Sighting in Ambierle, February 13, 1980

At about 5:40 a.m., a motorist on the way to work noticed a glow in a clear sky that puzzled them. It lay above the Monts du Lyonnais and looked like a half-moon, yellow-orange in color. For about eight minutes it moved slowly along a north-south path, then gradually faded.

Another person was in the vehicle with the witness and also saw the phenomenon, but made no statement to the gendarmerie. The witness stated that there was no moon in the sky.

The investigation checked a sky chart for that date. The Moon, close to new moon (due on the 16th), was barely visible and very low on the horizon, but it lay in the direction of the sighting. GEIPAN concluded that the witness had most likely seen the glow of the Moon without recognizing it. The case is classified B, probably identified.