BEAUMONT-SUR-SARTHE (72) 24.01.2016

On Sunday 24 January 2016 at about 00:40, a witness on his terrace saw a green ball of light pass by and stop among trees. He went inside to fetch his partner, and together they watched its silent movements for less than 2 minutes. The ball moved above a football field, made a very rapid outward-and-return movement, and split into 4 smaller balls. These disappeared behind a nearby hedge, reappeared in front of it, then rapidly departed north-northwest. Intrigued, the witnesses went down into the street but saw no other witnesses and did not see the phenomenon again. One made a statement to the gendarmerie; no other account was collected. The gendarmerie reported that a nightclub 9 km from the town had a laser projector visible within a radius of about 20 km. A wind farm was also present in the area. GEIPAN considers the witnesses reliable and diligent in describing their experience. Checks followed an on-site investigation; see the investigation report. GEIPAN finds the event only slightly unusual because it could resemble the potentially surprising, unfamiliar effects of a small green laser operated by a neighbor, capable of producing a broad beam or several smaller beams. The available evidence did not establish the laser's source, which would require neighborhood inquiries, but a laser remains the probable cause. GEIPAN classifies the case B: effects of a recreational laser.