Sighting in Quesnoy-le-Montant, September 16, 2023

Shortly before 6 a.m., the witness, at home, noticed a very bright white light in the sky, brighter than the surrounding stars. It was due east and moved very slowly. The witness filmed it through a window. When zoomed in, the shape looked circular, with a second white or grey circle inside it, which did not match what the naked eye saw. The observation lasted about an hour and a half. As daylight came, the point of light became harder to see and seemed to move away while gaining altitude.

The account was detailed, written the same day, and came with 18 videos. GEIPAN rated its consistency as good.

The investigation established that the witness had seen the planet Venus. An astronomical simulation in Stellarium placed Venus at a position matching the date, time, azimuths and initial elevation the witness gave; the final elevation may have been misjudged. Its magnitude that day, -4.28 against an average of -4.14, accounts for the unusual brightness. The long duration and straight-line motion are typical of an astronomical sighting. The strange appearance in the videos came from the smartphone, which is poorly suited to point-like light sources at night: defocusing produces a blurry circular spot, often ringed by concentric diffraction circles. The case was classified A.