Sighting in Rosheim, March 18, 2023

On an evening in March, between 8:12 and 8:40 pm, the witness watched a bright light in the sky from home. After a few seconds it dimmed until it almost vanished, came back, then faded a second time. It then grew to four or five times its original size, with a bluish tinge but no glare. Its shape became slightly oval. The light started to move, travelling in a zigzag and then tracing small circles. It changed colour and seemed to move away toward the west. The witness picked up their mobile phone and took a video and a few photos, then had to stop watching to go to an appointment.

The GEIPAN considers the case well documented, thanks to the testimony, the video and the photographs. The investigation concluded that the witness had seen Venus. The witness placed the light at an azimuth of about 270° and roughly 15° above the horizon; at 8:12 pm, Venus was at 272° and 14°55'. Its apparent motion, from 272° to 277° with its altitude dropping to 10°, fits the north-westward path described and the impression of moving away. Its magnitude of -3.96, with no equivalent in that part of the sky, matches the "strong light" reported, and a duration of about 20 minutes is typical of an astronomical sighting.

The witness did not recognise the planet because of several factors: an almost completely overcast sky, the absence of any other equally bright object in that area, atmospheric turbulence distorting its shape and colours, the autokinetic effect producing erratic movements, a sky-search app that was poorly framed, and out-of-focus photos, since the camera could not focus when zoomed. It would also be surprising for the witness not to have mentioned Venus right next to the object if it had been something else. The GEIPAN classified the case as A: observation of Venus.