Sighting in Nice, May 14, 2025

Two witnesses on their terrace noticed a red, spherical light source at 10:19 pm. Its apparent size was close to that of the solar disc. It followed an irregular path, far from a straight line, with marked changes in speed. The sighting lasted over a minute with no sound at all, and the light then faded out gradually. The witnesses reported that an identical phenomenon, involving a single light source, had appeared about ten minutes earlier under the same conditions. A video of the phenomenon was recorded.

GEIPAN rates the consistency of the case as good: there is only one testimony, but it comes from two witnesses and is backed by a video. The investigation favoured the hypothesis of sky lanterns, supported by the description and visual appearance of the phenomenon and by a trajectory fully consistent with the direction of the wind. The case is classified B: probable observation of sky lanterns.