Sighting in Vitrolles, January 19, 1981
Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Sighting on January 19, 1981 in Vitrolles (Bouches-du-Rhône, France). GEIPAN identified the phenomenon with certainty (class A).
What happened
At around 3 a.m., several witnesses heard a rumbling noise and felt strong vibrations. Some also noticed pink glows in the sky above a factory.
The GEIPAN investigation established that these effects were linked to the commissioning of a new installation at a refinery in the area in question. The glows seen on the clouds came from a new flare stack that had been lit that same night. The case was therefore classified A, meaning the phenomenon was identified.
Account rewritten by SkyUnknown from the investigation report published by GEIPAN (CNES). The original text and case documents are on the official record.
- Date
- January 19, 1981
- Location
- Vitrolles · town centre
- Type of sighting
- From the ground
- Source classification
- A
Sources
- See the original document
GEIPAN (CNES)
n° 1981-01-00852
Summary written by SkyUnknown from the facts published by the source.