SAINT-MANDRIER-SUR-MER (83) 28.02.2020

On Friday 28 February 2020 at 19:00, a witness returning home saw a circular or spherical object in varying orange shades, with 4 lights arranged in a square. Its outline was not sharp, its apparent size matched the Moon, and it moved west to east at an estimated 60° elevation. After about 3 minutes it gradually faded through gray and vanished in open sky. The witness thought sky lanterns did not fit. Only 1 account was collected. Analysis of the sky-lantern hypothesis found: - Appearance: 4 orange lights in a square. The reconstruction drawing may initially seem unusual for lanterns, but nighttime observation at this small apparent size, comparable to the Moon, can produce perceptual illusions. It might depict 4 close lanterns whose orange halos merged rather than a single object. - Cloud: the witness reported clear sky, and Météo-France AROME data placed clouds only above 5,000 m, giving adequate visibility for lanterns. - Path: west–east motion matches wind directions reported at nearby stations, 265° and 300°. - Wind speed: lantern releases require light wind. Toulon-le-Baou, 6 km away, reported 1 km/h, and Six-Fours-les-Plages, 8 km away, 3 km/h. Saint-Mandrier, only 1 km away, reported 14 km/h, but wind speeds can vary greatly with position in this coastal setting, so this is not decisive against the hypothesis. - Disappearance: turning gray is typical as a lantern goes out. A witness may perceive either rapid ascent or fading away. - Duration: 3 minutes fits lantern flight. The observation is compatible with sky lanterns, but the release source was not found. GEIPAN therefore classifies the case B: probable misidentification of sky lanterns.