SAINT-GELY-DU-FESC (34) 09.03.2013

On 9 March 2013 at about 20:20, a witness in Saint-Gély-du-Fesc saw around 15 white points of light move silently across the sky before the landscape hid them. The source gives their direction as 'DDO-N', an unclear abbreviation retained here rather than resolved by guesswork. GEIPAN considers their behavior fully consistent with the light, variable local wind from the southwest-to-west sector. The Météociel records from nearby Saint-Jean-de-Védas and Aniane give slightly different directions, but consistently light winds. The reported white color suggests illuminated balloons more than sky lanterns: GEIPAN describes these as helium balloons containing a small lamp powered by a very small battery. GEIPAN did not try to identify whoever released the balloons or lanterns. It considers the large residential area southwest of the observer the necessary origin of the release. The case is classified B: a probable sighting of illuminated balloons or sky lanterns.