Orange fireball over Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray

Summary

On February 13, 2008, a witness in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray observed a large orange ball moving at high speed across the sky. The phenomenon lasted only a few seconds before disappearing. Although the witness saw nothing else, the description of the object suggested something unusual. However, the lack of other witnesses or recordings limited the possibility of confirming whether it was a natural phenomenon, such as a fireball. The B classification indicates that it was likely a misinterpretation of a common atmospheric event, although it cannot be completely ruled out.

GEIPAN, which investigates such cases, considers the low consistency of the testimony and the brevity of the event to point toward a conventional explanation. However, the absence of additional evidence keeps a certain mystery around the case. This type of event, although inconclusive, reminds us that the sky can still surprise us with phenomena we do not yet fully understand.