Sighting in Polynesie Francaise, September 26, 1983
France
Sighting on September 26, 1983, exact location not given (Polynesie Francaise, France). According to GEIPAN, it was most probably the atmospheric re-entry of a space object (rocket stage, debris) (class B).
What happened
At around 6:50 p.m., a large number of witnesses scattered across the whole of French Polynesia noticed an unusual luminous phenomenon in the sky. It consisted of six to eight very bright points of differing sizes, moving at very high speed from west to east. Each one left a luminous trail behind it. The altitude of the group was estimated at 10,000 metres. No sound linked to its passage was heard during the observations.
GEIPAN concluded, with a class B rating (probably identified), that the witnesses most likely saw an atmospheric re-entry.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- September 26, 1983
- Location
- Polynesie Francaise · region only
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- B
- Explanation
- Re-entries
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 1983-10-01000
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.