Sighting in Griesheim-près-Molsheim, April 30, 2012

At around 9:30 pm, a witness noticed an orange point of light in the sky, followed by three more. The group moved along a continuous, rising path, then gradually faded from view. The witness filmed the scene. According to the report, a second sighting followed, involving another group of orange points of light.

GEIPAN considered the case to be of low strangeness and good consistency, thanks to the videos. Some imprecision about directions remained, but this is common. The investigation found that the sighting has all the characteristics of a misidentification of a group of Thai lanterns released during festivities on the eve of May 1st. Two reservations remain. The direction of the local wind could not be established with certainty, although a general trend compatible with the movement was noted before the storm around the observation site, so the match between the wind and the objects' movement could not be sufficiently checked. In addition, rain is poorly suited to releasing lanterns. GEIPAN did not try to trace whoever released them. The case was classified B: probable observation of Thai lanterns.