ENTREMONT-LE-VIEUX (73) 12.08.2018

On 12 August 2018 during an astronomy-watching evening, 2 witnesses first saw with the naked eye 2 groups of star-like lights moving silently. Through a telescope they appeared as “beautiful blue-gray balls moving rapidly on an ascending path.” The summary describes the lights as very bright, whereas the analysis below calls their brightness low to moderate. The opening account gives about 10 minutes before disappearance. One witness attempted a phone photograph, but it was unusable. Analysis found the accounts consistent with 2 groups of sky lanterns (see investigation report). Supporting elements are: - Ball shapes seen at a distance. - Low to moderate brightness like twinkling stars, with the flames flickering in the relative airflow created by movement. - White or bluish color, possible though less common for lanterns. - Silent movement. - Duration up to 15 minutes, as specified in the analysis. - A summer Saturday-to-Sunday night, favorable for lantern releases. - Steady, straight, slightly ascending paths compatible with still air or light wind. The wind-at-altitude information was not fully established, but remained favorable to lantern releases in optimal conditions. Investigators also proposed a possible launch site matching the hypothesis: a rental venue surrounded by suitable meadows in a steep-sided valley, whose mountain ridges form a corridor for drifting lanterns. However, no celebration at that place and time could be confirmed. GEIPAN classifies the case B: probable misidentification of sky lanterns.