Name given to a strange entity purportedly witnessed by a crowd of people at around 5 a.m. on Jun. 12, 1790 in Alencon, France. It was said that at around this time a large metal sphere descended from the sky and crash-landed into a nearby hillside. After a crowd had gathered, a "hatch" slid open and a being emerged dressed in an odd, tight-fitting costume; it mumbled something in a strange language, before bolting off towards some nearby woods. Seconds later the sphere exploded, fragments of which were said to have sizzled on the grass and melted. A wide search of the area yielded no further sign of the mysterious visitor.