Sighting in Montmorillon, April 5, 2015

A motorist noticed an intense, motionless light in the sky, elongated in shape. The sighting lasted from about 9:30 pm to 11 pm. The witness stopped several times along the route to look at it, as the sky was clear. It seemed to follow them, yet it always stayed in the west at the same height above the horizon.

According to the investigation, such a long observation of a very bright point holding the same position is typical of a celestial body. Venus was particularly bright at the time and lay exactly in the direction the witness described. When contacted by GEIPAN, the witness checked a few days later and confirmed that the planet was indeed in that part of the sky. The elongated shape was not seen again during this second observation. GEIPAN suggested it may have been due to visual fatigue, or to an atmospheric effect that distorted the planet's pinpoint image. The case was classified A: observation of the planet Venus.