White-gray object seen in Mortemart

Summary

On August 8, 2012, a witness and their company observed for 15 seconds a white-gray object moving in a straight line at a constant speed across the sky. The object left no visible trail and was seen briefly. The witness, looking south, described the object moving from left to right, that is, from east to west. As it moved, its apparent size decreased quickly, suggesting it was at a low altitude. The most plausible hypothesis, according to the GEIPAN, is that it was a recreational balloon or a helium-filled balloon. Meteorological data from the region align with this theory, as the wind was blowing from east to northwest at that time.