ARRAS (62) 17.03.1978

GEIPAN classified this case C in 2008 and later reexamined it (see the investigation notes). On 17 March 1978 at about 01:30, a witness saw a round luminous object move slowly from south toward northwest and descend toward the horizon. No particular sound was heard during the 10-minute observation, first with the naked eye and then binoculars. The gendarmerie investigation produced no additional information. The account is fairly precise and has good evidential support; the witness's sincerity and credibility were never questioned. The duration, shape, size and brightness closely match the setting Moon. The Moon was present in that part of the sky but was not mentioned separately. GEIPAN attributes the misidentification to interpretation influenced by fatigue and surprise rather than visual perception itself. Under GEIPAN's current system, the low-strangeness case is classified A: misidentification of the setting Moon under partial cloud.