Stationary orange sphere over Beaufort-en-Vallée

Summary

At about 22:50 on 6 May 1978, several people in Beaufort-en-Vallée saw a luminous orange sphere hanging motionless in the sky, flickering irregularly. After remaining still for several minutes, the object moved from south to northwest without a sound and vanished. Investigators concluded it was most likely a satellite whose unusual appearance created the impression of something unexplained. GEIPAN classified it as B.