PAPEETE (987) 12.01.2026

In January 2026, a witness reports that he had repeatedly made nighttime observations of a phenomenon with friends and colleagues that they could not explain. He again witnessed this night phenomenon on 12 January 2026. Lights, white with sometimes a reddish reflection at the bottom, move horizontally with slight vertical variations above the horizon. Their intensity gradually increased and then decreased before disappearing. The environment was clear and urban, without a light source that could explain the observed phenomenon. A single technical questionnaire (QT) was collected. Other similar observations are reported by pilots in night flight between the Marquesas and Tahiti. Photographs associated with the observation were obtained by the GEIPAN via the Infos Cyclones Polynésie website, without time stamping available. The overall analysis of the case is based on QT criteria C4 to C10 in addition to the non-original photographs recovered. GEIPAN considers the UAP description, supplemented by the photographs, indicative of Starlink flares. More precisely, these are brief illuminations of some satellites of the Starlink® constellation by the Sun, which has set for the observer. This conclusion is based on the conditions for observing these phenomena, which are described on the GEIPAN note "A new type of recurrent UAP observation: Starlink satellite flashes (or cluster flares) published on the GEIPAN website in this investigation note. Characteristics that conform to this assumption are: - Shape and brightness: point with maximum brightness in the middle of the observation. - The trajectory: several objects with crossing of trajectories. - The position of the Sun: below the observer’s horizon by 30°–45°. - The location of the phenomenon: above the direction of the set Sun, at a low elevation of less than 15°. - The presence of very numerous Starlink® in operational orbit in the reported viewing direction. The evidential quality* of this case, within the meaning of the GEIPAN criteria, is considered good, despite a single testimony, which is reinforced by the multiplicity of reports accompanied by photographs and videos on Polynesian social networks and weather sites on the same date. *According to the GEIPAN criteria, evidential quality is the amount of information collected for an account that is considered reliable and objectively established. However, we note that at the time of the observation of 12 January 2026 (at 20h) the position of the sun below the horizon (>-30°) does not meet the conditions that were optimal between 21:04 (-31°) and 22:00 (-41°) as seen from Papeete on that day as shown in the Stellarium* screenshots in Appendix 1. This hypothesis reduces the strangeness perceived by the witness, therefore, the GEIPAN classifies this case as "A", observation of Starlink® satellites "flares". *Stellarium is a planetarium software.