Sighting in Brion, July 3, 2010

At 3:13 a.m., during the night from Saturday to Sunday, a witness noticed a flame-red object between two clouds. It was at first stationary, then moved silently toward the south before disappearing. The witness described it as propeller-shaped.

The investigation compared these details with the well-known and frequently reported phenomenon of Thai lanterns. The sighting took place in July, a festive period, on a weekend night, close to a festive venue (a château hosting weddings and guest rooms), and the flame was orange. Weather records from Auxerre showed a light, unstable wind. The propeller shape can be explained by a flying lantern seen from below, as the comparison image in the file shows.

The observation showed nothing strange. However, the case has little consistency, since it rests on a single witness and on the limited information in the gendarmerie's interview report. GEIPAN accepted the Thai lantern hypothesis and classified the case B, very probably explained.