Sighting in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, July 13, 2010

At 11:27 p.m., a witness saw three orange points of light in the sky, about 150 m away, arranged in a triangle. They outlined a dark mass. At first the whole thing stayed still, then it moved slowly in a straight line without making any sound. No other account was collected, even though many people were probably outdoors at the time.

GEIPAN found that these features resemble the passage of Thai lanterns, a well-known phenomenon that is very often observed. The sighting took place in July, during the festive period, on the night of 13 to 14. The orange points, the silence and the straight-line movement in a common direction all fit this explanation. The wind direction is roughly compatible, bearing in mind that the sighting was made by the sea, where local winds change with the terrain. The dark triangular shape between the three lights is a known effect produced by the human brain. The case shows nothing strange.

Its consistency is low: there is only one witness, and the gendarmerie's interview report contains little information. The Thai lantern hypothesis was accepted, and the case, of low strangeness, was classified B: very probably explained.