Orange luminous dot over Timbuktu (1953)

Summary

Around 20:15 on 20 March 1953, two witnesses in Timbuktu, Mali, observed an orange luminous point near the horizon. It drifted slowly from northeast to southwest without leaving a trail, shrinking in size and brightness until it disappeared. Only one testimony was collected. An astronomical check found no celestial body in the reported direction, and the apparent motion ruled out a star or planet. GEIPAN suggested a distant aircraft seen head-on with its lights on, but insufficient information led to a classification of C.