CALMETTE (LA) (30) 15.12.2023

On 15 December 2023 at 07:10, a motorist on the N106 toward Nîmes saw an intense white light near La Calmette (30) in the clear, still-dark sky. At about 30° elevation it moved north to south, with no visible trail or audible sound. It initially travelled straight at high speed, then seemed to change course around a hill and disappeared after 3 seconds, crossing only a small portion of sky. One account was recorded. GEIPAN finds moderate evidential substance: one witness, no images and incomplete data, particularly precise viewing direction. A fireball—light produced by a natural celestial body entering the atmosphere—is supported by the fast white light, brief 3-second duration and initially straight movement. Three FRIPON (Fireball Recovery and InterPlanetary Observation Network) cameras at Mantet (66), Le Bleymard (48) and Aubenas (07) recorded a fireball at 07:07. Although FRIPON did not reconstruct its precise path, directions from two cameras agree closely with the witness’s position. The missing trail is surprising but possible: a short observation through a moving vehicle’s window and perspective from entry angle and witness position might hide a trail that was present. The apparent turn may likewise result from the car changing direction. GEIPAN classifies A: fireball.