Sun pillar mistaken for a UFO at Guipel

Summary

On 13 January 1978, a married couple in Guipel (Ille-et-Vilaine) watched a slowly moving rectangular orange-red shape with a halo along its longer sides. No sound was heard and no ground traces were found. Investigators concluded it was a sun pillar — an optical phenomenon that occurs just after sunset, matching the conditions recorded that day. The PAN A classification confirms a credible testimony explained by confusion with a rare but natural atmospheric event unfamiliar to the witnesses.