PERTUIS (84) 08.04.2015

GEIPAN has completed its study of some investigated cases that had remained unclassified. It now publishes conclusions based on the witness and investigative information collected at the time. On Wednesday 8 April 2015 at about 21:30, a witness noticed a light in the sky “similar to a star/planet but much brighter (brighter than Venus), with unusual colors (blue, orange, etc.).” The observation lasted 1 hour 30 minutes. The witness filmed the UAP with an iPad mini and also used an astronomical telescope. He sent GEIPAN his questionnaire, dated 10 April 2015, and his video. No other account of the phenomenon was collected. The UAP's characteristics strongly suggest an astronomical misidentification. GEIPAN and the witness discussed this hypothesis in several exchanges, but the witness rejected it. GEIPAN's final request asked him to specify the UAP's position relative to Jupiter and its moons, which he said he had identified through a telescope and which were “very close” to it. He did not answer this request. The witness placed the UAP to the south-southeast, giving a bearing of 200°, at an elevation of 60°. The source retains both that direction and bearing. Seen from Avignon (84) at 21:30, Jupiter was at azimuth 177° and elevation 64° (see the astronomical-situation document), a difference of 23° in azimuth and 4° in elevation. The iPad mini used to record the video has a diagonal field of view of 66.5°. According to the analysis, it cannot zoom; only the UAP appears in the video, and the sky was clear, so clouds could not have hidden other celestial objects. GEIPAN therefore considers there to be little doubt that the witness filmed Jupiter but was unable to reconcile its presence and appearance with what he had seen through the telescope. The iPad sensor's low sensitivity also prevented fainter nearby celestial objects from appearing in the video. GEIPAN classifies the case B: probable misidentification of Jupiter.