GERARDMER (88) 18.08.2018

At 11:08 p.m. on August 18, 2018, a witness with a friend in a forest taking astronomical photographs briefly saw a point of light near Ursa Minor and the edge of Cepheus, with brightness comparable to Venus. It appeared stationary; only one account was collected. GEIPAN found little unusual beyond the apparent immobility, which could result from an object approaching almost overhead. The precise position allowed comparison with orbiting objects and their solar reflections. The investigation identified a probable flash from Iridium 33 P debris and classified the case A: satellite-debris flash.