Fifteen gleaming metallic objects over Aix-en-Provence

Summary

At sunset on January 11, 1979, two witnesses in Aix-en-Provence watched about fifteen objects, 60 to 80 cm in size, reflecting the setting sun with a metallic sheen. They drifted silently southeast, spinning and flashing. Investigation revealed a weather balloon had been launched at the same time, suggesting the witnesses may have seen fragments of the balloon or its gondola. Still, the detailed description of the objects' coordinated turns and flashes did not fully match that explanation, leaving some uncertainty.