PUJAUT (30) 11.10.2013

On 11 October 2013 at about 22:00, several people saw a bright yellow light in a cloudy sky. It twinkled and then went out instantly. Only 1 account was submitted. GEIPAN considered several explanations for this yellow point remaining stationary for 2 minutes: - A star or planet: both the witness and weather records from Nîmes and Avignon describe heavy cloud. No very bright celestial object near the reported southeastern direction could have shone through a thin cloud layer. - Sunlight reflected from a geostationary satellite: no such event was listed at that hour; it would have occurred around 20:00. Cloud cover should also have obscured it. - A sky lantern: the described light could fit, and a Friday evening is a plausible occasion for a release. To appear stationary, it would require wind from behind the observer, from the northwest, or toward the observer, from the southeast. The actual north wind does not match exactly, but the hypothesis remains possible. - An aircraft: the light could have been landing lights on an aircraft approaching or departing Avignon. Flightradar24, which lists civil aircraft with transmitting beacons, showed none in that area at that time. A military aircraft seen head-on remains possible. GEIPAN lacks the information needed to confirm either of the latter 2 explanations, both of which remain tentative. This case of little strangeness is classified C: insufficient information.