LIEVIN (62) 15.05.2016

On 15 May 2016 between 22:30 and 23:00, several people in a garden in Liévin (62) watched several yellow-orange luminous balls or spheres move slowly across the sky. All traveled east to west with regular spacing. No sound was heard. Photographs and a video were taken, and the witnesses reported to the gendarmerie, but GEIPAN does not have those images. GEIPAN finds the 4 witnesses' statements consistent and very characteristic of a sky-lantern release in color, shape, path and disappearance. It explains that lanterns going out can create the impression of sudden, lightning-fast recession. A weekend night, favorable for celebrations, also supports the hypothesis. No local wind measurement is available. A station 20 km away recorded a light wind of 5 km/h with fluctuating direction. GEIPAN estimates that lanterns could move around 100 m per minute at heights of 100 or 200 m, much lower than witnesses might imagine when unable to judge the distance of an unidentified light. Thus even a light wind could produce substantial apparent travel across the sky in 5 or 10 minutes, as reported. GEIPAN classifies the case as B: probable sky lanterns.