Sighting in Urepel, February 2, 1985

This file combines two separate sightings of moving lights in the sky, made two evenings apart, on 2 and 4 February 1985.

On 2 February, witnesses saw a phenomenon near the horizon, showing twinkling, bursts of colour and an apparent movement. The press reported the same scene, seen by a group of night skiers at the Somport resort. The investigation concluded that it was the star Arcturus. Its azimuth matched to within 1 or 2 degrees, and twinkling, colour and movement effects are common when light passes through the atmosphere. A rarer phenomenon, atmospheric refraction of the superior mirage type, explained why the star was visible beyond the horizon. It could not be confirmed by calculation 32 years later. However, two independent groups of witnesses described the same thing on consecutive evenings, with the same azimuth match, which supported the hypothesis. This sighting is classified A.

On the evening of 4 February, other witnesses made a new observation. They had ruled out an aircraft because they heard no noise. However, a north-westerly wind was blowing against the direction the sound would travel and could have greatly weakened it. That same day, the press had published an article titled "UFO in the sky" about the 2 February sighting. The witnesses may therefore have been on alert and found something strange in a scene that would otherwise have seemed ordinary. This sighting is classified B: probable aircraft.