UFO sighted in France in 1979

Summary

In October 1979, a driver and her passengers in France observed a reddish glowing object above a forest. The object, described as bright but not blinding, changed shape before disappearing. Witnesses reported no sound and the event lasted between 15 and 20 seconds. Initially classified as a low strangeness case, the GEIPAN revisited the case using modern tools and accumulated experience. The investigation concluded that the observed object was actually the rising sun, whose light filtered through moving clouds. Witnesses failed to recognize the sun due to weather conditions and their state of surprise, leading to a misinterpretation. The revised classification now labels the case as a PAN A, meaning the observation is attributable to a misidentification of the sun.