Sighting in Noisy-le-Sec, November 7, 2016

Shortly before one in the morning, the witness, who was in their bedroom, saw a very bright phenomenon cross the sky. It had a round, flame-yellow base topped by a rather translucent triangular shape combining blue, red and green. It moved eastward while climbing slightly, following a path made of small zigzags. It then went partly out, gradually. Only one account was collected.

GEIPAN concluded that the witness had probably seen helium-filled LED balloons. The direction of travel matches the wind, which blew generally from west to east according to the weather data consulted, and small zigzags around a main axis fit an object carried by the wind. LED balloons joined in a cluster can create varied shapes and color combinations, as here, where a circle was combined with a triangle. The flame-like look may come from some balloons blinking while others stayed lit steadily. The gradual dimming is explained by the LEDs reaching the end of their life. It was also a weekend night, a time when a festive event of this kind would be likely. The case is classed B: probably LED balloons.