GAP (05) 25.02.2015

On 25 February 2015 at 18:10, a driver in Gap saw a coloured phenomenon very high in the clear sky to the northwest, with an aircraft passing nearby. The summary describes a red-orange oval mass; the analysis describes a very bright yellow or red oval watched for 5 minutes against the setting Sun. GEIPAN considers a small cloud backlit by sunset the probable explanation. Water vapour in an aircraft contrail was another possibility, but contrails are usually described as spindle-shaped or V-shaped, making a cloud more likely here. Its disappearance over 1–2 minutes was not considered particularly surprising. The case is classified B: probable small cloud illuminated by the setting Sun.