Rotating fireball near ground level at Long (1954)

Summary

In late October 1954, a farmer and his employee were driving a tractor along a rural road in the Somme region when they noticed a fireball spinning just metres above the ground, emitting vivid coloured rays. When they switched off the tractor's headlights, the object rose slowly southward across the Somme valley. Turning the lights back on, it reappeared, spun again, and headed southwest. No ground traces were found.

The next day the farmer described the object as circular, roughly the size of a round table, and mentioned a humming sound like a swarm of bees. Police, alerted by the press, found two additional witnesses who confirmed seeing an orange luminous ball with elongated shapes. While some features suggest ball lightning, the lack of meteorological data prevents confirmation. GEIPAN classified the case as C due to insufficient evidence.