COLLOBRIERES (83) 27.10.2013

During a fair in Collobrières (83) on 27 October 2013, a witness saw and photographed a black object moving very slowly below clouds. Several other people subsequently saw it, but only 1 account was collected. The described black-to-gray, ovoid, changing shape suggests a complex-shaped balloon rotating in the wind. GEIPAN explains that against a bright sky it would appear very dark regardless of its actual color. Le Luc–Le Cannet-des-Maures weather records from Météociel show a light variable wind: east in the morning, north at noon and west in the late afternoon. This does not clearly fit the reported movement, but local wind is very difficult to estimate in mountainous terrain under light-wind conditions. Despite that uncertainty, the resemblance to a balloon and probable connection with the local fair lead GEIPAN to classify the low-unusualness case as B: probable helium-filled party balloon.