Reddish light over the Seille in 1980

Summary

On the early morning of April 7, 1980, two people driving near Saint-Usuge (France) observed a low red-orange light that appeared to follow the course of the Seille river. The light, described as a ball moving in jumps, eventually stopped by the roadside, causing panic in the driver, who reversed and turned back. Meanwhile, a vehicle coming from the opposite direction made the witnesses see the ball rapidly rise and disappear. Initially classified as C, the GEIPAN re-examined the case and concluded it was a clear observation of the rising Moon. The perception of movement and altitude change was due to optical and psychological phenomena, such as the follower ball illusion and interpretation altered by stress and night fatigue.

The GEIPAN's explanation is clear: the Moon, which was rising at that time, was perceived as a nearby object due to the lack of visual context and the witnesses' movement. This type of optical illusion is common when observing a celestial body in motion relative to a landscape. Additionally, the emotional state of the witnesses, especially the driver, influenced how they interpreted what they saw. Instead of an unidentified flying object, what they actually observed was a common astronomical phenomenon, misinterpreted due to environmental and psychological factors. This case is a classic example of how perception can be misleading, especially under conditions of darkness and stress.