Sighting in Saint-Jean-d'Angély, October 21, 2011
Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Sighting on October 21, 2011 in Saint-Jean-d'Angély (Charente-Maritime, France). According to GEIPAN, it was most probably a light from the ground (searchlight, laser, vehicle…) (class B).
What happened
A motorist driving on the A 10 motorway was intrigued by a luminous phenomenon crossing the sky. It was a bolide, a falling meteorite, which the witness had happened to see while driving. Shortly afterwards, near the road and above a field, they noticed white lights, flashing lights and luminous circles, along with a cloud of dust.
The sighting took place at 9:05 pm. According to the investigation, the witness's description strongly suggests a combine harvester, probably working in a maize field. Agricultural machines are required to carry an orange rotating beacon, and it may have been left switched on even though the machine was not on the road.
The GEIPAN classified the case as B: the sighting was probably of a combine harvester, preceded by the sighting of an atmospheric re-entry.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- October 21, 2011
- Location
- Saint-Jean-d'Angély · town centre
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- B
- Explanation
- Ground lights and lasers
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 2011-10-02843
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.