Sighting in Bourg-en-Bresse, April 17, 2010
Ain, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Sighting on April 17, 2010 in Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain, France). According to GEIPAN, it was most probably a meteor or fireball (class B).
What happened
A woman and her daughter were in a car at 1:10 a.m. when they saw a luminous phenomenon cross the sky very quickly. It was a green ball moving downward; it split into two parts and then vanished. The witnesses filled in a questionnaire, made a drawing and supplied a photo showing their field of view from inside the car.
According to GEIPAN, this information indicates that the two people most likely saw a meteor entering the atmosphere. The same fireball had also been observed and photographed by the amateur station at Chaligny, south of Nancy, part of the BOAM network (Base de données d'Observation Amateur de Meteores). The precise date and time, the direction, the green light typical of the ionisation of the atmosphere, the high-altitude path appearing "parallel" to the horizon and a distance of over 100 km all match the witness's description and drawings. The case was classified B: probable atmospheric re-entry of a bolide.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- April 17, 2010
- Location
- Bourg-en-Bresse · town centre
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- B
- Explanation
- Meteors and fireballs
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 2010-04-02560
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.