Sighting in Mérignac, October 24, 2021

At 5:40 in the evening, a witness was drinking coffee in their garden when a silver and black shape in the sky caught their eye. The object moved in a straight line without a sound and now and then turned on itself. The witness watched it for about two minutes before it disappeared, and filmed the scene with their mobile phone. No other testimony was collected, but the video was used in the analysis, which gave the case a very good level of consistency.

The GEIPAN investigation concluded that the object's characteristics matched those of a novelty "Mylar" balloon. Its shape was spherical, as is common for such balloons. Its two colors fit a highly reflective aluminized envelope combined with a more conventional one, in latex for example, with a duller or darker appearance. Its slow, steady, straight movement followed a very weak prevailing wind from the west or northwest. That wind, which can vary locally, creates slight turbulence that makes the balloon spin. The witness noticed it mainly because of the strong reflection of sunlight off its surface, and its small apparent size meant it was soon lost from sight.

The Aquitaine coast lies in the direction the balloon came from, and such balloons may have been on sale there during the first weekend of the All Saints' school holidays. Its owner may have lost it, and it may then have drifted slowly to Mérignac over the following hours or days, since these balloons last a very long time. The case was classified A: novelty "Mylar" balloon.