SAINT-YRIEIX-LA-PERCHE (87) 12.03.2019

On 12 March 2019 at 06:36, a witness outside his home saw a bright white, spherical-looking light moving silently in a straight line, with brightness comparable to Venus. At the beginning, an airliner also passed overhead with audible noise and a trail. The witness went inside for his camera and took 8 photographs. The light was observed for 1 minute 30 seconds before disappearing as it receded. No other account was collected. GEIPAN finds low strangeness and a good evidential basis: 1 fairly detailed account and photographs. The investigation identifies the International Space Station (ISS) with certainty; see the investigation report. Its bright white appearance, Venus-like brightness and visible duration match the ISS, which crossed the sky at the reported time along the reported path. The observation time is well established because a virtual-radar reconstruction identified the airliner seen overhead at the beginning, independently confirming the timing. GEIPAN classifies the case A: certain misidentification of the ISS.