Sighting in Marseille, August 5, 2014

At 23:10, the witness saw a light in the night sky that burned away and left a white trail several hundred metres long. The sighting lasted about 5 seconds. The witness was in the city, looking out toward the sea to the west, where the old port, the MUCEM and the Frioul islands lie. They thought it might be an atmospheric re-entry. No other testimony was collected.

According to GEIPAN, a light that burns out while leaving a white trail of that length points to a flare. The lingering trail, made of smoke, is fairly typical of such devices, and it stayed visible because the city lights illuminated it. There are many possible sources: summer festivities, or distress flares fired from boats, although those are generally red. Re-entering space debris does not leave a lasting trail at low altitude. The case was classified B: probable flare.