AMIENS (80) 06.08.2016

On Saturday 6 August 2016 at 23:05, a couple watching the sky from a garden saw 4 points of light appear to the south-southwest above a nearby building. They flew silently in formation, converged on a single point, rose vertically and disappeared. The sighting was very brief, and only 1 account was collected. The description does not support any proposed explanation with sufficient probability (see the investigation report). It could suggest a laser light display, or flying insects lit naturally, such as fireflies, or artificially by city lights. However, the completely clear sky does not fit the laser-display hypothesis. The insect hypothesis does not readily explain the UAP's disappearance. The short duration, 2 or 3 seconds, could also suggest a meteor, but the convergence of the points of light and lack of a luminous trail do not fit that explanation well. A meteor tends to break apart rather than come together. The case has some strangeness, although only moderate: none of the proposed explanations can be assigned a probability above 50%, but none can be ruled out entirely. The observation lasted only 2 or 3 seconds, and the account lacks detail, particularly about the UAP's angular size. This may reflect the short duration combined with the UAPs' probably considerable distance. There is only 1 account. The other observer, the main witness's girlfriend, merely “confirmed” the sighting without submitting an account; he described her as “less intrigued than he was.” Other friends were also there watching the sky, but were looking in a different direction. The lack of information and corroborating accounts prevents GEIPAN from establishing the sighting's degree of strangeness. The case is therefore classified C: insufficient reliable information.