Martigues 1980, Unusual luminous observation

Summary

On September 15, 1980, between 7:40 PM and 9:30 PM, several people in Martigues (France) observed a luminous phenomenon from their homes. A bright point, larger than a regular star, changed in intensity and color before disappearing toward the northwest. Although initially considered an unidentified object, researchers concluded it was likely a special observation of the star Arcturus, which was particularly visible at that time of year with a magnitude of 0.15. The description of the event, however, still raises questions about the perception and interpretation of celestial phenomena.