CHAVANGES (10) 16.02.2019

During the nights of 15–16 and 18–19 February 2019, a witness in Chavanges (10) intermittently watched a bright light from the first floor of his home for nearly 1 hour on each occasion. It appeared stationary low above the horizon, but he also described a curved path downward and to the right. It resembled a large star brighter than surrounding stars. Only 1 account was collected, with 2 photographs allowing identification. GEIPAN attributes occasional blue light to chromatic aberration; see the investigation report. Landmarks in the photographs identify the object as Sirius, Alpha Canis Majoris, the principal star of Canis Major and the brightest star in the sky after the Sun. All available analyzable information supports that identification. GEIPAN classifies the case A: astronomical misidentification of Sirius.