SAINT-MAIXENT-SUR-VIE (85) 12.05.2012

A witness in Saint-Maixent-sur-Vie (85) reported repeated observations since 2011. The latest were on Saturday 12 May 2012 at about 23:05, Tuesday 15 May at about 23:53 and Tuesday 5 June at 00:19. Each involved star-bright luminous balls moving silently in apparent zigzags, sometimes accelerating, rising or falling very quickly. GEIPAN finds the specified observations match flashes from Iridium and Metop satellites precisely; see Calsky records. Other sightings probably involved other satellites. It explains that slight zigzags in bright points against a dark background are a frequent autokinetic illusion, attributed in the source to small eye movements while tracking them. Changes in brightness produce impressions of approach or recession, with dimming interpreted as moving away. The case is classified A: sunlight reflected by satellites.