The 1566 Basel Celestial Phenomenon

On August 7, 1566, just five years after the Nuremberg event, the citizens of Basel, Switzerland, witnessed large black spheres appearing in the sky. Like Nuremberg, the event was documented in a contemporary broadsheet with illustrations.

The Event

At sunrise, numerous large black spheres appeared in the sky. They moved at great speed toward the sun and appeared to turn red and fiery. Some appeared to consume each other, while others simply faded away.

The phenomenon lasted several hours and was witnessed by a significant portion of the city’s population.

Documentation

Samuel Coccius, a local chronicler, documented the event in a broadsheet that included an illustration showing the black spheres against the sky over Basel. The style and documentation parallel the Nuremberg event of 1561.

Interpretation

Like the Nuremberg event, contemporaries interpreted the Basel phenomenon as a divine sign. Modern researchers have proposed atmospheric explanations or genuine unexplained aerial phenomena.

The Basel and Nuremberg events, occurring within five years of each other, represent the best-documented mass UFO sightings from the pre-modern era.