Sighting in Moulins, August 29, 2015
Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Sighting on August 29, 2015 in Moulins (Allier, France). GEIPAN identified the phenomenon with certainty: it was one or more satellites (class A).
What happened
On a late-summer evening at 21:26, a witness was on their terrace looking at the stars and an aircraft. In the north-west, they noticed a luminous phenomenon that grew brighter and then dimmer until it vanished. The witness was surprised by it. This was the only testimony collected.
The witness described a point of light, observed for about 10 seconds, with a brightness similar to that of a star.
GEIPAN found these characteristics typical of an Iridium flare (or flash). The exact time the witness noted and the direction of observation, towards the north-west, match a flare from the Iridium 54 satellite, whose maximum magnitude reached -6.6. GEIPAN therefore classified the case as A: observation of an Iridium flare.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- August 29, 2015
- Location
- Moulins · town centre
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- A
- Explanation
- Satellites
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 2015-08-09300
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.