Black tube with red zones over Sougé-le-Ganelon in 1974

Summary

In November 1974, a driver and passenger in Sarthe saw a black tube-shaped object with three bright red zones. It moved slowly and silently, hovering vertically before disappearing behind the trees. The observation lasted several minutes and frightened both witnesses. Collected in 2008, the testimony was classified C by GEIPAN. Investigators suggested the perceived tube shape might have been an optical illusion created by aligned luminous points—possibly Thai lanterns carried by the wind—but the absence of meteorological data and cultural context prevented confirmation of that hypothesis.