other, stopped, and then departed. On September 15th, a gendarme observed a fireball about a meter in diameter with a tail, flying at low altitude. On September 15th, a police patrol observed an anomalous luminous object over Crais. On September 15th, a 63-year-old retired military man observed two luminous points that moved horizontally, resembling "cigarette tips" of red-orange color, which then stopped, descended, and disappeared. On September 16th, a witness observed a luminous orange ball that moved, performed a 90-degree turn, and then zigzagged before extinguishing. On September 17th, near Jeuxey, a brilliant, incandescent ball was observed. On September 17th, two luminous points were seen moving at high speed near Fontaine-Sainte-Anne. On September 17th, an object 4-5 meters long and 30 meters wide, bright white and silent, was observed over Dijon. On September 17th, a cigar-shaped object emitting red and white lights was heard and seen over Dijon. On September 17th, two luminous white points were seen descending towards the ground over Dijon. On September 17th, a fireball the width of an umbrella was seen over Dijon. On September 20th, a bright luminous bar, the size of a pen, was observed over Dijon. On September 21st, a bright orange luminous object was observed over Cirey-sur-Vezouze, Baccarat, and the Vosges, initially dismissed as military maneuvers. On September 21st, a bright luminous point, larger than Polaris, moved slowly over Ageville, described as elongated and reddish at the front, white at the back, before suddenly exploding and disappearing at high speed. A photo was taken and certified authentic. On September 21st, an orange luminous ball moved with white blinkers over Maxéville. On October 10th, two bright luminous points were observed over Vagney. On October 10th, large, immobile luminous points were observed over Baccara. On October 11th, a punctual object moved silently over Ancerville-Güe, appearing the size of Venus, orange luminous, and performing a 110° curve before disappearing. On October 11th, an oval object was observed in the sky.
October 1978 Sightings
October 1978 reports include a sighting on October 2nd-3rd near Beaumont-en-Argonne, where a 19-year-old observed a two-meter long orange and green flying object emitting a dazzling light. On October 6th, an orange luminous object, shaped like a rugby ball and the size of a car, moved silently from SO to NE over a street in Ville. On October 6th, four friends observed three unusual phenomena near Bettancourt and Ancerville. The first was a round, orange-yellow object, the size of Venus, with a blurry contour. A second, identical object appeared, and then a third. On October 7th, eight people observed a large orange sphere, at least three times the size of the full moon, hovering over the Charmes-les-Langres reservoir before slowly diminishing and disappearing. On October 10th, several witnesses observed orange and red lights illuminating the clouds over Cirey-sur-Vezouze, Baccarat, and the Vosges. On October 10th, a witness observed a bright luminous point over Ageville that moved slowly, then suddenly exploded and disappeared at high speed. On October 10th, an orange luminous ball moved with white blinkers over Maxéville. On October 10th, two bright luminous points were observed over Vagney. On October 10th, large, immobile luminous points were observed over Baccara. On October 11th, a punctual object moved silently over Ancerville-Güe, appearing the size of Venus, orange luminous, and performing a 110° curve before disappearing. On October 11th, an oval object was observed in the sky.
Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance
The recurring themes in this compilation are the prevalence of luminous aerial objects, often described as silent, and their varied shapes and colors. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent cataloging and reporting of these phenomena, presenting witness accounts with detailed descriptions and sourcing them from various publications and investigation groups. There is no overt attempt to explain the phenomena, but rather to document their occurrence. The consistent reporting of similar types of objects across different locations and dates suggests a sustained interest in UFO/UAP activity during this period in France.
This document is a compilation of UFO and UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) sightings reported in France during October, November, and December of 1978. It details numerous individual cases, providing reference numbers, dates, locations, witness accounts, and sometimes official sources or investigation details.
October 1978 Sightings
October 12th Several incidents were reported on October 12th. In Ancerville-Güe, a couple observed a red-orange object with a green halo and blinking red lights. Later, the same couple witnessed an orange sphere that disappeared, followed by a double condensation trail and a cigar-shaped object that emitted a bright flash. In Bouxières-aux-Dames, multiple witnesses saw a white figure moving rapidly without touching the ground. In Thil, an observer noted a difficult-to-perceive object with two colors, moving in sync with Earth's rotation, confirmed by a second observer with a telescope. Air traffic controllers at Athis-Mons were alerted and diverted two civilian aircraft to observe a detected object.
October 14th In the Reims region, a witness described an oval object with a green halo and blinking red lights, observed with binoculars.
October 15th In Bouxières-aux-Dames, two people saw two white vertical forms emerge from the woods and flee at high speed. The same location saw another sighting on October 17th by three original witnesses and two others, again observing a white form fleeing rapidly.
October 16th In Chauny, a witness reported a fireball moving from northwest to southeast. In the Reims area, three consecutive evenings (October 14th, 15th, and 16th) featured sightings of an ovoïde saucer with a green halo and red lights, moving at an altitude of 1700 meters. Two civilian aircraft and a third plane diverted to observe this phenomenon, which was also detected on radar.
October 27th At Lac du Der, three individuals observed a bright white luminous point that resolved into an elongated, dark, cigar-shaped object with blurry contours, emitting alternating white light. The object was silent and had no position lights.
October 28th Near Dugny-sur-Meuse, a helicopter pilot observed a static, incandescent white disk, approximately 2 meters in diameter, emitting neon-like light for 30 seconds. The pilot, with over 1500 flight hours, ruled out conventional aircraft.
October 29th In the Saint-Mihiel area, three witnesses saw a curious light that reappeared, appearing as two strong orange lights, like headlights, approaching them. They described a metallic grey, smooth oval body with two orange headlights at the front, moving silently and disappearing to the southwest.
November 1978 Sightings
November 1978 (Early) In the Thaon-les-Vosges region, a witness reported seeing three luminous points describing an oval circuit in the sky before two disappeared, followed by the third. In Saint-Dizier, a stationary yellow-gold sphere was observed at an altitude of 500-700 meters.
November 1978 (Mid) Near Rambervillers, a truck driver observed a high-altitude luminous object that descended to about 100 meters. The object was described as three semi-spheres topped by another, with a dark 'S' shape inside, and a rose-colored hue. It moved rapidly and disappeared behind trees. In Thaon-les-Vosges, a 16-year-old observed three red "balls" moving horizontally, which then became stationary in an equilateral triangle before disappearing.
November 1978 (Specific Dates) On November 16th, in Bainville-sur-Madon, a retired man observed a strange, orange-glowing object in his field. It was a vertical brown demi-oval shape with a transparent dome, which ascended, made a right-angle turn, and disappeared eastward. On November 21st, near Nantes, an ex-Air Force pilot and his family witnessed two enormous, bright blue luminous saucers with orange domes, approximately 60 meters in diameter and 15-20 meters high. The objects caused car engine trouble and headlight dimming before crossing the road at low altitude.
On November 23rd, in Pont-à-Mousson, a mother observed three enormous red headlights emanating from a strange, bomb-shaped disk with an opaque dome, estimated at 10 meters in diameter. The object hovered for two hours, performing loops. On November 29th, in Nancy, several witnesses observed an orange elliptical luminous phenomenon moving regularly from north to south.
December 1978 Sightings
December 1978 (Early) In December, an hospital agent in Nancy noticed a "motorcycle headlight"-sized object that moved in jerky motions near rooftops. Another report from Mahon described a yellow light identified as the same object seen earlier. In Cornimont, four witnesses observed a luminous yellow form projecting conical beams before ascending vertically and disappearing. In Rupt-sur-Moselle, a witness observed a luminous cylindrical form ascending, projecting four light rays, and disappearing after about thirty seconds.
December 1978 (Mid) In the Epinal region, three witnesses observed a red-orange UFO moving southwest to northeast, projecting a V-shaped beam. The object, described as half-moon shaped, moved rectilinearly and disappeared behind a chimney. In Epinal, two luminous beams were observed for 15 seconds, followed by a luminous trail. Two witnesses in Epinal observed a white "half-sphere" descending, followed by an explosion. In Contrexéville, a witness observed a bright light like a car headlight with surrounding sparks, which disappeared with an explosion. In Vittel, a witness reported a luminous form, sunset-colored, followed by a descending, spiraling trail that persisted for some time. In Bulgnéville, two demi-circles and a multicolored trail were observed, followed by a bright flash and a luminous persistence for an hour.
December 1978 (Late) On December 2nd, near Epinal, a pilot observed an exploding rocket followed by a parachute and a luminous trail. Later that day, near Epinal-Rambervillers, a group of young basketball players and their companions witnessed an orange, ovoïde luminous phenomenon projecting a yellow sparkling beam, which disappeared after a brief stabilization. In Besançon, multiple people observed an unidentified luminous object moving at high speed. Swiss observers also reported the object near Basel. The object was described as a fireball extending to the ground with two luminous beams, moving at high altitude, leaving persistent traces for three-quarters of an hour. Aerostats from Besançon also observed the phenomenon and took photos. On December 2nd, near Chatillon-sur-Seine, three people observed a white ball moving rapidly, identified as possibly related to a military rocket launch.
On December 10th, in Ancerville-Güe, a witness observed a luminous orange ball moving horizontally and then saccadically before being hidden by trees. On December 12th, a family in the Marne region observed a luminous orange ball, about 1 meter in diameter, hovering silently over their house for about fifteen minutes. The object, surrounded by a bluish halo, oscillated like a helicopter and disappeared after an automobile passed nearby. On December 12th, near Contrexéville, two witnesses observed an intense, ill-defined luminous phenomenon with a "spongy" aspect, described as similar to a "golf ball" when viewed with binoculars.