Sighting in Metz, August 30, 2025

At about 9:30 p.m., the witness was with their family beside a lake, waiting for a fireworks display held as part of a local festival. Looking north, slightly east of the Big Dipper, the witness noticed a group of more than 15 white points of light that looked like satellites. They moved from west to east along parallel paths, though they were not in a line. After about 15 seconds they gradually faded until they vanished, without flickering, leaving a trail, or making any sound.

Around 10:00 p.m., the family saw a second phenomenon: about 7 points of light appeared at the zenith and moved quickly south. Their paths seemed independent, with no fixed formation. The sighting lasted about 20 seconds, until they disappeared. The whole family confirmed they had seen the same things. Only one witness contacted GEIPAN, and there is no photo or video, so the case's consistency was rated medium.

The strangeness came mainly from the number of points and their grouping in a cluster. The only hypothesis examined, that of Starlink satellites, is supported by several points: the appearance, small, point-like and white; the straight trajectories; and the disappearance of one group, which the witness compared to satellites ceasing to be lit by the sun. Three Starlink launches, totalling 80 satellites, had taken place on 27, 28 and 30 August. The first two, from Florida toward the east, would appear to cross from west to east as seen from France. The third, at 1:59 p.m. French local time from California, targeted a polar orbit, consistent with a north-to-south path. The time elapsed since launch had let the satellites spread out and lose their usual line formation. GEIPAN classified the case as B: probable sightings of Starlink satellites in transfer orbit toward the operational network.