Sighting in Bouzonville, September 13, 1997

At around 10 p.m., a witness on their balcony noticed a very bright point of light next to the Moon and filmed it. According to the witness, the point moved very fast and seemed to circle the Moon. Half an hour later, around 10:30 p.m., the phenomenon was still there, in the same place. No copy of the video was ever passed on to GEIPAN.

The case was regarded as consistent: the phenomenon had been filmed and the description was very precise, even though there was only one witness. The witness's sincerity and credibility were never questioned. Classed "C" by SEPRA in 1997, the file was re-examined by GEIPAN. The re-examination found that the duration, shape, size, colour and position of the phenomenon matched those of the planet Jupiter. Jupiter was indeed in that part of the sky, to the left of the Moon, which the witness did not mention. The movements described can be explained by movements of the camera. The witness's perception was not at fault; what mattered was their interpretation, shaped by surprise, observing at night and reading a video recording. The case is classed A: a misidentification of the planet Jupiter.