Oscillating luminous sphere in Castelnau-de-Montmiral

Summary

Near midnight on February 18, 1975, a witness in the Tarn department saw a luminous sphere oscillating silently in a vertical motion, alarming him. There were no other testimonies. An astronomical check revealed the Moon, in its first quarter, was setting toward the northwest at that time—matching the direction the witness indicated. Low clouds may have partly hidden the Moon, creating the impression of a nearly spherical shape. However, the movements described do not easily fit the Moon's motion, and imprecise distance and size estimates prevent a firm identification. Classified C.