Radar echo and reddish light over Evreux air base

Summary

On 23 April 1978, at about 20:35, an officer at Evreux air base spotted a reddish luminous point at roughly 10–15 degrees elevation in sector 300, gradually dimming. The base radar picked up an echo at 18 nautical miles moving toward sector 330 at 30–40 knots. The observation lasted about seven minutes. Helicopters and balloons were ruled out; Venus was visible that night but in a clearly different position. The weak echo intensity and lack of confirmation from a second radar suggest a possible false return.

GEIPAN classified the case as D1. The coincidence between the visual sighting and the radar echo is noteworthy, but the faintness of the signal and the absence of recordings limit conclusions. A secondary reflection or measurement error cannot be excluded, and the case remains without a definitive explanation.