Sighting in Cranves-Sales, December 17, 2012

At around 11:30 p.m., from home, the witness suddenly saw the sky light up a deep blue. The glow lasted about three seconds. The witness only perceived a strong brightness indirectly and did not see the source itself. Their account is very brief. The sky was overcast, and the whole of it was lit up.

The investigation found that the colour and the short duration fit a bolide, meaning the atmospheric entry of a meteoroid. It was probably linked to the Geminid meteor shower, which was particularly noticeable that year. An electrical flash (such as a welding station or a major short circuit on a power line) was also considered, but the witness did not describe the flickering typical of such flashes. They described a complete illumination of the sky, which points more towards a high-altitude phenomenon. GEIPAN classified the case as B: probable observation of a bolide.