PIGNAN (34) 07.07.2018

On 7 July 2018 around 22:45, a witness in a garden saw an orange-red glowing light described as several kilometers above the horizon. As the ball approached silently, the witness became increasingly intrigued and considered numerous explanations. It disappeared into a cloud and reappeared. The observation lasted 1–2 minutes. The witness photographed it with a phone before it disappeared “in place.” No other account was collected. The witness probably saw a sky lantern approaching from the north and going out as it passed to the east. Supporting details include: - Its color: orange, very bright, fully illuminated, like incandescent embers. - Its changing shape: a ball at a distance, then a difficult-to-describe moving form like elongated molten plasma, somewhat tube-shaped with a flared rear, and a still brighter orange, fire-like outline. As a lantern approaches and rises in elevation, the burner's underside can block some light, leaving the outline brighter. Combustion and flickering produce the impression of fire with fluctuating edges. Some lanterns are flared in shape. - Its north–south path matches the measured northerly wind (see Météociel). - Its disappearance fits combustion ending, which can look like matter vanishing in place. The dark, extinguished lantern's fall is not always visible. - A summer weekend night is suitable for festivities of this kind. Under this hypothesis, the lantern crossed a cloud. The witness perceived a glow fading against a cloud, probably as it traversed the lower part. Lanterns rarely exceed 300 m altitude, but the witness described the few clouds as low, so this does not contradict the hypothesis. The satellite hypothesis is rejected because the apparent size changes too much. Only the ISS could create that large, bright, growing impression, but it was not in the sky. Moreover, a satellite would not disappear this way without substantial cloud cover. A meteorite hypothesis is also rejected because the duration is too long and the angular speed too slow. GEIPAN classifies the case B: probable observation of a sky lantern.