REHON (54) 27.07.2013

On Saturday 27 July 2013 at 22:00, 2 walkers were intrigued by an orange point of light moving silently in a straight line through the sky. They watched for 2–3 minutes before it disappeared at the horizon. The following day they learned of others in the area who had seen it, but GEIPAN received no additional accounts. GEIPAN considers the large orange light extremely well described and only slightly unusual. Its colour, straight movement and the time and day fit a sky lantern. Whether its movement matched the local wind is uncertain. Available weather records from Luxembourg and Metz show southerly and southwesterly winds respectively, but considerable variability could possibly explain the object’s change of direction. Single sky lanterns are not uncommon. GEIPAN explains that their apparent ‘radial’ speed in moderate wind is of the same order as that of aircraft. The reported apparent size and brightness are difficult to compare with lanterns because models and viewing conditions vary. The observation fits a sky lantern, but supporting indicators such as matching wind and a multiple-lantern release are missing. A wedding took place in Rehon at 16:00 that day. Given these indications and uncertainties, GEIPAN classifies the case B: probable observation of a sky lantern.