Sighting in Wervicq-Sud, June 11, 2017

At around 11:30 p.m., a witness noticed an object in the sky that first seemed to stay in place, then spun on itself several times before moving off. A red glow appeared, and the object then vanished suddenly. Only one account of the event was collected.

The investigation considered two possibilities. The object's apparent stillness for several minutes could suggest an astronomical misidentification: it was located where Saturn was in the sky (about 10° in altitude, azimuth 144°). However, clouds on the horizon would probably have hidden the planet. The description could also fit a skytracer, whose rotation would be consistent with what was described, particularly as the sighting took place on a Sunday evening and there were clouds, which the witness disputed.

GEIPAN rated the case as moderately strange but with low consistency: a single witness, no photograph, and contradictions in the account. The witness described a perfectly clear sky where the object was, yet satellite images show clouds. The duration of the sighting also differs between the free-form account and the rest of the testimony. The description appears shaped by the witness's strong expectations, making it hard to separate what they actually saw from what they believed they saw. The long delay before the analysis prevented further follow-up. The case is classed C: insufficient data to identify it.