Sighting in Morey, August 4, 2024

At around 11 p.m., two witnesses on the terrace of their home saw what they described as an "enormous bar of light made up of white bulbs". It moved silently along a curved path from the northwest to the northeast, at an elevation of about 45°, crossing the constellation of Ursa Major. The witnesses estimated its apparent length at 30-40 cm, measured at arm's length with a graduated ruler. It vanished after one to one and a half minutes. They tried to film it to confirm the time, but the video could not be used for the analysis. The two accounts sent to GEIPAN matched.

The investigation established that the witnesses had seen the Starlink group 11.1 satellite train, launched by SpaceX earlier that same day at 07:32 UTC from Vandenberg base in the United States. The 23 satellites, lined up in a row, were visible shortly after separating from the launcher and before spreading out into their target orbit. They were lit by the Sun even though it had already set for the witnesses. The appearance (point-like, aligned, white and very bright elements), the curved trajectory, the starting and ending azimuths and the passage through Ursa Major all matched the satellite train. Its disappearance is explained by its entry into the Earth's shadow. Other people in France and Switzerland photographed and filmed the same pass. The case was classified A.