Sphere that caught fire on impact in Veyre-Monton

Summary

On December 25, 1978, three people witnessed the fall of a spherical or oval object over one meter in diameter in Veyre-Monton (Puy-de-Dôme). Upon hitting the ground, the bright, smooth object caught fire and displayed various colors. Gendarmes found scorched earth and assorted debris at the site: a spring, an aluminum plate, and rolled, charred material. Everything points to a man-made origin, though the exact purpose was never identified. An amateur experiment was considered as a possibility.