Sighting in Belle-Isle-en-Terre, September 1, 2025

Shortly before 5 a.m., the witness was in their garden under a clear, starry sky. Toward the east, they noticed a very bright unidentified aerial phenomenon, spherical and white. The object seemed to grow larger, then vanished after about 2 minutes 20 seconds, still in the east but lower above the horizon. What struck the witness as strange was the intense brightness of the phenomenon and how quickly it disappeared. They were the only witness and took no photo or video, so GEIPAN rated the case as having medium consistency.

A radar data request was sent to CAPCODA, which replied the next day: no radar track matched the sighting in the sector east of the witness.

The investigation favoured a satellite flare, meaning a glint from a satellite briefly lit by the Sun. The spherical shape, white colour and strong brightness are fully compatible with such a flare. A flare can also brighten gradually, reach a peak, then suddenly fade until it disappears, which fits the observed duration. COSE supplied the tracks of satellites that could have been in that part of the sky at that time. Two Starlink satellites were there, following a path descending toward the horizon as seen from the witness's position, consistent with their account. Because the two were so close in space and time, it was impossible to say which one produced the flare. GEIPAN classified the case as B: probably a satellite flare.