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Sighting in Vaucluse, July 5, 2002

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

Sighting on July 5, 2002, exact location not given (département: Vaucluse, France). GEIPAN identified the phenomenon with certainty (class A).

What happened

Between 10:00 and 10:30 pm, many witnesses saw several white lights moving together across the night sky. The phenomenon was reported in several départements, including Vaucluse and Bouches-du-Rhône.

Descriptions varied: witnesses counted six or eight lights, arranged in a line, a circle or two triangles. They all agreed on one point, though: the lights moved uniformly, as a single group. Depending on the account, the sighting lasted from a few minutes to an hour.

Similar sightings made in 2008, describing flight in formation, had been investigated by GEIPAN and classified A, as they matched flights by the Patrouille de France. This comparison led to a re-examination of the 2002 case, which was likewise identified as a sighting of the Patrouille de France.

Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.

Date
July 5, 2002
Location
Vaucluse · region only
Type of sighting
From the ground
Source classification
A

Sources

Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.