Luminous sphere observed on D109 in 1977

Summary

On December 19, 1977, around 2 a.m., a driver traveling on the D109 in the Jura region of France observed a luminous sphere with a flat upper surface. This object, emitting a whitish glow, initially appeared stationary above a valley before slowly moving westward. The witness, accompanied by his dog, which reacted to the presence of the phenomenon, followed it for about thirty minutes without ever catching up. Although the case was initially classified as "C" due to lack of information, it is now considered more substantial due to the consistency of the testimony.

The description of the object is quite precise, and the credibility of the witness was never questioned. However, investigators concluded that the observed phenomenon was actually the gibbous Moon, which was present in the observed part of the sky. The witness did not mention the Moon, suggesting that his interpretation was influenced by factors such as fatigue and night driving. In the current GEIPAN classification, this case is considered of "medium interest" and was archived as a misinterpretation of a known astronomical object.