VERN-SUR-SEICHE (35) 17.09.2012

On 17 September 2012 at 14:20, a witness in Vern-sur-Seiche noticed a seemingly stationary black ball low above the horizon. He moved around it through approximately a quarter-circle, which GEIPAN considers evidence that it was nearby and at low altitude. The source considers the northerly wind of 10–20 km/h weak for flying a kite. Its spherical shape suggests a balloon instead, while the cloud cover seems unsuitable for a solar-heated thermal-balloon test. GEIPAN proposes a helium-filled party balloon, either tethered by a line that would be invisible beyond 100 m or drifting in the day's light wind. It classifies the case as B: a probable balloon.