[A750] DE AUMELAS (34) VERS GIGNAC (34) 04.12.2021

On 4 December 2021 at 19:45, a motorist saw multiple yellow lights forming a “stick” in the sky. He watched for 10–15 seconds while driving. Only one account was collected. The case has moderate evidential substance: one witness and no photograph or video (see investigation report). The investigation concluded that he observed a group of sky lanterns, based on the following: - Lanterns are usually orange, but a witness’s colour perception may lead to a yellow description. Yellow lanterns also exist, although less commonly. - Individual lanterns appear point-like at a great distance. Released as a group in light wind, they can remain relatively clustered while rising together through the buoyancy of air heated by their flames. Because they need not all be released at exactly the same time, successive ascending lanterns can look like an inclined “stick” or “band” to a distant observer. - Their distance, very slow intrinsic movement and the very brief observation explain why the witness saw no movement. - Calm weather, light wind and a Saturday evening are favourable for a local or family celebratory release. December is a less favourable season, but does not exclude one. - The witness watched for only 10–15 seconds while driving at 110 km/h on the motorway. - GEIPAN explains the end of the observation as the lanterns burning out and becoming invisible. The witness said, “Shortly afterward (10 seconds), the object seemed to ‘switch off’ and disappeared completely, without moving.” The apparently simultaneous extinction is unusual and contributes to the strangeness. GEIPAN finds that the witness’s main sense of strangeness came from interpreting the whole as one phenomenon rather than several separate ones. It considers the appearance a very good match for a probably large group of sky lanterns released that Saturday, likely during local festivities, in favourable light wind. The witness himself considered but rejected lanterns, mainly because there were so many objects, although he gave no exact number, and because lantern videos he watched did not resemble the sighting. GEIPAN notes that large releases occur and that any one video need not represent all possible appearances, which vary greatly with wind strength, viewing distance and angle, video quality and other factors. GEIPAN classifies the case B: very probable observation of a group of sky lanterns.