1570 Marburg UFO Sighting: Historical Account of Strange Celestial Phenomenon and Moon Anomalies

A true but frightening story as has been seen in the sky at Marburg in the land of Hesse on the 29th day of October in the year 1570

This complex illustration reflects the complexity of the eyewitness account

On the 29th of October, 1570, at around 7 o'clock in the evening, the following celestial phenomenon made itself visible and was seen in the sky by many trustworthy people.

At first, from the north came something that looked like a bound bouquet of wildflowers and hovered in the air. Then, a large horse could be seen, which initially leaned towards the east but, after a time, changed direction and slowly moved towards the west. Next, a flat, enormous wrinkled hand holding a sceptre became visible, while the moonlight displayed peculiar qualities as well—namely, the moon had streaks of light on each side, both east and west, unlike ordinary moon glow.

After a while, a black fork appeared quickly from the east, some of which was broken off or missing. Then, a stick arrived at full speed from the south, passed through the moon, and pierced the hand holding the sceptre.

Everything was enclosed within three large rings—the inner, the medium, and the outer. Outside the outermost ring, towards both the east and the west, half moons were also visible.

Translated from the original medieval German and Latin by Matus Taratuta ©

Our Evaluation of the Alleged UFO Sighting

The extraordinary events reported in the True but frightening story, as has been seen in the sky at Marburg in the land of Hesse on the 29th day of October in the year 1570, stand as a remarkable example of pre-modern UFO phenomena.

 Though the term UFO did not exist in the Renaissance, the eyewitness account of a floating bouquet-like object, a massive horse shifting direction, a spectral hand with a sceptre, and strange lunar distortions—bear a striking resemblance to modern accounts of unidentified flying objects.

The structured formation of three concentric rings and the presence of unusual celestial bodies further enhance the mystery. While these images may have been shaped by the religious imagination of the 16th century, they also raise legitimate questions about how people in the past experienced and described unexplained atmospheric events. In light of all this, this account is now regarded by some researchers as one of the most compelling recorded UFO sightings in Renaissance Europe.

References:

Moser, Hans: Warhafftige doch erschröckenliche geschicht/ so gesehen ist worden an dem Himmel/ zu Marburg inn dem Land zu Hessen/ den 29. tag Octobris/ des 1570. Jars/ [...]. zu Augspurg : bey Hans Moser/ Brieffmaler, 1571. Zentralbibliothek Zürich, PAS II 8/7, https://doi.org/10.7891/e-manuscripta-92206