Sighting in Athis-Mons, September 16, 2012
Essonne, Île-de-France, France
Sighting on September 16, 2012 in Athis-Mons (Essonne, France). According to GEIPAN, it was most probably a sky lantern (class B).
What happened
In May 2015, the GEIPAN received a report of an observation made several years earlier, on the evening of 16 September 2012. Around 11:30 pm, a witness saw several white points of light pass silently across the sky. This happened three times, and the lights followed the same path each time. No other witness account was collected.
According to the GEIPAN, glowing balls crossing the sky within a few minutes on a weekend night strongly suggest Thai lanterns, most likely released nearby during a private party. The witness's video also shows the lanterns going out one after another, which is likewise typical of these objects, as the burner reaches the end of its life. The case was therefore classified B: probable Thai lanterns.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- September 16, 2012
- Location
- Athis-Mons · town centre
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- B
- Explanation
- Sky lanterns
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 2012-09-08702
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.