Sighting in Roye, May 13, 1980

Shortly after midnight, two gendarmes on patrol along the A1 motorway noticed a luminous object above the toll plaza. Intrigued, they drove on to the car park of a rest area and called their command post by radio. Another gendarme there confirmed that the object was visible in the sky. One of the two witnesses took two photographs, but the film showed nothing once developed. When the gendarmes set off again toward the north, the object seemed to follow their car. The observation lasted almost an hour. Two other, secondary witnesses also reported it.

The GEPAN had classified the case as "C" in 1980, and it has since been re-examined. It is considered consistent: the location and the object are described precisely, and the witnesses' sincerity has never been questioned. However, the duration, shape, size and colour match Venus close to setting, and the planet was indeed in the part of the sky concerned, although the witnesses did not mention it. The investigation found that their perception was not at fault; rather, their interpretation was influenced by the impression of being followed and by driving at night. The GEIPAN classified the case as A: a misidentification of Venus.