The 1561 Nuremberg Celestial Phenomenon

On April 14, 1561, the citizens of Nuremberg, Germany, witnessed one of the most spectacular mass sightings in recorded history. Hundreds of spheres, cylinders, and cross-shaped objects appeared in the sky, apparently engaged in aerial combat, before some crashed to earth.

The Event

At dawn, citizens observed numerous objects emerge from the sun. These included blood-red, bluish, and black spheres; cylindrical shapes resembling tubes or cannons; crosses; and a large black triangular form. The objects appeared to battle each other in the sky.

After approximately an hour, the objects began falling to earth, where they reportedly burned with great smoke on the ground. A contemporary woodcut by Hans Glaser depicts the event in detail.

The Broadsheet

Glaser’s illustrated news broadsheet describes the event and includes a dramatic image showing the sky filled with various geometric shapes. The text describes the objects as fighting with each other.

The broadsheet interprets the phenomenon as a divine warning, as was common for unexplained events in the 16th century.

Modern Interpretations

Modern researchers have proposed various explanations: a sun dog (parhelion) display, atmospheric optical phenomena, or a genuine mass UFO sighting.

The 1561 event remains one of the most dramatic and well-documented mass sightings from the pre-modern era, long before the term “UFO” existed.