A reddish shape on the horizon at Saint-Florent explained as the Moon

Summary

In June 1979, four people driving near Saint-Florent (Loiret) described a reddish elongated shape — like a drop or a banana — descending silently from the sky with no flashing lights. They returned to alert the gendarmerie, who found nothing that night but discovered a circle of warm ashes the next day, initially attributed to a brush fire. A later GEIPAN review established that the Moon was at exactly the position described by the witnesses, with a reddish hue and elongated appearance consistent with its look near the horizon. The azimuth matched the road direction. Fatigue, night driving, and fear influenced the witnesses' interpretation. The case is considered resolved as a Moon confusion.