Luminous spheres over the French coast in May 2008

Summary

On the night of May 3, 2008, around 10:00 PM, several witnesses along the French Atlantic coast and on the island of Yeu observed luminous spheres moving in the sky. No unusual sounds were reported during the sightings, which generated some intrigue. The observations caught the attention of local and national media. Later, a person contacted the local gendarmerie of Yeu, admitting to being responsible for the phenomenon. That night, during a private party, he launched around 10:00 PM at the northeastern tip of the island, Thai sky lanterns. These are floating balloons that drift with the wind and eventually extinguish. The case was documented as a specific news item on the GEIPAN website.