MOUGINS (06) 08.08.2015

On Saturday 8 August 2015 at 02:00, a person at home in Mougins (06) saw about 50 small milky-white discs, later pewter-grey, pass silently across the sky. The witness watched first with the naked eye and then binoculars for 8–10 minutes. They moved slowly with a wavering motion along a straight path, with some gradually separating ahead of and behind the group. The formation slowly left view. No other account was collected. GEIPAN considers about 50 luminous discs crossing the sky on a weekend night strongly suggestive of festive objects carried by the wind: illuminated balloons or sky lanterns probably released nearby after a private celebration, such as a birthday. White changing to grey favours helium-filled LED balloons, of a type illustrated in the source's illuminated-balloon reference. The source adds that, unlike sky lanterns, these balloons do not risk starting fires. The observed northeast-to-north movement is considered compatible with the weak north-northeasterly wind recorded at Cannes-Mandelieu. GEIPAN explains that, with the light wind almost facing the witness, the airborne objects would appear to advance very slowly; see Météociel. GEIPAN received no further account. It notes that finding who released them is extremely difficult in an urban area. The case is classified B: probable observation of illuminated balloons.