SAINT-JULIEN-DU-SAULT (89) 08.07.2012

On 8 July 2012 at about 23:30, a witness in his garden in Saint-Julien-du-Sault (89) watched a point of light with the naked eye in a clear sky. Its initially straight path became a north-to-south zigzag over several minutes. No other account was collected. The straight portion strongly suggests a satellite, many of which passed then; see Calsky. The final zigzag is unusual but may reflect an autokinetic visual illusion, discussed on pages 26–27 of Aids to Identification of Flying Objects, available through GEIPAN's news section at the time of the source. Several satellites are candidates, with IGS 1A appearing the best match; see the satellite-passage document. The case is classified B: probable satellite, with autokinesis affecting part of the perceived path.