Mysterious light in Essonne

Summary

During an outdoor dinner on September 5, 2009, several people in Essonne observed a silent luminous object moving across the sky. A witness described an orange ball slowly moving before suddenly accelerating southward at high speed and without sound. Although initially intriguing due to its unusual behavior, the characteristics of the phenomenon and the context of a nearby celebration with fireworks suggest it was a flying lantern. This type of object is frequently reported and well known to the GEIPAN.

The case was classified as B, indicating a likely observation of a flying lantern. The surrounding conditions, together with the description of movement and absence of noise, fit this type of phenomenon. While it is always exciting to see something unusual in the sky, in this case there are enough reasons to believe it was not an unknown object, but a well-known luminous tradition.