Sighting in 38.02°, 17.41°, June 21, 1979
France
Sighting at sea on June 21, 1979 in 38.02°, 17.41° (France). According to GEIPAN, it was most probably the atmospheric re-entry of a space object (rocket stage, debris) (class B).
What happened
Several sailors aboard a French Navy vessel in the Ionian Sea noticed a luminous phenomenon at about 10:25 p.m. local time. It was roughly 15° above the horizon. At first it was a point of light that seemed to grow larger. Then it suddenly split into three bright parts, whose brightness gradually faded. During this time its color shifted from white to orange and then back to white. The phenomenon moved at high speed along a path recorded as running from the southwest toward the east, and the sailors watched it for about one minute.
GEIPAN classified the case as B: the witnesses most likely saw an atmospheric re-entry.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- June 21, 1979
- Location
- 38.02°, 17.41° · town centre
- Type of sighting
- At sea
- Source classification
- B
- Explanation
- Re-entries
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 1979-06-00634
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.