Sighting in Marmande, January 31, 2022

At about 8:45 pm, the witness noticed a light in the night sky, fairly high up, moving faster than an ordinary aircraft and not blinking. They watched it for roughly three to four minutes, during which it grew fainter as if climbing, and then vanished. About two minutes later, a second light appeared and behaved in the same way. The witness was alone and took no photo or video, so the case was rated as having moderate consistency.

The GEIPAN investigation concluded that the witness had probably seen two festive balloons fitted with LEDs, carried along by the wind. Their straight path broadly followed the wind direction; the difference from the directions the witness reported is explained by how hard it is to estimate bearings at night without landmarks. White is a common colour for such balloons, and their steady brightness sets them apart from sky lanterns. Their small size and the distance made it impossible to make out their shape. Such balloons are often released in small groups, so two passing a few minutes apart is entirely plausible. The impression of climbing came from the way a light's disappearance is perceived, and speed is very hard to judge at night without reference points. A release on a weekday, for a local or family celebration for example, remains possible. The case was classified B.