SALIGNAC-EYVIGUES (24) 10.09.2017

On 10 September 2017 at 22:26, a witness on his terrace saw a light low in the sky to the west. He soon realized it was approaching and perceived a triangular shape. He hurried inside for binoculars. Through them he saw an orange triangular object with brighter, whitish extremities. It moved silently in a straight line west to east. After about 15 seconds he lost sight of it and could not explain its sudden disappearance, perhaps behind a cloud. No other account was collected. GEIPAN considers a sky lantern probable because of: - The orange color. - Eastward movement matching the strong eastward wind component recorded around that time at surrounding stations. Unfortunately no available station data were from closer than 25 km; the cited record is Gourdon, 25 km away, from Infoclimat. - The date, a summer Sunday evening, favorable for celebrations. GEIPAN's experience with lantern reports answers the witness's objections: - A lantern can be released alone. - Its speed can be steady and substantial, depending on wind at its flight altitude of 100–300 m. - Flames are not always visible, even directly below the lantern, because the burner can hide them. - Lanterns have different shapes or cross-sections, especially at the top, including triangular, square and heart shapes (see the retail website). - Their color need not be uniform: the paper can show color variations, especially with an irregular shape. GEIPAN classifies the case B: sky lantern.