AURORE BOREALE — SAINT-PIERRE-QUIBERON, BENNECOURT (56, 78) 13.03.1989

GEIPAN continues to publish all its archives on its public website www.geipan.fr. These include older cases originally classified B and now being re-examined solely to improve their conclusions. New technical tools, including software, and experience gained over the years sometimes produce new findings or a change of classification explained in an investigation note. This case, previously named Bonnières-sur-Seine (78) 13.03.1989 and now catalogued under Saint-Pierre-Quiberon and Bennecourt (56, 78), was classified B by SEPRA in 1989 as a spectacular natural phenomenon involving the propagation of light. On 13 March 1989 between 22:30 and 23:28, several witnesses in Morbihan (56) and Yvelines (78) saw a large-scale luminous phenomenon in layers of cloud, with varied colours including yellow, green and red. The investigating gendarmeries linked it to a solar eruption occurring around the same time and reported in the media. GEIPAN finds many features, including duration, size and colour, consistent with a well-known astronomical phenomenon, the aurora borealis. An aurora was indeed exceptionally visible in France on 13 March 1989; see the investigation notes. GEIPAN considers it entirely understandable that witnesses did not immediately recognise the aurora, describing such displays as rare in mainland France, occurring approximately once every 10 years. Under its current classification, this low-strangeness case is A: observation of the aurora borealis.