Fireball seen in France

Summary

On July 17, 2013, a witness in Saint-Germain-sur-Ille (France) saw a fireball with a descending trajectory from north to south. The phenomenon lasted between 2 and 3 seconds and was described as an oblique path with a trail. Although there were no automatic recordings, a similar report was received in Plaisir (78) around the same time. The apparent undulation could be due to an optical illusion known as autokinetic. Bolides, although often perceived as close, occur at altitudes between 50 and 100 km, and can therefore be seen from an area up to 200 km in diameter. The GEIPAN classified this case as "B", indicating a likely observation of a bolide.