CHATEAUNEUF-DE-GALAURE (26) 02.09.2016

At 05:20 on 2 September 2016, a witness at Châteauneuf-de-Galaure (26) saw a very white, bright stationary ball low in the sky towards Saint-Martin-d'Août. He watched for 5–6 minutes, then went to fetch another person; the phenomenon seemed to go out spontaneously. Only 1 account was collected. GEIPAN identified Sirius. It explains that the bright white star is often surprising near the horizon, where atmospheric optical or halo effects can make it look like a luminous ball. Saint-Martin-d'Août lay southeast, in Sirius's direction, and the witness looked just above the horizon, matching its 5° elevation. While he fetched his friend, Sirius could have moved behind a cloud or a feature on the horizon; the source cites 3° angular movement in 10 minutes. The witness described a dark night. GEIPAN classified the case A: Sirius.