World’s First: Passive Radar Signal Confirms visual UFO-Sighting
Luedenscheid (Germany) – Worldwide, private passive radar systems are increasingly being used in UFO research. In Germany, members of the „Society for the Investigation of UFO Phenomena“ (GEP) also operate such systems. For the first time, one of these systems has successfully and independently confirmed a UFO sighting in real time – an unprecedented milestone in research.
Inhalt
The following article is a guest contribution by Hans-Werner Peiniger for the German „Society for the Investigation of UFO Phenomena e.V.“ (GEP), originally published in the association’s journal „Journal für UFO-Forschung“ (JUFOF, 01-2025, Vol. 46, No. 277).
Incident Details
The witness, an employee of the Federal Police in Offenburg, was returning home from a night shift and parked in front of her house. Upon exiting her car, she heard a loud noise coming from the southern sky, which she described as „the dragging of a metal chain over asphalt.“ Looking up, she saw a very bright, white, „wave-like“ formation in the clear sky. In front of the wave-like structure, she observed a bright, vertically aligned „double dot.“ The sound stopped, and at the same time, the phenomenon disappeared. She estimated the sighting lasted no more than 5 seconds.
Case Summary
Case Number: 20240920 B
Date: September 20, 2024
Time: 05:34 AM CEST
Location: 77948 Friesenheim – Oberweier, Germany
Witnesses: Name known to investigator
Classification: NL
Assessment: GOOD UFO
Identification: None
Investigations: On hold
First Contact: Email, September 20, 2024
Investigator: Josef Garcia
At the same time, the witness’s husband was preparing breakfast in the kitchen and heard the loud noise through the open balcony door. However, he described it differently, saying it sounded „like many small beads falling onto a tiled floor.“ He did not step outside but found the unusual noise noteworthy for that early hour.
The witness was able to specify the exact time of the incident because she glanced at her Apple Watch, which displayed the time in large digital numbers (she uses this feature while jogging).
She lives approximately 1,000 meters from GEP investigator Josef Garcia, whom she knows personally and informed about the event shortly afterward. Unfortunately, Garcia was in the shower at the time of the event and did not hear anything, nor did his wife, who was still asleep.
For professional reasons, the witness wishes to remain anonymous. However, she emphasized that she had never seen anything like this before.
Source/Copyright: Witness/GEP, www.ufo-forschung.de
Discussion and Assessment
A detailed interview with the credible eyewitness by Josef Garcia provided no further insights. Investigations into an independent source for the perceived noise yielded no results. The phenomenon was visible for only a very brief time, leaving the witness with no opportunity to observe additional details.
Josef Garcia is GEP’s expert on passive radar, a valuable tool in technical UFO research. We previously reported on the technology and its applications in UFO research in JUFOF 257, 5-2021.
Both Garcia and GEP operate a station that continuously monitors part of the sky using passive radar.
(The boundaries of the coverage are fluid and not as sharply defined as depicted in the image.)
Source: GEP, www.ufo-forschung.de
Since the unusual luminous phenomenon appeared within the coverage area of Garcia’s passive radar station, it made sense to check the recorded signals from the time of the sighting. Indeed, the passive radar had captured a signal that closely matched the witness’s sketch. We can therefore assume that the luminous phenomenon observed by the witness was the cause of the passive radar signal. This event is unprecedented worldwide. To our knowledge, this is the first time a UFO/UAP sighting has been confirmed using passive radar.
(Click on the center of the image to view an enlarged version.)
Source/Copyright: GEP, www.ufo-forschung.de
The radar recording also provides additional insights. The screenshot shows a time span of approximately 50 seconds. The interval between the left-side timestamps is roughly six seconds. The time is recorded in UTC, so two hours must be added to match Central European Summer Time.
The witness heard the sound, looked up, and saw the unusual light phenomenon. It is unclear whether the luminous phenomenon was already in the sky when she first noticed it. However, if we assume it was indeed detected by the passive radar, then it must have been visible for only a very short time. Had it remained in the sky longer, the radar track visible in the screenshot would have looked different—it would have shown longer vertical amplitudes, and the two leading lights would have appeared as extended vertical streaks. If the luminous phenomenon had been moving, its track would have had a different shape. The passive radar signal confirms that the light phenomenon was stationary in the sky.
The signal also indicates that the phenomenon was visible in the sky for only slightly less time than the witness estimated—likely just over two seconds instead of the estimated five. This speaks to the witness’s precise observational skills.
Source/Copyright: GEP, www.ufo-forschung.de
Since the phenomenon was detected by passive radar, it must have been a tangible, luminous object rather than an immaterial „pure light phenomenon,“ comparable to an aircraft, helicopter, or meteoroid, all of which can also be registered by passive radar.
How Do We Assess This Case?
Can we identify anomalous characteristics that justify classifying this as a UFO? I believe so.
Sound Characteristics
The witness assumed the sound she heard was caused by the luminous phenomenon. The passive radar data confirms that the light phenomenon was visible for only a short time. The sound was also brief, suggesting a possible connection between the two. Whether the sound originated from the object itself or resulted from an atmospheric effect remains unclear. It must have been quite loud, as the witness’s husband heard it clearly from inside the house. Interestingly, his description of the sound differed from his wife’s. This could be due to individual auditory perception or the way the sound was altered by the building’s structure.
Visual Appearance
The light phenomenon’s appearance is highly unusual and does not match any known UFO stimuli.
One could speculate about unconventional scenarios, such as a nighttime Zeppelin flight with a specific lighting configuration. However, this would be highly unlikely at that early morning hour. A review of air traffic data confirmed that no conventional aircraft were present in the area at the time.
Brief Duration
The short duration of the sighting is another anomaly. If a conventional aircraft had caused the phenomenon, it would likely have been visible for a longer period. Lightning or similar natural phenomena can also be ruled out, as passive radar does not detect lightning. Moreover, meteorological data confirmed that the sky was clear.
Conclusion
This is a truly extraordinary case, featuring multiple anomalous characteristics and confirmation by passive radar. This confirmation is unprecedented and, to my knowledge, has never been reported anywhere in the world.
Debate over whether to classify this as a PROBLEMATIC UFO or GOOD UFO is certainly possible. However, given the passive radar confirmation and its significance for technical UFO research, I consider a classification as GOOD UFO to be justified.
About the GEP
The Society for the Investigation of UFO Phenomena (GEP, Gesellschaft zur Erforschung des UFO-Phänomens e.V.) is Germany’s largest nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to UFO research. GEP investigates UFO reports using specialized questionnaires, on-site interviews, field research, and thorough background analysis. We work in an interdisciplinary manner and are supported by various governmental and scientific institutions.
© Hans-Werner Peiniger / Society for the Investigation of UFO Phenomena (Gesellschaft zur Erforschung des UFo-Phänomens e.V., GEP)
