Reddish ball in the sky over Verfeil

Summary

On March 23, 2011, a driver in Verfeil (Haute-Garonne) noticed a large reddish ball in the sky. Curious, he stopped and took a photo just before the object disappeared suddenly. The witness described a fixed light that shifted laterally before vanishing. The GEIPAN analyzed the case and concluded it was likely an airplane viewed head-on. When an observer looks directly at an airplane, they only see the front beacon as a stationary point. If the plane slightly changes direction, such as when approaching the runway, the light shifts and then disappears. This conventional explanation was chosen to classify the case as "B," meaning a likely explained observation.