Sighting in Rennes, June 18, 2024

At about 10:30 pm, the witness was driving home from another town when they noticed an object in the sky that they could not identify. Its round shape first made them think of an aircraft or a hot-air balloon, but they soon realised it was neither. The object made no sound. It looked like a sphere with pointed appendages and a flame directed downward. The witness filmed it as it moved, until it vanished behind the clouds.

GEIPAN considered the case well documented: the questionnaire was fully completed, the witness gave clear explanations, and the video could be analysed. The investigation concluded that the witness had filmed a hot-air paper balloon of unusual design, a sphere surrounded by spikes. The flame underneath recalls Thai lanterns. Similar balloons, designed by an association, were found, but the object seen did not come directly from that source; it was most likely a copy of that model made by an individual. The case was classified A: a festive hot-air paper balloon.