Sighting in Gleizé, July 19, 2014
Rhône, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Sighting on July 19, 2014 in Gleizé (Rhône, France). According to GEIPAN, it was most probably a sky lantern (class B).
What happened
A witness saw a group of about twenty points of light cross the night sky in complete silence at 22:35, on a weekend night. The sighting lasted a few minutes, and the lights moved from south to north.
The investigation concluded that the witness's description and the number of lights strongly suggested Thai lanterns, most likely released nearby at the end of a private party. Wind data could not confirm this explanation. At 22:00, the Lyon-Bron station recorded an easterly wind, while the Mâcon station reported a very light, highly variable wind from the north to west. Because the town lies between the two stations, the comparison was inconclusive. GEIPAN nevertheless considered there was little doubt about the origin of the phenomenon and classified the case B, probable observation of Thai lanterns.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- July 19, 2014
- Location
- Gleizé · town centre
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- B
- Explanation
- Sky lanterns
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 2014-07-08969
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.