1978-02-21 — (NAT) FRANCE (FR)

Between about 8:45 and 9 p.m. on February 21, 1978, witnesses in several French departments reported lights moving rapidly across the sky for a few seconds. Many described a roughly spherical bright feature with a long trail that appeared green and then red-orange. Numerous observers gave a westward direction and reported disappearance at the horizon or an abrupt end. The archive records 78 accounts. Investigators compared their locations and times and considered the geographical extent and close timing consistent with one event at high altitude, above about fifty kilometres. The long luminous trail and brief duration supported atmospheric entry of a meteoroid. GEIPAN noted that a longer duration would have made reentry of a spacecraft another possibility.