Sighting in Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche, February 10, 2015

On a February evening at about 9:05 p.m., a witness watched five orange balls in the sky for five to seven minutes. They seemed to be moving toward the witness without making any sound, and a paler halo appeared to surround each of them. They then vanished one after another, each disappearing behind the one ahead.

GEIPAN concluded that orange balls visible for a few minutes strongly suggest Thai lanterns, most likely released nearby at the end of a private party. The slight drift came from the north-east and gave an impression of approach, which fits the 15 to 20 km/h north-easterly wind recorded at Limoges that day (Meteociel data). Lantern releases tend to happen at weekends, but the date fell within the school holidays, a time when carnival parties are common. The case was classed B: probable observation of Thai lanterns.