[D200] de RIVECOURT (60) vers AGEUX (LES) (60) 26.09.2015

On 26 September 2015 at 23:59, a witness saw about 20 lights in the sky resembling moving streetlamps. Only 1 account was collected. GEIPAN considers orange balls crossing the sky over a few minutes on a weekend night strongly suggestive of sky lanterns, probably released nearby after a private celebration. It describes their northeast-to-southeast movement as fully consistent with the northeasterly wind recorded at Creil (see Météociel). The witnesses considered lanterns but did not understand why one moved faster. GEIPAN notes that the last apparent lantern would have been released later and not yet reached the others’ altitude. Wind speed may differ aloft, and perspective is another possibility: at equal speed, a closer object appears faster than a more distant one (see diagram). The case is classified B: probable sky lanterns.