Charvieu-Chavagneux 2012, red objects observed in France

Summary

On September 8, 2012, two people in Charvieu-Chavagneux (France) observed two slow-moving, silent red-lit objects in the sky. One of them changed direction and suddenly disappeared. Although it might initially seem unexplained, the description and a photo of the event immediately suggested traditional Thai lanterns. These are red-orange spheres that float slowly and remain in the air for a few minutes before extinguishing. Given the light and southerly wind, and the fact that Saturday evenings are common for lantern releases, the GEIPAN classified the case as "B", indicating a likely observation of Thai lanterns. The sudden disappearance of one object was explained as the natural result of the paraffin fuel running out.