TOULOUSE (31) 14.07.2013

On 14 July 2013 at about 23:45, a witness saw 5 orange lights moving in the sky over Toulouse (31). He then saw a second, moving ovoid phenomenon, slightly opalescent and transparent, standing out against the dark sky. GEIPAN finds the initial straight-moving orange lights a very good match for sky lanterns carried west to east by light westerly wind; see Météociel. The 14 July holiday is favourable to such releases. The second phenomenon suggests sunlight reflected by a satellite. Calsky lists an Iridium 70 reflection at that exact time, but low in the northeast, which fits the account poorly. A reflection from another unlisted satellite is also possible. GEIPAN considers the coincidence of these 2 independent events surprising but possible. The case is classified B: probable sky lanterns followed by a satellite reflection.