ANOR (59) 31.05.2023

On 31 May 2023 at about 23:00, a witness and his wife in Anor (59) saw a phenomenon arriving from the north, shaped like a “tube” or “parallelepiped” with white lights. He counted 32 lights in pairs separated by dark gaps. He considered a Starlink train recently launched by Falcon 9 from California but doubted this because its path and altitude seemed unusual for satellites. Only 1 account was collected. Although reported late, in April 2024, the case had good substantiation: a second observer, who did not complete a questionnaire, and a blurred photograph in which the UAP could nevertheless be identified. GEIPAN defines substantiation as the amount of information considered reliable in an account. The perceived strangeness mainly concerned a seemingly single, very large object at a much lower altitude than expected for Starlink satellites. The investigation validated a Starlink train because of its elongated appearance matching aligned satellites, white color, confirmed presence overhead at the time, broadly north-to-south movement and straight path (see investigation note). Several factors prevented recognition: - He expected an eastward trajectory, but the launch entered what the source calls a polar orbit inclined at 70°, followed by a curved path over France toward the south-southeast. His reconstructed visual path differed somewhat in angle, probably because precise orientation at night was difficult. - He had difficulty estimating altitude and actual size. - A shape illusion made separate objects appear to be one. The source describes this as typical when similar objects follow an apparently convergent path. - A sensation of something brushing past immediately after the UAP crossed his garden could have been a gust of wind instinctively associated with it. His photograph showed the satellite train despite blur, and his sketch represented its appearance from the ground. GEIPAN also noted that his count of 32 lights was close to an outside observer's count of 40 satellites in the train. The case was classified A as a Starlink satellite train.