Sighting in Metz, May 10, 2025

On a Saturday evening, around 8:56 p.m., the witness was in their apartment watching the sun set. They noticed a black object in the sky to the north-west, about 30° above the horizon. It was moving in a straight line at a constant speed along an east-west axis. The witness had enough time to take two photographs, one of them at maximum zoom, before losing sight of the object toward the west, at 15° elevation, after roughly two minutes. No sound was heard, and no other witness reported the sighting to GEIPAN.

GEIPAN rated the consistency of the case as good: although there was only one witness, the two photographs could be analysed. The data are compatible with a passive object carried by the wind, such as a balloon, which was the witness's own suggestion. The object, possibly partly deflated, would have followed a straight path at a distance of 190 to 480 m from the witness, at a speed of between 2 and 6.5 km/h. This direction and speed broadly match the wind recorded near the site. A black colour is entirely possible for a novelty balloon, and viewing against the light could also produce it. A Saturday evening is a typical time for parties, such as birthdays or weddings. The change in shape between the two photographs can be explained by a partly deflated balloon, or one rotating as the wind carried it, revealing an asymmetrical shape.

What struck the witness as most unusual was a reddish light on the second photograph, which they had not seen with the naked eye. Such a light can come from a brief reflection of the setting sun off a highly reflective part of the balloon, for instance a Mylar balloon with a wholly or partly aluminised envelope. GEIPAN classified the case as B: probable observation of a novelty balloon.