Sighting in Nîmes, August 15, 2015
Gard, Occitanie, France
Sighting on August 15, 2015 in Nîmes (Gard, France). GEIPAN identified the phenomenon with certainty: it was one or more satellites (class A).
What happened
At 22:36, a witness was stargazing in their garden with their spouse and daughter. They noticed a very bright point of light to the southeast. It shone for about ten seconds and then went out.
The witness later tried to identify what they had seen using the GEIPAN website, and thought it might have been an Iridium flare.
The investigation rated the case as moderately strange, but with sufficient consistency. It turned out to be a classic misidentification of a satellite reflection involving the Metop A satellite: the timing, trajectory and position of that satellite fit the witness's description perfectly. The case was therefore classified A (identified).
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 15, 2015
- Location
- Nîmes · town centre
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- A
- Explanation
- Satellites
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 2015-08-09289
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.