GAGNY (93) 13.08.2012

On 13 August 2012 at 00:09, a witness at a window in Gagny saw a luminous red-orange ball move silently through the sky and disappear behind clouds after following an unusual path. The witness specified the viewing direction very precisely, allowing a precise reconstruction on a map, to which the source refers. GEIPAN notes that the southwest viewing direction was approximately downwind of the light northeasterly wind, placing the wind behind the witness. A windborne object would therefore appear to move very little sideways; this was the explanation adopted. The colour resembled that of a Thai sky lantern, possibly released after a small private party of the kind common on summer evenings. However, GEIPAN notes that the estimated 20–30-second observation was rather short. The case is classified B: probable observation of a passing sky lantern.