SAINT-PABU (29) 26.05.2015

On 26 May 2015, reportedly from 21:45 to 22:00, a witness observed a phenomenon that had intrigued him a few weeks earlier: a stationary point of light, less bright than Venus, visible to the naked eye and changing between green, red and yellow. It seemed to make small circles around a fixed point. Only 1 account was collected. GEIPAN finds the account imprecise. The reported time appears incorrect because the witness described and photographed a nighttime scene, whereas sunset was not until 22:07. For its analysis, GEIPAN assumes the observation occurred around 23:00. The viewing direction is also imprecise; the witness's diagram provides the best indication of elevation, estimated at about 20°. Brest weather records show a predominantly clear sky and a northerly wind; the source refers to Météociel data. An apparently fixed light suggests a star, probably Capella, as shown in the attached sky chart. The witness's description of a rotating red, green and yellow light seems unusual but can be explained by scintillation; the source refers to the article “Une étoile?” Twinkling and color or appearance changes at varying rates often cause misidentifications. They are especially noticeable for a star low in a clear but disturbed atmosphere, associated with heat or wind, conditions GEIPAN says applied that day. The handheld photograph, taken with a powerful zoom, shows a reddish curving trace typical of camera shake. GEIPAN classifies the case B: probable observation of Capella.