New Year fireworks mistaken for a UFO in Beaumettes

Summary

After 7 p.m. on 31 December 1977, several people in Beaumettes (Vaucluse) noticed orange lights in the sky. A local resident later told the gendarmerie he had launched a firework with two lights and four Chinese rockets between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m. to celebrate New Year's Eve, likely explaining those sightings. However, a separate, brief testimony describes a motorist spotting a motionless object around 5 p.m. — well before the fireworks — before quickly losing sight of it. With no supporting reports or additional details, this earlier observation is not covered by the firework explanation, leaving some uncertainty about the full episode.