VIENNE-EN-VAL (45) 06.09.2015

On 6 September 2015 at about 22:45, a witness in his garden in Vienne-en-Val (45) saw a point of light moving south to north and initially thought it was a satellite. It stopped for a few seconds, resumed moving, then made a half-loop in the opposite direction. After another stop, it disappeared at high speed. Only 1 account was collected. GEIPAN judges the unusualness moderate and evidential strength low: one witness, no photographs and missing details. It considers a possible artificial satellite passing directly overhead, immediately followed by a meteor probably from the Kappa Cygnids. The lack of precise information prevents formal confirmation; see the investigation report. The unusual close succession of a satellite and meteor could have been interpreted as a single object's motion. The reported stops and rotations might also reflect misperception from the particularly uncomfortable posture needed to observe directly overhead. The case is classified as B: probable misidentification of a satellite coinciding with a meteor sighting.