Sighting in Saint-Rome-de-Tarn, December 18, 2016

On a Sunday evening at around 9:05 p.m., three people standing in a public square noticed a very bright phenomenon moving silently across the night sky. Its intense white light seemed to stop above a building, then quickly moved off again. The light then dimmed and the phenomenon disappeared toward the north, hidden by fog. The sighting lasted about a minute. Only one witness account was collected, in 2017.

The investigation concluded that the witness probably saw a Thai lantern: the rounded shape and the very bright white glow fit that explanation. The object came from the northeast, the same direction as the prevailing wind that evening, which was recorded 15 km away (the weather data can be consulted on Infoclimat). Its irregular path, with a stop, a change of direction and an acceleration, is explained by the variable air currents in a valley close to a large river. A weekend night during the Christmas holidays is also a likely time for festive lantern releases. GEIPAN therefore classified the case as B: probable sighting of a Thai lantern.