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Sighting in Roquebrune-sur-Argens, September 4, 2015

Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

Sighting on September 4, 2015 in Roquebrune-sur-Argens (Var, France). According to GEIPAN, it was most probably a light from the ground (searchlight, laser, vehicle…) (class B).

What happened

During the night of 4 to 5 September, two witnesses each saw lights moving silently across the night sky. The first witness made their observation at around 11:40 pm, and the second at about 12:15 am, roughly 45 minutes later. The lights appeared as milky-looking circles of light drifting through low clouds, and they stayed visible for several tens of minutes. No other testimony was collected. One of the witnesses took a series of photos of the phenomenon.

According to GEIPAN, circles of light like these, seen on a weekend night in a tourist area, strongly suggest a light show put on by a nightclub or some other form of entertainment for the public. The two witnesses most likely saw the same source, possibly pointed in different directions each time, since laser projectors of this kind are clearly visible from more than 10 km away. The photos are fully consistent with this explanation. GEIPAN did not try to track down the exact source of the light show and classified the case as B, a probable light show.

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 4, 2015
Location
Roquebrune-sur-Argens · town centre
Type of sighting
From the ground
Source classification
B
Explanation
Ground lights and lasers

Sources

Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.