Temple-sur-Lot (France) 2012, Observation of a luminous object

Summary

On January 30, 2012, a witness in the Lot-et-Garonne department observed a luminous object. Initially mistaken for a star, the object soon displayed unusual movement: it zigzagged and then headed south. Described as spherical, white, and blue in the center, its behavior did not match that of a typical celestial body. At that moment, the International Space Station (ISS) was passing through the sky, extremely bright, with a magnitude similar to that of Venus. Although the description of the object matches the ISS, its movement does not, as the ISS moves in a straight line. Investigators concluded that the witness may have experienced optical illusions known as autokinesis and autostasis, common when observing a bright point against a uniform sky. The sky was partially covered, which left some doubt about the visibility of the ISS. The witness made other similar observations in the following days, though with few details. One of them coincided with the passage of American spy satellites, though these are usually not bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.