Sighting in Cesny-Bois-Halbout, September 30, 2011

At around 10 p.m., the witness noticed a motionless point of light fairly low above the horizon. About 45 minutes later, it began to move and headed north, crossing half the sky in roughly one minute. It flashed white and red, then disappeared.

The investigation treated the sighting in two parts. For the first, the stationary light, a confusion with the star Arcturus, in the constellation Boötes, is possible. The second part is harder to explain: an astronomical misidentification was ruled out, and a mix-up with an airliner is unlikely because of the distinctive lights such aircraft carry. That leaves the possibility of an unlisted satellite, perhaps military, which the investigators could not verify.

The case shows low strangeness and good consistency. The first part could be rated B and the second C. GEIPAN gave the case an overall C classification because of insufficient information and a lack of cross-checking.