Sighting in Courtry, August 29, 2009

The witness reported in 2012 an observation made in 2009. They said that many of the people they had told had laughed at them, but that after thinking it over they wanted GEIPAN to take their account and photographs into consideration.

Around 11 p.m., during a festive evening on a terrace, an orange-red point of light appeared in the starry sky, soon followed by about ten others. The lights were moving. The whole group then stopped for about 30 seconds, after which the lights went out one by one. No sound was heard. Fifteen people watched the event, but only the witness submitted a report, with photographs. The witness considered the lights to be UFOs, since current technology on Earth could not produce such acceleration toward space.

The investigation favored Thai lanterns: the colors, the movement in formation and the lights going out one after another all match this type of object, and the photographs are consistent with that explanation. Gusty wind, recorded by Infoclimat, fits with the lights drifting and then stopping. A flame suddenly going out is often perceived as an object leaving at tremendous speed. Such lanterns were already on sale in 2008, and a summer weekend evening was a likely time for festivities. GEIPAN classified the case as B, probable observation of Thai lanterns.