Reddish ball at sunset in Guise

Summary

On 24 October 1977, three witnesses in Guise (Aisne) spotted a reddish ball with sparks near the horizon, visible for five to ten minutes. They reported it to the gendarmerie, whose patrols found no alternative explanation, and the sighting was even covered by a local newspaper.

The key detail, however, was the timing: the observation coincided with sunset. Investigators concluded that the witnesses had misinterpreted the appearance of the Sun on the horizon. GEIPAN now classifies this case as PAN A — a fully identified phenomenon attributable to a natural-object confusion.