Sighting in Coulonges-Cohan, January 14, 1979

Between 5:30 and 7:00 a.m., two witnesses noticed a luminous phenomenon in the sky, due east, that intrigued them. It was a bright sphere, larger than the stars, moving slowly and silently toward the east-south. The main witness did not say how high it was in the sky. No other testimony about the phenomenon was collected.

This case was among those classified "C" by the GEIPAN in 2008, and it was then reinvestigated. The case is considered consistent, although the gendarmerie report describes the phenomenon only vaguely. The sincerity and credibility of the witness were never questioned.

The duration of the sighting, along with the shape, size and color, matches Venus, which was clearly present in the part of the sky where the observation took place. The GEIPAN therefore classified this low-strangeness case as B: a probable sighting of the planet Venus, seen through a light layer of haze or with a halo effect.