Sighting in Beaumont-en-Véron, February 23, 2014
Indre-et-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Sighting on February 23, 2014 in Beaumont-en-Véron (Indre-et-Loire, France). According to GEIPAN, it was most probably a sky lantern (class B).
What happened
A couple was looking through a glass patio door at around 10:10 pm when a very bright light went by in the sky. It moved in a straight line and made no sound. It then rose and dropped several times, turned red and vanished toward the west. The sighting lasted two to three minutes, and the witnesses described the sky as clear.
According to GEIPAN, an incandescent light with red tones, travelling horizontally for a few minutes with small upward and downward movements, fits a Thai lantern carried by the wind, most likely released nearby after a private party. Meteociel data for Tours showed heavy cloud cover (7/8) and an easterly wind of 17 to 28 km/h, a direction consistent with this explanation. The investigation notes, however, that lantern releases are more common on Saturday evenings than on Sundays. The case was classified B: probable observation of a Thai lantern.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- February 23, 2014
- Location
- Beaumont-en-Véron · town centre
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- B
- Explanation
- Sky lanterns
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 2014-02-50072
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.