Sighting in Valras-Plage, March 24, 2012
Hérault, Occitanie, France
Sighting on March 24, 2012 in Valras-Plage (Hérault, France). According to GEIPAN, it was most probably the atmospheric re-entry of a space object (rocket stage, debris) (class B).
What happened
At about 8:20 pm, a witness saw four white lights travelling together across the sky, moving very fast and making no sound. The witness, an amateur astronomer, explained that the lights came on level with Capella and went out as they reached the constellation of the Big Dipper (Ursa Major). No other account of this phenomenon was collected.
The investigation considered it highly likely that the same event was seen at both Valras and Brantôme. It was probably the entry into the atmosphere of a meteoroid that broke up, or of an uncatalogued piece of space debris; a check was made on SpaceTrack. GEIPAN classified the case as B (probably identified): atmospheric re-entry of a meteoroid or space debris.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- March 24, 2012
- Location
- Valras-Plage · town centre
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- B
- Explanation
- Re-entries
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 2012-03-08216
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.