PIERREFORT (15) 21.08.2022

On 21 August 2022 at 21:30, 4 witnesses on the terrace of a country house in Pierrefort (15) saw several white oval lights moving steadily in close pairs. Their path was straight and slightly ascending from northwest to southeast. The observation lasted about 5 minutes and was filmed. No associated sound was heard, and the lights disappeared without any particular event. The case is well substantiated by several observers and an analyzable video, published in anonymized form, although only 1 witness submitted an account to GEIPAN. Substantiation means the amount of reliable, objectively established information collected for an account. The oval shapes, white color and regular repeated movement along the same path strongly suggest a skytracer or skyrose lighting display, commonly used by nightclubs or to mark festive events (see investigation report). Middle-level cloud provided a surface for the projected light. No upward beam was visible because of the 11 km ground distance between the installation and witnesses and excellent horizontal visibility with few suspended particles. The exact model is unknown, but such outdoor lights can have a theoretical range exceeding 10 km. Investigation established that a festival took place that evening at Paulhac (15), about 10 km away. The company providing entertainment for its closing dance confirmed by phone that it used powerful moving-head lights, called “lyres,” projecting beams skyward. Their reported operating time began after the sighting, but earlier testing is entirely possible. The case is classified A: skytracer observation.